Simple Nutrition for Your Kids

Feeding kids is such a huge part of parenting! They eat all the time. I think most parents want to feed their kids well and help them have what they need to grow healthy and strong. There are so many ideas of what healthy eating is, though, that it’s hard to know where to start.

Over the years, I’ve had less and less control over what and when my kids eat. There are just too many things going on for me to keep track of it all! But during that time I have learned more about what nutrition means, so the control I have I can make the most of. And I think that’s good enough.

I’ve seen the effects of good or poor nutrition on my kids over the years. I’ve learned that sometimes food can help prevent or end tantrums and meltdowns. I know that sugary foods without healthy foods cause more meltdowns and tantrums. (Hugs and holding can also help with behavior problems.)

I’ve seen that eating more fruits and vegetables really does help prevent sickness, and help them get better faster when they do get sick. You can read more about that here. Kids think and act and feel better when they’re fed better. But I also know that as my life gets more complicated, I have to keep things simple. So how can we feed them well without going crazy about it?

(Please excuse the messy table in the picture. I thought if I didn’t snap the pic quick, I’d miss the moment. Also, I hoped as fellow parents you’d understand- kids make messes.) 

So here are my thoughts on getting good food into my kids: If I can feed them good nutrients at meals, and give them mostly healthy choices for snacks, then I don’t have to worry about Grandma’s cookies and their drawer of Halloween candy. 

So What Is Healthy?

Here’s the part where we get into the details of what’s healthy and how to find it. Do you remember those food pyramid diagrams they showed us in elementary school? And have you seen the newer food plate diagrams? Although the pictures and serving suggestions have changed over the years, the basic idea remains the same. Our bodies need a wide variety of foods with lots of nutrients, and not as much that’s high in fat and sugar or other empty calories, drinks included.

Since my hubby and I studied about nutrition about a decade ago, the food is grouped in my mind differently than it used to be. A lot of what we learned about nutrition came from The Food Lovers Fat Loss System.  We are not super strict with it at this point, but our eating habits have been greatly influenced by this system. For instance, we don’t talk so much about “grains” and “vegetables” as we do about “fast carbs,” “slow carbs,” and “proteins.” 

Just so we’re clear, fast carbs are foods that digest more quickly because they are mostly made of starch or sugar (natural sugar or processed sugar). They give us energy, and most have important nutrients. This group includes foods like grains, fruits, desserts, potatoes, and some dairy products. Slow carbs are food that digest more slowly because they’re high in fiber. These keep us satisfied, help our digestion, and are full of vitamins and nutrients. This group includes most vegetables, berries, and beans. Proteins are foods high in protein, like meat, nuts, eggs, beans (yes, beans are high in protein and fiber), and some dairy products. Protein is important for growth and healing.

Make meals nutritious

So, I talked about feeding kids good nutrition at meals. While the portion sizes are left up to each individual at our house, we do have rules for our meals that we follow most of the time. There have to be whole grains if there are grains, and a limited amount of added sugar. Breakfast is chosen individually following those guidelines. For lunch and dinner we have 2 or 3 of our 3 kinds of food, and almost always slow carbs. We usually have a few options for fresh veggies handy so the kids can find something they like. This helps their growing bodies get lots of good things that they need. Nutrition accomplished!

Why whole grains?

A quick word about whole grains, and processed food: When food is taken from a plant and kept whole, it’s very nutritious. When food is taken from the plant and messed with, it loses a lot of nutrition. Whole wheat, for instance, is very good for our bodies, with protein, fiber, starch, and vitamins and nutrients. It can be ground into whole wheat flour that keeps all of that nutrition. Or it can be stripped of the fiber, protein, and most of the nutrients and then ground into white flour. By using only white flour products, and no whole wheat products, we’re depriving our families of a lot of good stuff. 

How to find healthy foods

Now let’s get back to our snacks. For these I just try to be picky when I’m shopping so most of their food choices have some good stuff in them. Fruit and vegetables are always healthy snack options! Putting the fruit where they can see it easily is a good trick for helping them think of it. For packaged and labeled foods, look at those nutrition facts and ingredients. Back when we were learning about nutrition a decade ago, I started practicing reading the nutrition facts and the ingredients. There is a lot of information on those labels, but I’ve learned to focus on a few key things to make quick decisions in my busy life. I’ll show you. 

When I look at the nutrition facts, I look for 2 things that I feel like the higher the number, the better. Those 2 things are fiber and protein. Go ahead and find the fiber and protein in these pics of nutrition facts. Which one has the most fiber and the most protein? 

When looking at nutrition facts, there are 2 things that I don’t want to see much of: fat and sugar. Find the fat and sugar in the pictures. Which one has the lowest fat and sugar? 

While the nutrition facts tell you the amounts of certain nutrients, the ingredients tell you what kind of food you’re getting. When looking at the ingredients, I look to see how long the list is- the shorter the better. I also look for how many ingredients I recognize. I want to eat food that’s actually food. What do you think of these ingredients lists?

Just fyi, 2 of these foods we usually have in our house, and the other 2 we usually don’t. The cereal and raisins are kept handy for snacks. The cookies and this dressing were for special occasions. 

Don’t push it

It’s important to teach kids to listen to their own bodies about how much to eat. Of course if your little one is just being stubborn, it’s ok to insist that they eat a few bites before they leave the dinner table. But if they’ve been eating and they’re ready to be done, let them be done. Finishing the plate is not nearly as important as teaching them to stop when they’ve had enough. 

So let’s sum it up: Look for higher fiber and protein. Look for lower fat and sugar. Look for a short list of ingredients that you recognize. Nutrition accomplished!

By simply feeding our kids balanced meals and giving them good choices for snacks, you can make a big difference in the nutrition, health, and happiness of your children.

Alright, that’s all for now, fellow parents. I hope that this was clear and helpful in your quest to feed your children. Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you’re enjoying your adventure.

For more about nutrition for you see Fitting in the Skinny Pants. Or click below on other ideas and tips for feeding your family.