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Nov 22 2011

Tips to Help Your Child and Teen Grow Well

Helping your child and teenager to grow well isn’t always an easy task. These tips are some of the ways to guide their choices and pass on lessons they can use for life.

Healthy Eating Tips

Make breakfast a regular habit in your home.

• Breakfast helps children to participate and learn better at school.
• Great choices include: fruit, whole grain cereals, bannock, pita, toast, milk, soy beverage, yogurt, tofu, eggs or peanut butter.
• Try to gather the family early to allow time for breakfast.

Drink water often – it’s the best choice when thirsty.

• Limit the amount of sugary drinks such as pop, fruit drinks and sports drinks. They provide little or no nutrition and can cause dental cavities.
• Limit 100% fruit juice to ½ cup for younger children and 1 cup for teens per day.

Make mealtime a family time.

• Cook together. Eat together. Talk together.
• Family meals help promote healthy eating overall.

Share decisions about food.

• Parents and caregivers decide what kinds of food to offer and when.
• Let children decide whetherand how much to eat. Trust their feelings of hunger and being full.
• Praise, hugs and just spending time together work well as rewards, rather than using food.

Meals and snacks

• Sit down for snacks and meals.
• Serve a variety of foods from all four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide.
• Offer foods that are generally high in fiber, low in sugar and fat.

 

Tips for Active Living

Build physical activity into the daily routine.

• Regular physical activity helps children develop strength and energy.
• Aim for 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
• Have fun together with activities suitable for your child’s age.
• Plan walks or a bike ride after dinner.

Limit screen time to less than 2 hours a day.

• Screen time includes TV, computer or video games.
• The more time children spend at a screen, the less time they have for family chats or being active.

Get enough sleep.

• A child or teen is more ready for their daily activities if they have had a good night’s sleep.
• Having enough sleep also promotes a healthy weight.

Model healthy habits

• Children learn from watching others. They are more likely to make healthy choices when that is a part of your family routine.

 

Find More Tips to Help Your Children Grow Well…

 

• Canadian Paediatric Society – http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/
• College of Family Physicians of Canada – http://www.cfpc.ca/ForPatients/
• Dietitians of Canada – http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health.aspx
• Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
• Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit, Metis – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/fnim-pnim/index-eng.php
• Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines) – http://www.csep.ca/english/view.asp?x=804