Rules for Children on Getting Proper Nutrition
By Christine Gray
Children should get the proper nutrients needed by their body to stay active and healthy. Parents, teachers, doctors and others are continuously learning strategies on how children could stay fit. A child should eat a well balanced diet, get enough exercise and must obtain a healthy weight to become fit.
Parent's basic steps for proper nutrition for their children include preparing healthy meals for their children or taking them on a nature trip or hiking. children who are physically fit feels better and works well. Kids can take good care of their health by following five rules through their parent's orientation.
1. Eat a variety of food especially vegetables and fruits. children have their favourite foods but eating different foods enables their body to get the nutrients that their body needs. Try tasting new and old dishes you have not served before. Green vegetables are good for growing kids. Always have five servings of vegetables and fruits a day. It means three vegetables and two fruits at least.
Other food varieties include protein foods such as nuts and meat, and grain foods such as cereals and breads. Proteins help in building certain body structures and muscles. Carbohydrates supply your body with energy and fiber foods may prevent constipation.
2. Drink milk and water most often. A cold water is the best thirst quencher for thirsty children. Milk in cartoons is sold in school cafeteria. It is the best source of calcium needed by children so that their bones get stronger. children ages 6 to 8 years old need 800 milligrams of milk a day while 9 years old and older need 1,300 milligrams. children could also drink 100 percent of juice too. However sugar drinks such as fruit punches, juice cocktails and pops should be limited because of its calorie content.
3. Observe your body's reactions. How does it feel after your stomach gets full? Some children are sometimes inclined to overeating because they failed to notice when to finish eating. children can become uncomfortable after eating too much which can lead to overweight within a period of time.
Children who are overweight should consult a dietitian to learn how to safely reduce calories while still attaining all the important nutrients. A doctor can check and examine the mass index of your body to get the estimated amount of body fats to know whether you need to go on a diet.
4. Limit your screen time. It refers to the total time spent on watching television, videos, DVDs, using computer and playing computer games. These activities minimize the time of doing valuable active stuff such as bike riding, swimming and jogging. Never exceed two hours spending time on screen.
5. Stay active. It is important for children to spend their time on active stuff that they prefer. Baseball or soccer is fun. But if you do not like this stuff, you could try dancing, basketball or karate. children can ask their parent for help in doing these activities regularly. List other activities to do for staying active as an alternative every time your parents tell you to stop playing games or watching television.
Parents should become a role model to their children. They should also stay fit and healthy by stocking healthy foods and planning the family's physical activities. Remember that eating a well balanced diet and having lots of physical activity will benefit your whole family. children who have a stronger foundation on healthy habits will benefit everybody.
About the Author:
Christine Gray is a recognized authority on the subject of parenting. Her website Parenting Exposed provides a wealth of informative articles and resources on everything you will need to know about children toys. All rights reserved.
Article courtesy of www.goarticles.com.