As we think of the holidays, some people focus a lot of time around food preparation and food choices. Thinking of the next generation of people, what do we need to be teaching them about healthy food choice related to eating habits? Remember childhood obesity is on the rise, such that during the holidays can be a tempting time for over eating, with little physical activity. Not only during the holidays, but throughout the year, consider fun alternatives that promote health rather than encourage unhealthy choices.
When it is time to give kids a treat, it is easy to think of candy or soda pop. However, there are fun alternatives available that promote health rather than encourage unhealthy choices. Body weight is a balance between caloric intake and expenditure. When looking for treats for party-goers think outside the box. Consider nutritious and tasty foods and non-food options, including things that get children up and moving to use the calories they have consumed. Individual packages of dried fruit or baked pretzels are easy to distribute. Fresh fruit, often called nature's candy, can also be a real treat.
Examples of enjoyable non-food treats are stickers, rub-on tattoos, pencils, bookmarks, bottles of bubbles and other trinkets. To encourage the children you care about to be more physically active, consider small, inexpensive toys that will encourage them to get up and move. This might be as simple as a bouncy ball, a beanbag for hacky sack, a plastic or foam flier, a jump rope, or sidewalk chalk for drawing a hopscotch or foursquare game. The possibilities for healthy treats are endless. The ideas can be used at birthday parties or expanded for other holiday parties. Show children how much you care by giving them a gift that helps them choose wisely today and start a lifetime of healthy habits. Make smart choices from each food group, select nutrient-dense foods, and always remember to balance food intake with physical activity.
Adapted from University of Missouri Extension.
Trish Sheehan is an educator with the University of Minnesota Extension Service Regional Center in Hutchinson.
