Proper nutrition is one of the most important factors in a young child’s physiological as well as academic preparedness. Breakfast is the most important meal of a child’s day. Research shows that kids that eat breakfast get better grades, pay more attention in class and behave better overall. If a child is eating breakfast at home, set enough time, between 10 – 15 minutes for unhurried time for breakfast.
To make it healthy, give your child a mix of protein (such as milk, eggs, cheese, or meat), and carbohydrates (whole-grain cereal, fruit or whole wheat bread). The carbs boost energy and help your child jump-start their day. Protein keeps the body going strong until lunchtime.
On another note, family meals are not what they use to be. Kids and adults rush through meals and dash away to another activity. Quality family time can occur during the dinner hour. Keeps the conversation light, focusing on events of the day or fun weekend plans ahead? Take turns asking each other to tell one interesting thing that he or she learned during the day. That includes the parents as well. I don’t know how many times I have heard my wife ask me, “what did you do today, or did you have anything interesting happen today?” Even if you are not in the mood to talk about your job, make a point to do it anyway. With children, it is the same for the school setting. If you develop this habit and practice it for 30 days in a row, the possibility of developing it into a lasting practice is greater than 90%.
Childhood obesity and diabetes is an epidemic in America today. About 15% of the children are obese, and another 30 percent are overweight. Experts blame this on too much television, too little exercise, junk food and soda. The later two crowd out healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and healthy drinks. The problems from all this do not take long to develop. When dealing with your physiological makeup, it is important to know your BMI (body mass index). This is the number that measures height against weight. For a reference chart you can use an online tool that is parent-friendly. It is located at http://apps.ncce.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/calculators.aspx or ask you pediatrician to help you figure it. For a youngster, milk is till one of the best beverages which include nutrients essential for bone development.
Which ever type you use, make sure that it’s 1% or better, possibly even fat-free. Healthy eating and a proper diet are only one part of the equation. The other important component is exercise. As I mentioned earlier, a large portion of the lack of physical activity at a young age is too much TV, video or computer games. This doesn’t require any exercise other than the use of your finger on a remote, the keyboard or game box controller. To a child, it may be neat to be able to boast about whipping the socks off your opponent in a video game, but can you win in a game of 500 with baseball, kick a soccer ball with agility, or dribble and shoot a basketball with proficiency. Families should try to engage in activities that promote wellness, physical activity and proper nutrition. Exercise and proper nutrition go hand-in-hand. You cannot maintain a health lifestyle with one missing.
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