Female Speaker: For the Wagener family, eating healthfully seems to come naturally. Andrea says it all started as a way to make life a little simpler.
Andrea Wagener: I was looking for solutions on how to make the day just a little easier, less overwhelming. I go to the supermarket I buy canned vegetables, fruit that's already chopped up. Lay all the fruits and vegetables on the highchair and boom, it was just a love affair between my kids and vegetables.
Female Speaker: Well, Andrea and her family have easily incorporated healthy eating into their everyday lives; some families may find it more difficult. One simple way to help your children develop healthy eating habits is to set a good example. Andrea knows she's a role model for her children, and if she eats right, her children will too. Dr Michael Zemel says it's that kind of dedication that encourages positive eating habits
Dr. Michael Zemel: One of the problems that we face is the degree to which parents model the eating behaviors that they would like their children to exhibit. We know from good research that children tend to follow the patterns that their mothers set.
Female Speaker: For Andrea that pattern starts with the choices she makes at the grocery store.
Andrea Wagener: Let's look for that calcium word.
Female Speaker: And ends in her kitchen by stocking her shelves with nutrient packed foods, Andrea can help ensure that both she and her children have lots of healthy selections to choose from.
Andrea Wagener: My kitchen is stock full of healthy things to eat, whatever they want, they'll open up a cabinet and they'll take out anything and it will be good for them.
Female Speaker: Another way to help your children develop healthy eating habits is to get them involved in the decision-making process. Take them grocery shopping with you, and put them in charge of picking a healthy snack or a breakfast item for the week. Experts recommend giving them specific guidelines such as pick your favorite yogurt. It's also important to make sure your children don't skip out on any meals, including breakfast. We're talking about nutrient dense breakfasts, like cereal and low-fat milk, not a couple of empty calorie donuts.
Dr. Robert Murray: I think many children today are eating energy dense foods but not nutrient dense foods, and as a result they are gaining weight, but they're missing out on many micronutrients that they need such as calcium, iron and folic acid.
Female Speaker: Nutrient dense foods are generally foods that are closest to their original form and have not been overly processed. For example, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and dairy foods like milk, cheese and yogurt provide important nutrients for your child's growth and development. Be creative and combine these nutrient dense foods for a meal or snack that's sure to make both mom and kids happy, for example, pizza.
Dr. Robert Murray: Pizza is an excellent food. It provides bread, it provides a vegetable in the sense of tomato, it provides dairy in the sense of cheese. But it's not complete without adding some of the other things that would make that a more complete diet.
Female Speaker: So, whether it's adding a salad to a pizza dinner, or just biting into a juicy apple before a bike ride, teach your children positive eating behaviors that can last a lifetime.
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