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patient handout (integrative)
Nutrition for Children
Integrative Therapies

Definition

Nutrition for Children
How to Help Your Children Develop Good Eating Habits

Do you have trouble trying to get your child to eat good, healthy food? The following information is backed up by research. Using these guidelines helps ensure that your children will get the nutrition they need.

The first principle is related to a division of responsibilities between parents and children. Parents should be responsible for what children are offered to eat. Children can choose what and how much to eat from the foods offered. If the children are reluctant to sample new foods, parents are encouraged to be patient. Repeated exposure to new foods (sometimes 10 or 15 times) makes the child more likely to sample the new food. Also, let your child examine and taste the foods on repeated occasions. The easiest time to introduce fresh fruits and vegetables to small babies is when they are being weaned from either breast milk or formula.

The following are ineffective ways to deal with the problem: Do not try to reward, make bargains, or force your child to eat new foods. Studies have shown that these techniques backfire, making the child less likely to try the new food. Your responsibility as a parent, then, is to present a wide variety of simple, wholesome foods and to limit or avoid the undesirable ones, such as candies and junk food. Remember that good nutrition not only serves for the development of a healthy body but also is an important aid in the development of learning abilities.

A good example is a research done on artificial sweeteners, such as NutraSweet. Children who were fed diets sweetened with this had lower scores in psychological tests, showing decreased concentration and learning capabilities.

Sugar often causes hyperactivity, and attention deficit disorders have been linked to its consumption. Artificial colors in foods are also related to hyperactivity in children.


REGARDING QUANTITY:

Most of the research done shows that children can determine how much food they require from their own physiological cues.

What they cannot determine is the type of food. Junk food has been associated with both anemic and obese children. Many studies have linked child malnutrition to poor mental and physical development as well as impaired learning ability. Remember that kids can be obese and underfed at the same time. Empty calories such as those present in sugar, white flour, and most junk food have created a growing obesity problem. T.V. watching has further deepened the problem. Children eat more while watching T.V. and eat more of the undesirable foods advertised on the screen.

The development of good eating habits from early childhood is an invaluable asset. It gives your child the potential basis for a healthy, happy, and creative life. If you need additional information on healthy diet for both children and adults, refer to the article on healthy diet.

Footnotes

BarShalom R, Soileau J. (eds.) Natural Health Hotline. Beaverton, OR: Integrative Medical Arts, 1991-1999.