Much has been reported recently about the nation's obesity epidemic and how it is now affecting children. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 15 percent of children, ages six to 19, are overweight. This is almost 9 million kids, triple the number of overweight children in 1980. Additional research has shown that many more toddlers are overweight today, and showing early signs of health problems like diabetes, heart disease, elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol - all of which were once unheard of in those so young. Researchers blame less active lifestyles and poor eating habits in most of these cases.

In this issue of Seeds of Learning, we will look at some of the ways parents can help young children learn the importance of good nutrition. One of the best ways to encourage healthy development and to prevent children from becoming overweight is to begin teaching positive attitudes about eating and physical activity from the time they are born.

They are what they eat

Here are some suggestions on how parents can help instill good nutritional habits at each stage of development:

Birth through the toddler years:

How babies are fed during the first year has a significant impact on their overall health and development and will influence eating habits for life. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies should be exclusively breastfed or given an iron-fortified formula from birth to about six months. The nutrients contained in breast milk or formula provide babies with all of the building blocks they need to begin growing at a healthy rate.

When babies are introduced to solid food (generally at about six months), the AAP recommends that cereal should be iron-fortified. Single grains like rice or barley should come before mixed grain cereals to reduce the risk of allergic reactions.

As babies move toward eating vegetables and fruits, you might want to consider making some or all of their baby food. At Ask Dr. Sears (http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032300.asp) you can learn more about how easy this is. When you make your own baby food you will be able to offer a wider variety of tastes, and you can control the quality of the food your baby eats. Many farmers markets and local produce vendors offer inexpensive, pesticide-free produce and fruit.

You will also be able to introduce your baby to different textures. Most jarred first foods are a single, smooth consistency. As babies learn to gum, chew and swallow the small lumps and bumps in their food and experience different textures with their tongue and mouth, they are also exercising the muscles of the head, neck, throat and mouth that they also use to form sounds and words. Teachers of young children say that often the children who have physical difficulties speaking have not had enough opportunity to exercise their "speech muscles."

Up until age two, the AAP recommends that children who drink cows' milk should have the full-fat version of this and other dairy products. Low-fat versions do not offer the fat and fatty acids children need for healthy brain, vision and nerve development. Other fat-rich foods that provide the same benefits include egg yolks, meats, fish and vegetable oils. After age two, lean and lower-fat versions of all of these foods are recommended by pediatricians.

The toddler years
(18 months to age three):

With so much to do, see and explore, many toddlers have little interest in slowing down long enough to eat meals. Yet, healthy snacks can pack a big nutritional punch (e.g., whole-grain crackers and pretzels, toddler-friendly fruits and veggies like melon chunks and baby carrots, cereal Os, and cheese cubes or sticks.) Carry storage containers of nutritious snacks with you so that eating in the car or supermarket check-out line is as wholesome as it can be. Coincidently, many of the bite-sized, on-the-run foods that toddlers prefer require quite a bit of work to chew and swallow - more practice for those important speech muscles.

During this time, children are rapidly developing their own tastes and preferences for food. Just because your once-eager eater may now be a little (or a lot) pickier doesn't mean you should stop offering healthy choices. Young children love things that are familiar (a favorite red shirt, the same book each night at bedtime). This also goes for the foods they'll eat. Serving a variety of wholesome foods at family meals and eating them yourself lets your children see that different foods are okay, even yummy. Offer children small bites of the foods you eat along with their own favorites, but don't make a big deal about whether they eat them or not. If new foods are within your children's reach, they are more likely to try them when they are ready to expand their diets.

Preschool years (ages three to five):

As they grow, your children become more independent and better able to take on responsibilities. A great way to encourage healthy eating at this point is to ask them to help decide what foods you will prepare for family meals. Here are a few fun kid-friendly cookbooks to look to for inspiration: Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers and Up by Mollie Katzen, Cooking Art: Easy Edible Art for Young Children by MaryAnn F. Kohl and The Mother Goose Cookbook: Rhymes and Recipes for the Very Young by Marianna Mayer.

Children can practice their pre-writing skills by creating shopping lists with pictures and their own words for the foods they'll look for at the supermarket as you shop for your feast.

On a daily basis, helping children learn to prepare their own healthy snacks builds self-esteem ("Look what I made all by myself!"), teaches them to make choices ("Do I want grape or strawberry jam on my sandwich?"), lets you spend quality time together and helps children learn to be a contributing part of your family.

Healthy snacks for kids to make and eat

Fruit salad. Most ripe fruit is easily broken into pieces or cut into chunks with child-safe plastic knives. Kids' fruit choices are often limited to apples and bananas, and maybe grapes or oranges. Try adding some new fruits like peaches, tangerines, cherries, berries and melon to the mix.

Rice cakes spread with all-fruit jam and topped with fruit slices. (Strawberries, kiwi and banana are good options).

Bagel faces. Slice a mini-bagel lengthwise and let your children spread each half with cream cheese or hummus. Red and green pepper slices are good for the mouth and hair. Sliced black olives make great eyes, and a baby carrot or cherry tomato poked into the center hole is a funny nose.

Good nutrition and physical activity go hand-in-hand

As important as good nutrition is, it needs to partner with physical activity in order to help young children grow and be as fit as they can be. Even children with wholesome diets can become overweight and out of shape if they don't burn the fuel they take in. Kids who enjoy movement and play tend to stay active throughout their lives. Staying fit can help improve children's self-esteem - even very young children can become self-conscious or be teased if they are overweight. Activity will also decrease the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and stroke later in life.

Fall is a wonderful time to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. When you exercise regularly on your own or with your children, you are a positive role model for fitness. Here are some ideas for fun activities designed to keep families moving:

Leaf raking doesn't have to be a chore. Encourage your children to help you rake the leaves into piles with their own tools. Getting to jump into a monstrous pile is great motivation! Bagging and helping haul the leaves to the curb also provides a heart-healthy work-out.

Take a nature walk to look for all of the signs of the changing season (e.g., frost, colorful leaves, migrating birds). Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro is a fun book to read together that explains why leaves turn color.

Go pumpkin picking. A hike through the field looking for just the right pumpkin and carrying it to the car (or rolling it) are fun and active ways to spend a fall afternoon.

Plant a bed of spring-blooming bulbs. The daffodils and hyacinths of spring grow from bulbs that need to be planted in the fall. All of the digging, weeding and bending associated with gardening are great exercise. For more information, check with a local garden center or nursery.

Stargaze. When we set the clocks back and nighttime comes earlier, there is more opportunity to see the stars in the clear nighttime sky. A walk together after dinner in the cool air can be educational and helps settle everyone for a good night's sleep.

For permission to reprint this article, please contact the Capital Region BOCES Communications Service by e-mailing dbushsuf@gw.neric.org.

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