Eat Healthy So You'll Grow Healthy

Peacekeeping Note: I don't mean to offend any parents out there. This is strictly to encourage and educate.

I am reading a book right now called the Baby Book Bible, and it's quoting some really sad statistics of rising number of kids who are overweight and eating junk food.

As a Filipino, I have noticed that our culture has a penchant for adding a lot of salt via actual salt or patis (fish sauce), and frying our dishes in a lot of oil, and eat a LOT of pork. We usually top all of that with a lot of rice. And veggies in our diet are more likely to be in dishes that have been boiled and have therefore stripped the veggies of most of it's nutrients.

For my non Filipino friends, they have their own dietary problems, usually concerning the same thing: lots of fried, lots of carbs, and lack of veggies and fruits in their diet. It's a sobering reality in my life right now that a lot of people I know have diabetes, are overweight, have kidney problems, etc. etc.

I went to a Christmas party last season, and Mina and I wandered to the "kids" area. All the kids were 11 and under, some just 2 and 3 years old. They were all watching TV and had been for hours. Either that or playing video games. I've given my opinion on TV watching but I understand it's the holidays. Even if the parent's rule were no TV, or limited TV, the rules may have been relaxed for the vacation.

There was a 2/3 year old there who had her own bag of chips. Mina loves crackers and corn chips, and when she saw the girl's bag, she wanted some. I let her have two. Mina wandered away, and I followed her only to follow her back again some time later. The little girl now had another bag of chips, this time a flaming hot cheetos. This, I wouldn't let Mina taste.

Chips as snacks. Fried foods as snacks. This is the normal snack for a toddler in many household.

I don't think it's too much to for parents to limit these things EVEN during the holidays. Is it?

Parents need to be simply more dilligent in watching what their kids eat. What you eat, and what they eat now, is what they'll be eating the rest of their lives. Learn recipes to make veggies more palatable for you and then introduce them to your kids before 18 mos. old. Insist they finish their veggies, and make it delicious, and show them that you have fun eating it, so they will too.

Start with something easy that all kids will love, like carrots and corn, and broccoli. Broccoli is easy to make delicious. Just steam, put a pat of butter on top and sprinkle with cheese. Mina loves it!

Then start branching out to zucchini, squash, bell peppers, etc. Remember, it takes at least 8 times of trying to feed your child a food before you can really conclude they don't like it. That's how long they make take to get used to it. Other experts say 16 times. Just keep trying and don't give up.

For afternoon snacks? What's more nutritious and delicious than a bunch of cut up apples, pears, strawberries, or wedges of oranges? To make it even more appetizing, whip it into a yogurt smoothie using a blender and serve it as dessert. They'll get the sweet but with loaded nutrients than just a slice of chocolate cake.

As a parent, it is up to you make sure you child grow up happy and healthy. One of the best ways to do that is to give them a foundation of healthy eating. It will "school" their tongue to always crave fruits and veggies instead of friend snacks, junk foods and processed foods, if you start them as young as possible.

If you child is all grown up, it is not too late. It is never too late. Let's all make 2009 the year we cut down on the junk foods and pile up on fruits and veggies!