Nutrition for Elementary Kids

A nutritious diet in children not only leads to lifelong healthy eating habits but lays a foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Kids who have the proper nutrition are better able to focus and learn in school. This leads to higher test scores, better school attendance and improved behavior overall. Here are some ways to incorporate healthy eating into your child's day from breakfast to dinner.

Expert Insight

• Abide by the food-pyramid guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). For instance, kids between the ages of 6 and 11 should get as many fruits and vegetables in their daily diet as possible.

  Put some fun onto their plate by varying the vegetables and making the veggie portion of the plate as colorful as possible. Stick with the fun theme and assign the phrase "focus on fruits" to your kids to help them remember to eat fruits.

  Incorporate whole grains into a child's diet. In fact, at least 50 percent of the grains kids eat should be whole grains, according to the USDA. Select multi-whole-grain products versus multi-grain, as the former have more nutrients.

  Avoid fast-food items and instead give children lean meats, including poultry and fish. Serve the meat baked, broiled or grilled rather than fried. Kids get the oils their bodies require from eating fish and nuts.

Potential

• Allow your kids to snack on fruits and vegetables whenever they want to, but have them ask you for permission to snack on anything else, according to a tip cited in "Eat This Not That! for Kids" by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. Kids like to munch on things that crunch. Consider serving Brussels sprouts raw rather than cooked, as this will give an extra crunch to the vegetable (See Resources.).

  Kids drink milk either by the glass or in cereal. Use this opportunity to give them fat- free or low-fat milk. It may be an acquired taste for kids, but after a number of servings they won't miss whole milk.

Warning

• Remain proactive when teaching kids about nutrition. Kids are bombarded with television advertising targeting their demographic for food products including fast-food, sugary cereals and fruit juices with sugar levels equivalent to soda. Don't let those messages be the only direction your child receives when it comes to nutrition.

Benefits

• Make it a point never to skip breakfast regardless of how busy mornings before school can be. Your children will be more alert in school and are likely to have better test taking abilities because of the nutrients they consume at the breakfast table.

  Kids who eat breakfast consume more calories in a day when compared with children who skip the meal. However, the benefits outweigh the negatives.

  Breakfast eaters, for example, receive more of the nutrients that they need for a healthy diet, including calcium, fiber and other micro-nutrients. Kids who eat breakfast are also less likely to snack on fatty foods, such as french fries and soda and tend to consume more fruits, vegetables and milk products.

  Kids who miss breakfast are unlikely to compensate for the missed nutrients throughout the course of the day. Unfortunately, more children skip breakfast than any other meal, according to a 2005 study cited in "Eat This Not That! For Kids." More girls than boys skipped breakfast in that study.

  Kids who skip breakfast are more likely to develop harmful habits, such as smoking or drinking alcohol. This is because the body still craves nutrients even if you are not taking them in, which leaves a child feeling unsatisfied after a meal. As a result, a child may try to satisfy that craving with empty calories or by exhibiting addictive behavior.

Snack Wisdom

• Focus on eating foods with more nutritional value rather than concentrating on consuming less food altogether. For instance, snacking on popcorn is a legitimate way to increase whole-grain consumption in kids, as long as the snack is not smothered in butter and salt. Popcorn eaters have a higher intake of fiber and whole grains versus people who avoid this snack, according to a study cited in 'Eat This Not That, for Kids.'

  Kids don't have to cut chocolate out of their snacking, either. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants and some fiber. Unsalted nuts are another snack that are also a source of energy. Remember to keep portion sizes moderate when snacking.