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MissouriFamilies.org - Food and Fitness

 

Feature Articles

Food, Fitness and Children

 

Keep your athlete hydrated

Proper nutrition is always important for children but it is especially important for the young athlete. A well-hydrated body is a body that can perform at its peak...more

 

Feed your young athlete for maximum performance

Eating healthfully helps an athlete to reach their maximum potential. Good stamina and energy are also a result of regularly eating healthy meals...more

 

Pack a healthy sack lunch

Back to school means it’s also time to think about what children eat during the school day. What a child eats impacts their learning and behavior, as well as growth and development...more

 

Healthy Halloween Treat Options

We all know that Halloween is about kids and candy…but you could hand out other treats that may be healthier...more

 

Getting Kids in the Kitchen

"It's amazing how much kids love to eat fresh produce and to be able to prepare their own things," said Amy Hoffman, Kids in the Kitchen coordinator at Columbia's Fun City Youth Academy. "Kids are much more likely to eat something that they've prepared as opposed to something that is put in front of them." Kids in the Kitchen emphasizes basic cooking skills, healthy food choices, food safety and physical activity...more

 

Everyone Benefits from Family Meals

One of the best pieces of advice we can offer families these days is to make sure you eat together as a family most nights of the week. Eating together as a family provides a variety of positive benefits for all family members...more

 

Fun Snacks for Kids of Any Age

There are lots of easy and nutritious snacks for kids that are also delicious and fun to make and eat, no matter what age we are. Kids that are involved in making their snacks, or growing or selecting their snacks are more likely to want to eat them. Here are some easy recipes for snacks kids can help with that include veggies, fruits and milk...more

 

Parents can take back control from marketing aimed at their children

It is estimated that the typical child sees about 40,000 ads a year on TV and that the majority of the ads targeted to kids are for candy, cereal, soda and fast food ...more

 

Help Children With Healthy Habits

News reports in a variety of media have recently been informing us that we have a problem with children exceeding weight limits on car seats. Car seat makers are increasing the size of car seats to assure these children stay safe but there is still the issue of the long-term impact of childhood overweight...more

 

Healthy Habits for Your Preschool Aged Child 

Preschool is a good time to help your child develop good eating habits. Because your child is with you most of the time, it is easier to influence their food choices. Keep in mind that the eating habits learned during this time can be carried into the future...more

 

Help Your Child Snack Healthfully

Snacks can provide 25% or more of food intake on any given day for your school-aged child. Because children in the six to twelve age group grow two inches and gain about five pounds a year, it is important that snacks help to provide the important nutrients these growing children need...more

 

Feeding Your Newborn

So many questions about feeding arise when the first child is born. There are questions about whether to breast or bottle feed, when to start solids, how do you know if they are eating enough, and why do they spit up. It is good to be concerned and conscientious about these things because a significant amount of growth and development happens in the first year of life...more

 

Baby’s First Food

Starting your infant on something other than milk is a milestone in the life of your child. During this important time in your child’s life, it is important to know what to look for as a sign that your child is ready to eat solid foods. The order in which foods are introduced is also important...more

 

Feeding Your Older Baby

It is amazing to think of the changes in the eating habits of your infant from the day of birth until their first birthday. They progress from drinking only milk to feeding themselves with a spoon. From six months to one year is the time of rapid change in eating skills. Here are some tips to help you help your child make all of these changes successfully...more

 

Ten Tips for Feeding Your Toddler

Feeding toddlers can be tricky. They have developed a mind of their own and the way you want them to eat may not always be the way they want to eat. Here are ten tips to help decrease your anxiety about feeding your little one...more

 

Parents: Feed Your Children Well to Prevent Chronic Disease

In many ways, children are healthier than they used to be. There is lower incidence of infant mortality and fewer deficiency diseases in children. A major threat to the health of children now is the risk of becoming overweight...more

 

Good nutrition can be a tough sell to finicky eaters

The picky food preferences of children can make even the best of parents struggle to ensure their child eats right and to keep mealtimes from being a battle. Ensuring that your child eats nutritious food can be a challenge, but not impossible...more

 

Children and Adolescents: Special considerations and recommendations

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans includes specific recommendations for children and adolescents. Being physically active and choosing healthy foods are important for young people of all ages. The new recommendation for physical activity for children and adolescents includes at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week...more

 

Teaching life-long health skills to our kids

We can do a lot as parents to protect our kids from ailments that strike typically in middle age and beyond according to research by Tulane University physician Gerald S. Berenson, whose Bogalusa Heart Study is tracking 145,000 children and young adults over a period of thirty years. “It all starts in childhood,” he says. It’s our “window of opportunity” to have an impact on a child’s weight, height, bones and tooth strength. ...more

 

BMI for Children and Teens

Body Mass Index (BMI) for children and teens is not the same as the BMI for adults. BMI for children and teens is determined by using gender specific BMI-for-age growth charts. In children and teens, body mass index is used to assess underweight, overweight, and risk for overweight. ...more

 

BMI and Your Child's Health: Resources

Information about BMI and tips on how to promote healthy habits....more

 

Ways Dads and Moms can help their children develop good health habits

Parents play an important role in helping their children develop good health habits. Healthy children eat well, live a physically active life and feel good about themselves and others. Children need encouragement from parents and other significant adults to develop healthy habits and attitudes. ...more


Should I Put My Child on a Diet?

Currently, American children are becoming increasingly more overweight and obese, however, the solution is not to restrict calories. Children are rapidly growing and developing their skeletal structure...more


Weight Lifting and Kids

Kids lifting weights? I know what you are thinking; strength training is dangerous for children. Many coaches, parents, and exercise professionals believe lifting weights is unsafe and not beneficial for children, despite the overwhelming research to the contrary...more


Back To School Nutrition

As a new school year approaches, I want to remind parents of the important role nutrition plays in assuring kids a successful school year. I will also offer a few tips suggested by the American Dietetic Association on practical easy ways to help ensure both proper nutrition and a successful school year...more


The 8th Birthday Menu

The Nodaway County fair week is always a busy extension week, then we squeeze in freezing corn, picking green beans, and celebrating our daughter’s birthday. We usually celebrate with the immediate family with a dinner-with the birthday person in charge of the menu...more


Making Mealtime Pleasant with Young Children

Gathering around the table to share food and conversation is important for children. It provides them nourishment, and comforting routine. The dining table is a place to learn manners, share dreams, and explore new flavors.... Following are answers to some of the most common questions asked by parents and caregivers of young children...more


Number of Overweight Youth a Concern

The number of overweight children in the United States continues to climb sharply, according to initial results of the latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most recent study shows that 13 percent of children ages 6 to 11 are overweight. This is up from 11 percent in the previous NHANES survey in 1994...more


 

 

 

Last update: Wednesday, September 23, 2009

 

 

 

 

 


 
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