Child-friendly nutrition

It’s winter, and the children have been sitting inside for too many months. The TV is on. Books are out. Cards are strewn. And the refrigerator is nearby. There’s nothing active about it. And it’s making me nervous. Let’s backtrack for a second. When I raised my two daughters, childhood obesity wasn’t the epidemic it is now. According to the 2005 edition of America’s Health Rankings report, 23.1 percent of the U.S. population is considered obese, up from 22.8 percent in 2004.

Improvements in Americans’ health have hit a plateau because of obesity and smoking. The New York Times reported in a recent Sunday Styles section that chic New Yorkers are giving their children memberships to tony Manhattan health clubs to get them off the couch.

Then there are the families on the current “The Biggest Loser” TV show. While it is certainly terrific that they are learning healthy eating and exercise techniques, it kind of begs the question: How can we stop obesity before it gets started? That’s what I wanted to find out.

With a family history of obesity, I worried endlessly about everything that went into my daughters’ mouths. Or didn’t go in. And now that I have a second family of two sweet adopted boys from Russia and Ukraine, I’m thinking about it again.

Keeping our children lean, mean, growing machines needn’t be so riddled with angst.

“Weight isn’t just a kid’s issue,” says nutritionist Bethany Thayer, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and author of “Heart Smart Kids Cookbook” (Detroit Free Press). “It’s the whole family’s issue. Examine the home environment. Are there too many snacks in the house? Not enough physical activity? Exercise is one key to combating obesity. Improved food habits is the other.”

Miss Thayer is a Detroit-based registered dietitian whose specialty is helping families work through childhood weight issues. Over a 16-year career, she has developed guidelines that we can all use to teach our children how to live healthy and nutritionally sound lives.

She offers these 10 tips for raising children to become lean adults:

• Be a role model. You can’t expect your child to reach for milk and veggies when the parent is eating chips and soda. We underestimate how closely children are watching us. If we’re snacking on baby carrots and low-fat rice cakes, our children will probably want to try them out, too. They think we’re smart … for the moment, at least.

• Provide a variety of healthful, great-tasting meals at regularly scheduled times. When you expose your children to new foods over and over, they will see that it’s OK to eat it. Sometimes it may take 10 or 11 tries before your child will learn to like it. If your first try at omelets doesn’t go over well, keep trying. Or maybe try a child-friendly version of quiche called breakfast pie. It contains vegetables and mushrooms but lots of cheese. To make it healthier, use low- and reduced-fat cheese.

• Let your child decide how much to eat. We need to get away from the “clean plate” syndrome. It’s important for children to recognize their own hunger and also know when it’s time to stop eating. Tossing out a tablespoon or two of rice will not break the bank. If it’s steak or shrimp, set it aside and take it for your own lunch the next day.

m Avoid calling foods good or bad. Parents need to show how to fit all foods into a diet. Don’t label foods “treats” or ban them because doing so labels them “good” or “bad.” If children fill up on more healthful foods, they won’t consume as many foods low in nutrition. Instead of soda, try grape fizz, a combination of grape juice, lime and club soda. The children will love the flavor and you will love the fact that they are drinking fruit juice instead of sugar water.

• Eat as many meals as possible together as a family. Families can plan meals together and talk about nutrition. Who knows? Maybe parents will learn a few things, too.

• Don’t bribe with food. You shouldn’t bribe your children to eat their vegetables in order to get dessert. It only teaches them to value dessert. And desserts need not be only cake and cookies. A parfait of colorful fruit layered with yogurt in a bowl can be a delicious and beautiful dessert. The same is true of banana-nut chocolate chip bread.

• Don’t use food as a reward. If they’ve done well in school or finished a task, use verbal praise, hugs and kisses. That goes much further in the long run.

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