Feature Articles
Food, Fitness and Children
Help your child develop healthy eating habits
One of the best gifts a parent can give a child is helping them develop healthy eating habits, which can build a strong foundation for lifelong health...more
Getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables
Getting kids excited about fruits and vegetables can be a challenge. If you have a picky eater who won’t touch a plate with leafy greens or an unfamiliar vegetable, try these tips...more
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
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
"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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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: Monday, August 30, 2010
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