Family Matters
Teach kids healthy eating from the very start

By Lynne Wikoff

Show me a mother who hasn't been exasperated by her child's food idiosyncrasies and I'll show you — well, I probably can't show you anyone. Refusals to eat certain foods (usually the ones we want them to eat) or textures, and requests for the same foods over and over, are served up daily in most households.

Still, we want our kids to eat a healthy diet. Consulting registered dietitian Glenda Johnson, a Kailua mother of two grown children, lends her professional, and personal, expertise:

• Have healthy foods readily available. For snacking, Johnson relies on staples such as carrot sticks and fruit instead of high-fat, high-calorie or high-salt foods, such as chips and soda. Also good are raisins, cheese chunks and nuts. She serves lots of fresh vegetables, and relies on open markets for good quality at low prices. Also, when serving vegetables, don't assume they have to be cooked. Kids often prefer veggies raw, especially when they are served with dip.

• Give kids more water. "Kids commonly need fluid, and often mistake thirst for hunger," says Johnson. A 50-pound child needs three cups of water a day as a minimum; physical activity increases that requirement.

And water is the preferred drink — even 100-percent fruit juice should be limited because of its high calorie count and relatively low nutritional value. To increase water's appeal, add a slice of lemon or lime.

• To push or not to push? Johnson says that when her children were growing up, she required them to have at least three bites of whatever was being served. (My mother did the same thing; it didn't work when I was a kid, nor did I appreciate her efforts, but as an adult I grew to like most foods.) However, don't force kids to clean their plates, which teaches them to disregard their natural feeling of fullness.

Also, kids eat better when they have regular meal (and snack) times, and when they have company while eating. Their appetites are dulled, however, when there's too much food on their plate. I always started my daughter with small portions, with seconds allowed if she was still hungry.

Because most kids are suspicious of new foods, it's wise to introduce them slowly. Finally, avoid using desserts as a reward for eating disliked foods. Doing so will only strengthen the dislike.

• When eating out, select grilled items rather than fried, and ignore incentives to buy larger servings of french fries and soda. "They're not really food," Johnson says. "They're just vehicles for fat, sugar and salt." For food on the go, Johnson enjoys Subway's low-fat sandwiches and various items from Ba-Le.

• Try to avoid the last-minute dinner rush, when you tend to grab what's easy, which is likely not to be healthy. Johnson recommends cooking ahead. She does a lot of cooking for the week on Sundays, even freezing meal-size portions for later.

• Offer occasional "goodies" so kids don't feel deprived, and so they learn to handle treats without going overboard. For example, when my daughter was young, she was allowed to order a soda when we ate out, but she knew it was considered her dessert for the day.

• Remember your status as a role model. Your kids take their food cues from you. You can't expect them to eat well if your preferred meal is diet soda and potato chips.

Keep in mind that developing healthy eating habits takes time, and the earlier you start, the more impact you will have.

Lynne Wikoff is a Honolulu-based freelance writer who holds a master's degree in social work with an emphasis on child development. She has raised a daughter, now in her mid-20s, and a stepson, now 40, and she hangs out regularly with her twin 10-year-old step-grandchildren. Wikoff and fellow Hawai'i parent Ka'ohua Lucas take turns writing the Family Matters column. If you have comments, questions or suggestions for future topics, write: Family Matters, 'Ohana Section, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; e-mail ohana@honoluluadvertiser.com, or fax 535-8170.