Healthy Eating Habits for Kids: What Parents Should Know (video/podcast)

Getting your kids to make healthy eating choices can be an ongoing challenge, especially when you’re not there to supervise what they’re eating at school or when they’re out with friends.

What they eat matters ― according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five children and teens is obese. Healthy eating habits not only help keep weight under control, they’re also important for cognitive performance, immunity and mental wellness.

In this video, San Diego Health host Susan Taylor talks with Scarlett Chen, MD, a pediatrician at Scripps Clinic Rancho Bernardo, about how to help kids build healthier eating habits.

“We recommend introducing healthy eating habits from as young of an age as possible,” says Dr. Chen. “We want kids to be introduced to a wide variety of healthy foods from the start, because this helps them more naturally continue these habits as they get older.”  

She adds that healthy eating, especially at younger ages, helps to lower the risk of many medical conditions later in life. These may include obesity, heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes or blood sugar problems and even joint problems.

During appointments with her young patients, Dr. Chen talks about how various foods and nutrients impact their growth and development. Protein, for example, helps build muscles, while calcium supports bone strength. She also tells kids to minimize foods that are high in calories, salt, sugar or saturated fats, such as fast food, chips and candy.

“The other thing that I tell kids to avoid are drinks with a lot of added sugar, like soda or juices,” says Dr. Chen. “I always recommend parents try to encourage drinking water or using whole fruits to make juices or smoothies at home.”

Breakfast, she adds, is the most important meal of the day.

“Eating breakfast helps get kids’ metabolism going in the morning. It’s been correlated with lower rates of obesity, high blood sugar and high cholesterol as they grow older,” she says. “And, it positively impacts their school performance. They’re shown to have better concentration, better test scores and more energy.”

Kids love to have a say in their own lives, and this certainly applies to what they eat. Offering several pre-approved food choices gives them a sense of control instead of feeling like they’re being told what to do. Select a few options for meals or snacks and let them choose. For example, dessert could be berries with yogurt or watermelon.

If your kids eat breakfast or lunch at school, review the menus at home and discuss the choices with them. They don’t have to completely avoid “bad” foods; for example, you may occasionally approve chips or fries if they are served with protein, vegetables or fruit.

It can also be helpful to involve your children in meal planning or grocery shopping. Teach age-appropriate cooking skills as they get older; they’ll be proud of making healthy meals or snacks they love.

Kids look to their parents as role models, so model the healthy eating behaviors you want them to adopt.

“For example, if you have a lot of snacks at home that aren’t that nutritious, you might want to consider limiting them or even taking them out of your home completely, which means the whole family gets on board with decreasing the snacking,” says Dr. Chen. “We also recommend getting rid of screens during meals, so no TVs or phones, and instead using it as an intentional time for the family to eat together and connect.”

Eating disorders are a concern for kids, especially during adolescence. You want to teach your kids to enjoy a variety of healthy foods without being overly controlling or creating anxiety. Dr. Chen recommends looking for warning signs that a child’s relationship with food is more serious than just being a “picky eater.”

“This may include things like excessive weight gain, or maybe even weight loss. Maybe your kid is rejecting entire food groups or textures and won’t eat them no matter what you do,” she says. “Or maybe they’re having a lot of fear around food, such as pain or vomiting when they encounter certain foods.”

Dr. Chen encourages parents to talk to their pediatrician if they have any concerns about their child’s eating habits or nutritional needs.