Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Spring 2006)

 We live in a time-starved, fast-food society. As a result, some parents think they lack the ingredients to make their kids into healthy eaters. But little things can make a big difference when you are trying to put a child on the path to good nutrition, and those positive influences begin at home.

Dianne Moeller, a registered dietitian with the Health District, reminds parents that they are role models and gatekeepers when it comes to food.

“I think the really important thing for parents to remember is they are the ones who choose what food comes into the house,” Moeller says. “The kids then get to choose which and how much food to eat.”

While it’s important to give kids choices, parents should also make sure those choices are healthy options. And whenever possible, those options should be whole foods — in other words, foods with as little processing as possible.

“Ask yourself where the food came from,” says Chris Bachman, a registered dietitian with the Health District. “You know an apple came from an apple tree, but where did your granola bar come from?”

If you still have trouble identifying whole foods when you’re at the supermarket, Bachman has three words of advice: shop the walls. The perimeter of the market is where you will find whole foods in the form of fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads, meat and other protein-rich foods and dairy products. It’s when you start wandering the aisles, that you find the nutritional content diminishing.

The convenience of processed or fast foods may be enticing, Bachman says, but that convenience comes at a cost — both monetary and lower nutritional value. “For a family that’s budget-conscious, whole foods offer a better nutritional return for your investment.”

But not everyone has time to spend over a cutting board. For those people, Bachman suggests prepared vegetable or fruit platters from the supermarket. They offer variety, selection and convenience. They also can be a good value, especially when you consider how often unused produce gets discarded from the crisper drawer. Frozen vegetables are another good option and can be as nutritious as fresh.

You can also recruit the kids and make meal prep a family affair.

“Kids are more likely to eat, like and appreciate meals if they are involved in the preparation,” Moeller says. “The experience also offers valuable time with your kids and helps prepare them to be capable, skilled and resourceful adults.”

Nearly everyone agrees on the importance of starting the day with a good breakfast, which Moeller says should include a protein, a fruit or vegetable, a high-fiber carbohydrate and a healthy fat, such as avocadoes, nuts, peanut butter or other nut butters.

That may sound like a tall order, but you can roll all four together in a quick and easy meal kids will love by wrapping a banana in a whole-wheat tortilla with peanut butter.

Both dietitians agree that for fostering good eating habits, the family meal is where it all comes together. They cite studies suggesting that children who share mealtime with their family are more likely to consume more fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich foods, and less likely to have sodas and snack foods. There’s even evidence that shared family meals are a recipe for future academic success.

On a more basic level, though, the family meal offers a chance for family members to reconnect with one another and for parents to model good eating habits.

“The dinner table is not the time or place to argue. It’s a time for coming together,” Moeller says. “Making food an issue doesn’t make for a pleasant mealtime, and it may set the stage for eating problems in the future.

“Starting a kid out on the right foot is much easier than trying to correct bad eating habits many years later.”