Eight Easy-To-Implement Tips to Eat Right
By: Melissa Halas-Liang

This month, we are challenging you to take one of these Eight Easy-To-Implement Steps or Creative Fun & Healthy Eating Habits.
 
1. Let fruits and vegetables reign in your house! Keep them washed, peeled, cut and available in plain sight such as the front of the fridge, on kitchen countertops, on the dining table etc. Keep chips and pretzels out of sight. Better yet - limit purchasing too many processed snack foods that take the place of nutrients your kids need.
2. Don’t give up! Up to 20 exposures to a new food may be necessary to make kids try them.
3. Play fair. Do not solely rely on sneaking vegetables into other foods. While this may seem like a good tactic, if used regularly it will backfire in the long term. Your kids will think of vegetables as something so awful they that need to be camouflaged. Instead offer vegetables in various textures, colors and forms – cooked and uncooked, with and with out dips. Try jicama, raw sweet bell peppers and other crunchy veggies to start.
4. Cool names make a difference. No kid can resist Super-Vision Carrots or Dinosaur Trees (broccoli) with Swamp Sauce (a healthy dressing, low sodium soy sauce or tomato sauce on the side).
5. Shop, cook and eat together! Kids are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if they help choose them in a grocery store, prepare them at home and eat them with the family.
6. Get fully charged before starting the day. Breakfast = brain power. Some examples of a good breakfast include: yogurt, fruit and nuts; a low-sugar, whole-grain cereal with milk and banana slices; eggs and whole grain toast; oatmeal with cinnamon and fruit. YUM!
7. Turn on your defensive shield to fight bacteria and colds - eat more super foods! Eat fruits, vegetables and beans in every color, every day. Be sure to eat lots of greens for healthy eyes, skin and nails. Choose more whole grains like whole wheat, spelt, quinoa, whole oats, millet and brown or deep colored rice. Enjoy healthy fats - avocados, nuts and olives – just don’t overeat them.
8. Make it exciting. Read, play and learn about fruits and vegetables together in a fun way. Visit the Super Crew®. The Super Crew Makes Healthy Eating Fun for Kids - Super Kids Nutrition offers professional advice on how families can boost their fruit and vegetable intake.
This month, we encourage parents, caregivers and teachers to focus on getting kids involved in snack and meal preparation – even if it’s just helping serve a healthy snack. Start by asking your child to choose a vegetable at the grocery store to cook at home and see what happens!  Visit Super Kids Nutrition for great new ideas to get kids eating right.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Halas-Liang, MA, RD, CDE is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and wellness coach with a Masters in Nutrition Education. She is the coordinator for several nutrition courses, including Functional Family Nutrition that provides the latest research on eating attitudes, super foods, food behaviors and earth-friendly eating. She is founder of SuperKids Nutrition Inc where she is "saving the world, one healthy food at a time." Discover how nutrition can help you live your best life through on-line nutrition courses at www.nutritioned.net.