Fall flavors: Parents can help children make healthy food choices

(WACO, Texas) - The fall season brings many food temptations for children and adults: candy at Halloween, pies at Thanksgiving, and tamales in December. When not eaten in moderation, they can derail healthy habits.

Parents have critical roles in ensuring that children get the best nutrition possible.

Some statistics

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that one in five American children and adolescents are obese. Unhealthy eating has been linked to 4% of America's adolescents having hypertension and more than 210,000 youth having diabetes, according to the Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services ' Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.

The report indicates that babies up to six months of age should be fed human milk or iron-fortified infant formula. Children six months and older can be introduced to solid food that is appropriate for their age or level of development.

The same report states that a well-rounded diet includes fresh fruit, an array of colorful vegetables, and protein-friendly foods such as eggs, lentils and poultry. People of all ages can consume fat-free or low-fat milk, fortified soy products, and lactose-free dairy products.

Tips for parents

Mark Diamond, an instructor in Texas State Technical College's Culinary Arts program in Waco, said looking at ingredients while at the grocery store can help decision-making. He recommends buying foods with the least amount of ingredients. He said parents should expose their children to organic foods when they can afford it.

"If you start early, it helps," Diamond said of getting children used to eating healthy foods. "If you are trying to break a habit with tortilla chips, it does not work."

Diamond said parents should not compromise where healthy food is concerned.

"You can't bend and give options," Diamond said. "That is what a lot of parents do. If you are a family and you are cooking three different things, it is not going to work."

Diamond said parents can start teaching their children kitchen safety and basic cooking skills as early as elementary school. He said children will need supervision when using stoves and sharp utensils.

Learn more

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an online calculatorfor parents to use to determine their child's body mass index.

To learn more about TSTC's Culinary Arts program, go to tstc.edu.

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