Healthy Eating & Your Family

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) created MyPlate, an easy-to-follow food guide, to help parents to figure out how to feed their kids nutritious, balanced meals.

The colorful divided plate includes sections for vegetables, fruits, grains, and foods high in protein. It’s an improvement upon the complex and confusing MyPyramid that the USDA once used to explain its dietary guidelines.

With MyPlate, forget about measuring out serving sizes and trying to remember whether a piece a chicken should be the size of a fist or a golf ball. MyPlate’s user-friendly, interactive website provides simple messages that are easy to understand, such as:

• fill half your child’s plate with vegetables and fruits
• make at least half the grains you serve whole grains, like oatmeal and brown rice
• serve fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk and water rather than sugary drinks
• when buying pre-packaged foods, choose ones that are low in sodium
• don’t serve oversized portions

Here’s more about how to get MyPlate onto your table:

From Pyramid to Plate: What Changed?

MyPyramid represented the five food groups plus oils with six colorful vertical stripes. The stripes were thicker or thinner depending on how much of one food group should be consumed. Steps on the left side of the pyramid reminded people to stay active each day.

At first glance, it was difficult to tell how much of each food group should be in a healthy diet. That’s where MyPlate really makes meal planning easier. Just by looking at the icon, you know right away that vegetables and fruits should take up half the plate (with the veggie portion being a bit bigger), and grains and protein foods should take up the other half (with more grains on this side). And with a side helping of dairy, you’re reminded to include milk or another dairy food (like cheese or yogurt) in your daily meal plan.

Because MyPlate is a divided plate, no one food group overpowers the others. That’s because dietary guidelines encourage eating a variety of foods and discourage “super-sized” portions, which can lead to weight gain and obesity.

Although the food guide icon has changed, the USDA’s message about eating well has stayed the same. Kids still need to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with lean meats or other forms of protein and low-fat dairy products.

Oils provide important nutrients and are recommended in small amounts but aren’t included on the MyPlate icon. Choose oils over solid fats, but limit the amount you eat.

Exercise is no longer included in the icon, but it’s still an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Starting when they’re 2 years old, kids need at least 60 minutes of moderate to physical activity each day.

How to Make MyPlate Yours

Once you get the concept of MyPlate down, you might be wondering: Do I have to serve all the food groups at each meal? And what about breakfast? Do I really have to give my kids veggies for breakfast? After all, it might be hard enough to get them to eat them at lunch or dinner.

No, you don’t, but do aim to serve a variety of food groups at each meal. Use the plate as a guide when planning and serving meals. And if breakfast or lunch doesn’t include a veggie or fruit, serve one of those at snack time (yes, portion-controlled snacks are still a good idea!).

The goal is to think of the plate as an entire day’s worth of eating: so, throughout the day, try to make half of what your kids eat vegetables and fruits, and the other half grains and protein foods. An occasional treat is fine, but be careful to limit foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients.

If you’re thinking it might be difficult to get your kids to take a bite off this new plate, practice what you preach. MyPlate is not just for kids, but for adults, too. Kids who see their parents eating better are more likely to do so themselves.

Green = Vegetables

The vegetable portion of MyPlate, in green, is one of the largest portions on the plate. That’s because, just like grandma said, it’s important to “eat your veggies!”

Vegetables provide many of the vitamins and minerals kids need for good health, are naturally low in calories, and contain fiber. The vegetable group is divided into five subgroups based on their nutrients:

1. dark green vegetables (like broccoli, spinach, and kale)
2. orange and red vegetables (like squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes)
3. beans and peas (like kidney beans, lentils, and black-eyed peas — also included in the protein group)
4. starchy vegetables (like corn, potatoes, and plantains)
5. other vegetables (those that don’t fall into a particular nutritional category, like artichokes and avocado)

For best nutritional value, serve a variety of vegetables to your family each week. Vegetables can be prepared and served in any number of ways and you can use fresh, frozen, dried/dehydrated, or canned veggies.

Red = Fruits

Fruits take up a slightly smaller portion of the plate than vegetables, but they’re still an important part of a diet. They contain necessary nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Great choices include oranges, peaches, mangoes, strawberries, and apples.

Serve fruit a variety of ways: whole, cut up, in smoothies. When buying canned fruit, choose fruit that is packed in juice rather than heavy or light syrup. And it’s best to serve whole fruit over 100% fruit juice, as some nutrients are lost in the juicing process.

Orange = Grains

The grain group includes any food made from wheat, oats, cornmeal, barley, or other grain. Bread, tortillas, cereal, rice, and pasta belong in this group.

At least half of the grains kids eat each day should be whole grains, such as oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat. Whole grains have dietary fiber that helps you feel full and protects against constipation. Eating a diet rich in whole grains also might decrease the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

Whole grains are different from refined grains, such as those in white bread and white rice, which have been processed and had many of their nutrients removed. Most refined grains are enriched, which means that nutrients, except fiber, are added back after processing.

Purple = Protein Foods

Foods that are high in protein help the body build, maintain, and repair tissue. They also have nutrients that are necessary to the body, like B vitamins and iron.

Protein-rich foods include beef, poultry, seafood, dry beans and peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds. Soy products like tofu and veggie burgers are also good sources of protein. When eating meats, choose lean or low-fat options and try to minimize deli meats and other processed meats that are high in sodium.

Blue = Dairy

This group includes milk and other dairy products that retain their calcium content, such as yogurt and cheese. Calcium-fortified soy milk is also included in the dairy group. Besides providing calcium, dairy products are important sources of vitamin D and protein. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and use it for healthy bones and teeth.

Serve low-fat or nonfat milk and dairy products to kids over 2 years old.

Oils: No Longer on the Guide

Oils were included in the Food Guide Pyramid because of the essential nutrients they provide, but you won’t find them on the plate. Still, it’s important to know about oils, which are fats that are liquid at room temperature.

Most oils (like cooking oils, such as olive oil, corn oil, or canola oil, and oil-rich foods like nuts, olives, and avocados) are high in what’s considered “good” fats: monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. These fats raise (good) HDL cholesterol, which helps prevent heart problems, and maintain healthy levels of (bad) LDL cholesterol, which can lead to heart problems if elevated. It’s good to incorporate a small amount of these types of oils into your diet.

On the other hand, solid fats (like butter, shortening, and margarine) contain more saturated fats and/or trans fats (“bad fats”) than most oils, and should be limited. Some oils, including coconut oil and hydrogenated oils, are high in saturated or trans fats and are considered solid fats. Consuming large amounts of saturated and trans fats has been shown to raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and increase the risk for heart disease.

Customize Your Plate

MyPlate should be seen as a guide for healthy eating, and not a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody. Depending on a child’s need, some food groups will need to be increased and others decreased. Talk to your health care provider to find out what’s best for your kids.

The USDA’s website offers food suggestions and tips, portion guidelines by age, and interactive tools to help you make MyPlate yours. Visit online at ChooseMyPlate.gov. [Please note: By clicking on this link, you will be leaving our site.]

Nutrition Through Variety

Growth slows somewhat during the toddler years, but nutrition is still a top priority. It’s also a time for parents to shift gears, leaving bottles behind and moving into a new era where kids will eat and drink more independently.

The toddler years are a time of transition, especially between 12–24 months, when they’re learning to eat table food and accepting new tastes and textures. Breast milk and formula were perfect for your child as an infant, but now it’s time for toddlers to start getting what they need through a variety of foods.

How Much Food Do They Need?

Depending on their age, size, and activity level, toddlers need about 1,000–1,400 calories a day. Refer to the chart below to get an idea of how much your child should be eating and what kinds of foods would satisfy the requirements.

Use the chart as a guide, but trust your own judgment and a toddler’s cues to tell if he or she is satisfied and getting adequate nutrition. Nutrition is all about averages so don’t panic if you don’t hit every mark every day — just try to provide a wide variety of nutrients in your child’s diet.

The amounts provided are based on the MyPlate food guide for the average 2- and 3-year-old. For kids between 12 and 24 months, the recommendations for 2-year-olds can serve as a guide. But during this year, toddler diets are still in transition. Younger toddlers may not be eating this much — at least at first. Talk with your doctor about specifics for your child.

When a range of amounts is given, the higher amount applies to kids who are older, bigger, or more active and need more calories:

Milk Matters

Milks is an important part of a toddler’s diet. It provides calcium and vitamin D to help build strong bones. Toddlers should have 700 milligrams of calcium and 600 IU (International Units) of vitamin D (which aids in calcium absorption) a day. This calcium need is met if kids get the recommended two servings of dairy foods every day. But those servings provide less than half of the necessary vitamin D, so doctors often recommend vitamin D supplements. Your doctor will let you know if your toddler needs a supplement.

In general, kids ages 12 to 24 months old should drink whole milk to help provide the dietary fats they need for normal growth and brain development. If overweight or obesity is a concern — or if there is a family history of obesity, high cholesterol, or heart disease — talk to your doctor to see if reduced-fat (2%) milk may be given. After age 2, most kids can switch to low-fat (1%) or nonfat milk. Your doctor can help you decide which kind of milk to serve your toddler.

Some kids may reject cow’s milk at first because it doesn’t taste like the familiar breast milk or formula. If your child is at least 12 months old and having this difficulty, mix whole milk with some formula or breast milk. Gradually adjust the mixture over time so it becomes 100% cow’s milk.

Some kids don’t like milk or cannot drink or eat dairy products. Explore other calcium sources, such as calcium-fortified soy beverages, calcium-fortified juices, fortified breads and cereals, cooked dried beans, and dark green vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, and kale.

Meeting Iron Requirements

Toddlers should have 7 milligrams of iron each day. After 12 months of age, they’re at risk for iron deficiency because they no longer drink iron-fortified formula and may not be eating iron-fortified infant cereal or enough other iron-containing foods to make up the difference.

Cow’s milk is low in iron. Drinking a lot of cow’s milk also can put a toddler at risk for iron deficiency. Toddlers who drink a lot of cow’s milk may be less hungry and less likely to eat iron-rich foods. Milk decreases the absorption of iron and also can irritate the lining of the intestine, causing small amounts of bleeding and the gradual loss of iron in the stool (poop).

Iron deficiency can affect growth and may lead to learning and behavioral problems. And it can lead to iron-deficiency anemia (too few red blood cells in the body). Iron is needed to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. Without enough iron and red blood cells, the body’s tissues and organs get less oxygen and don’t work as well as they should.

To help prevent iron deficiency:

• Limit your child’s milk intake to about 16-24 ounces a day (2 to 3 cups).
• Serve more iron-rich foods (meat, poultry, fish, enriched grains, beans, tofu).
• When serving iron-rich meals, include foods that contain vitamin C (like tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, and strawberries), which improve the body’s iron absorption.
• Continue serving iron-fortified cereal until your child is 18-24 months old.

Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned that your child isn’t eating a balanced diet. Many toddlers are checked for iron-deficiency anemia, but never give your child a vitamin or mineral supplement without first discussing it with your doctor.

Parents hear lots of advice about helping their family eat better, exercise more, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. So much advice, in fact, that sometimes the real message gets lost.

Nemours Health and Prevention Services (NHPS), a nonprofit organization focused on children’s health, makes it easy to get the facts straight. NHPS, like KidsHealth, is part of Nemours, one of the nation’s largest health systems devoted to improving the health of children. Its formula — called 5-2-1-Almost None — helps parents and kids remember the basics of a healthy lifestyle.

What’s involved?

• 5: eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily
• 2: limiting screen time to no more than 2 hours a day
• 1: getting 1 or more hours of physical activity every day
• almost none: drinking almost no sugary beverages

The guidelines in the 5-2-1-Almost None formula have been shown to help people prevent obesity, maintain a healthy weight, and improve their overall well-being.

Lots of Fruits and Vegetables

We were all told as kids to “Eat your veggies!” And now we’re telling our kids the same. And why not? Most fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients and naturally low in calories and fat, making them a healthy choice. They’re also full of water and fiber, which makes them filling.

5-2-1-Almost None recommends 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily. A serving size equals ½ cup of chopped fruit or vegetables or a full cup of raw leafy vegetables, like spinach.

Here are some ways to get more servings in your kids’ diet:

• Have fruits and vegetables in kids’ view on the counter or in the fridge; pre-cut them to make it easier to grab and go.
• Ask kids to help choose different vegetables and fruits for mealtime.
• Get kids involved in washing, chopping, and cooking fruits and vegetables. They’ll love to eat what they prepare.
• Offer fruit or vegetable options at every meal.
• Be creative: Add fruits and vegetables to pancakes, cereal, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta, tacos, and sandwiches.
• Offer new fruits and vegetables and old favorites together. It can take several tries before kids accept a new food, so if they don’t like it the first time, try it again soon.

Limit Screen Time

Screen time includes watching media on TVs, tablets, and smartphones; playing video games; and computer use that’s not related to school. While some screen time can be an excellent way to educate and entertain kids, too much is associated with an increased risk of becoming overweight.

Experts recommend:

• No more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day for older kids.
• Limiting screen time to 1 hour a day or less for children 2 to 5 years old.
• No screen time, except video-chatting, for kids younger than 18 months.

Next time your older kids complain “there’s nothing to do” but watch TV, offer these alternatives:

• Ask them to help make dinner, work in the garden, play outside, or just turn on some music and have fun together.
• Go to the playground or take a walk around the neighborhood. Do it together as a family — it’s a great opportunity for conversation and physical activity.
• Encourage reading, playing, and crafts. Have books, magazines, board games, puzzles, and balls readily available.
• Give your kids a screen time allowance. Help them choose only the shows they really want to watch.
• Turn off the TV and have dinner together. Ask every person to share the best and worst parts of the day with each other.

Get Active

Most kids don’t spend enough time moving their bodies. At least 1 hour of physical activity is recommended every day for kids 6 years and older. Toddlers and preschoolers should be active for at least 90 to 120 minutes every day.

Regular physical activity helps kids to have strong and healthy hearts, bones, and muscles, and to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Those who are active may have an increased ability to learn, feel more energetic, and sleep better.

Here’s how to get your family moving:

• Schedule a regular time for daily physical activity.
• Use physical activity as family bonding time; be active together.
• Set your weekend in motion by planning active family fun. Try a hike, a walk through the zoo, a dip in the local pool, or toss a Frisbee in the park.
• Make physical activity part of things you already do. Park farther away from store entrances and take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Play outside whenever possible.
• Set up a safe area in your home where active play is OK — don’t let nasty weather be an excuse to be idle.

Avoid Sugary Drinks

Besides causing dental cavities, sugary drinks are one of the main culprits behind the childhood obesity epidemic.

But what’s considered a “sugary drink”? You may be surprised to know that it’s not just soda. Juice drinks, lemonades, sweetened iced teas, sports drinks, and coffee drinks are also loaded with sweeteners and offer little nutritional value.

For kids 2 years and older, water and fat-free or low-fat milk (1%) are the best choices for drinks. Limit 100% fruit juice to no more than one serving (4–6 ounces) per day for kids 1–6 years old, and no more than two servings (8–12 ounces) for kids 7–18 years old. As an alternative, add flavor to water by throwing in a few lemon or lime slices. Your kids will enjoy a refreshing beverage that’s good for them, too.

Here are more tips for getting your kids off the sugar-packed soft drinks:

• When you go shopping, buy healthy beverages instead of sugary drinks. Your kids learn from you, so let them see you choose healthier options.
• At dinner, offer low-fat milk or water. Reserve soft drinks for special occasions.
• When thirsty, choose water. Keep it on hand to quench thirst at the big game and pack a water bottle in school lunches.

So try to make 5-2-1-Almost None part of your family’s life, and share the formula with your kids. It can help prepare them to make good decisions on their own about the foods they want to eat — and that can lead to a lifetime of healthier choices.

You’ve probably noticed the increased quantity and variety of organic foods available in regular grocery stores. Once the specialty of health food stores, organic foods are spreading to shelves throughout major food stores.

So you may be wondering if organic foods are healthier and safer — and worth the extra money they might cost. How do they taste? And what do labels touting foods as “sustainable,” “natural,” “free-range,” “grass-fed,” or “fair trade” mean?

Defining “Organic”

If a food is labeled “organic,” that means it meets the organic standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). An organic food is grown without:

• pesticides
• fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge
• herbicides
• antibiotics
• bioengineering
• hormones
• ionizing radiation

Organic animal products — meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy foods — come from animals that are fed 100% organic feed products, receive no antibiotics or growth hormones, and have access to the outdoors.

If a product is labeled “organic,” it means that a government-approved certifier has inspected the farm where it was produced to ensure that the growers followed all the rules necessary to meet the USDA’s organic standards. Farmers who produce organic foods use renewable resources that conserve the soil and water for future generations. And any company that handled or processed that food on its way to the grocery store must be certified organic, too.

Foods labeled “organic” can be either:

• 100% organic: They’re completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
• Organic: They’re at least 95% organic.

“Made with organic ingredients” on a label means the food contains at least 70% organic ingredients, but can’t have the “organic” seal on its packaging.

Sustainable Foods

Another term you might hear in conjunction with organic and natural foods is “sustainable.” This term means that foods have been grown locally by sustainable agricultural methods — that is, using food-growing techniques that don’t harm the environment, are seasonal, and preserve agricultural land. Sustainable practices also are humane to animals, pay growers fairly, and support local farming communities by distributing their food through farmer’s markets and other venues.

Again, “sustainable” and “organic” don’t always mean the same thing. An organic tomato you buy, for example, might not adhere to sustainable principles if it was grown organically but shipped across the country to your market. And some produce you find at your local stand might not have been grown organically.

There’s a growing trend among health-conscious consumers to buy food that is both sustainable and organic whenever possible.

You Might Also See:

• Bird Friendly or Shade Grown: Coffee bearing this label was grown under trees that provide shade for the coffee and a habitat for migratory birds. Coffee grown out in the open under the hot sun is cheaper but requires more pesticides and chemical fertilizers to grow.
• Cage-Free or Free Range: Seen on eggs or poultry products, these terms can be misleading or unreliable. “Cage-free” implies that birds were not housed in cages, but is not a guarantee that they had access to the outdoors — or even are able to roam freely — and the “cage-free” label isn’t verified by any third party. For their eggs to be considered “free range,” producers must demonstrate that poultry has been allowed open-air access. The USDA has no requirements as to the amount of time spent outdoors, nor the size or quality of the outside range.
• Grass-Fed/Open Pasture: “Grass-fed” on a label signifies that the livestock received a diet of natural forage outdoors, but sometimes cows are fed grass while indoors or in a pen or only for the first few months of their lives. So “grass-fed” can — but doesn’t always — mean “pasture-raised” or “open pasture.” Pasture-raised animals roam freely outdoors where they can eat the grasses and other plants that their bodies are best suited to digest.
• Fair Trade Certified: If you see this on coffee, chocolate, tea, rice, or sugar, it means that the farmers received fair prices for their products.
• Marine Stewardship Council: If you see this on a package of fish sticks or Alaskan salmon, it means the seafood was caught without endangering the species or harming the local ecosystem.

Natural Foods

Natural foods are foods that are minimally processed and remain as close as possible to their whole, original state. Natural foods don’t have to adhere to the same rigorous standards organic foods do. However, the term “natural” generally means a product has no artificial ingredients or preservatives and that meat or poultry is minimally processed and free of artificial ingredients.

Natural foods can be organic, but not all are — some natural foods, for instance, may have been produced on a farm that has not been certified organic. If you want to be sure that what you’re eating is organic, look for the “organic” labeling, which means they’ve been certified as meeting the USDA’s standards.

Getting More Information

Keeping track of all these terms and their meanings can be confusing. To make labels more consistent and understandable, the USDA is now developing standards for labels like grass-fed, pasture-raised, and others that will be subject to USDA inspection.

Also, many individual food producers, dairies, farms, and orchards have websites you can visit to find out more about their standards. You also can find ratings and other label information from reputable consumer groups online.

Is Organic Food Healthier?

The USDA does not claim that organic foods are safer or more nutritious than those produced conventionally, but organic foods can be part of a healthy diet. Whether they are much better for you than conventional food is still up for debate.

One benefit of organic food is that it is pesticide free, which is definitely better for the environment. It’s probably better for you as well, though many people argue that the pesticide residue on foods is too small to cause health problems.

Even with organic products, though, be sure to follow the safe handling recommendations for all foods:

• Thoroughly wash all produce, and if the skin still isn’t clean, peel it off.
• Organically raised and processed meat can harbor bacteria and should be handled the same as regular meat products — follow kitchen cleanliness rules and cook meats to the proper temperature: 180°F for poultry, 160°F for beef.

Where to Buy Organic Foods

It wasn’t so long ago that people who wanted to buy primarily organic foods had to turn to their local food co-ops or settle for a few items in their grocery store. Co-ops and local farmstands are great sources for natural and organic foods. But anyone looking for conventionally grown foods and other items will have to make another stop.

These days, though, it’s easy to find a well-rounded selection of organic products. Most groceries offer organic produce, juices, cereals, baby food, dairy products, and more. And many stores are 100% organic or natural — if you don’t have one in your neighborhood, there’s likely to be one a short drive away.

If you can’t find a decent selection of organic foods where you shop, talk to the store manager. The more requests a store gets for natural selections, the more likely it is to stock them.

So when you see foods labeled “organic,” consider giving them a try — they’re likely to be both delicious and good for the planet.

It used to be that you just had to worry about convincing kids to eat the fruits and vegetables they need to grow healthy and strong. But reports about outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella remind us of another concern — making sure fresh produce is safe to eat.

Even with the risk of foodborne illnesses, it’s important for kids to eat fruits and vegetables every day to get essential vitamins and nutrients. For example, fruits like oranges provide vitamin C, which helps heal cuts and wounds. Vegetables like broccoli contain dietary fiber, which can help keep cholesterol down and bowel movements regular.

The good news is that it’s easy to make sure that the produce you buy and prepare is safe.

From the Store to Your Refrigerator

Regardless of the variety of produce you pick — whether it’s bagged or loose, organic or traditionally grown — there’s always going to be some chance, however small, that harmful bacteria may have gotten on the food. It can happen anywhere between the fields and your kitchen, during picking, transporting, or packaging.

The safeguards you can take begin when you’re selecting produce at the store or produce stand. Be sure to inspect fruits and vegetables before you buy them, and avoid any with visible cuts or broken skin where bacteria could enter.

Also keep these things in mind:

• With prepared produce, such as bagged salad, select only items that are stored on ice or refrigerated. Be sure to check the best-used-by date.
• If your drive home is longer than an hour, consider bringing a cooler or insulated bag in the car to keep any pre-bagged and pre-cut produce fresh.
• At the grocery store, separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from produce and other foods in your shopping cart and grocery bags.

You’ve probably seen the term “Certified Organic” on USDA labels indicating that a product was grown or made without pesticides, synthetic ingredients, or bioengineering. However, bacterial contamination is possible whether the produce is certified organic or conventionally grown.

Refrigerating and Freezing

To safely store produce, make sure your refrigerator and freezer are cold enough to keep it fresh and prevent any bacteria in it from thriving. Keep your refrigerator set between 32°F (0°C) and  40°F (5°C) and your freezer to 0°F (–18°C) or lower. If they don’t have thermostats, consider buying one for each.

Properly Preparing Produce

When you prepare fresh produce, these steps will help ensure that it’s safe to eat:

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the bathroom and before preparing or eating food.
• Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from produce and ready-to-eat foods.
• Wash utensils and surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after using them in food preparation.
• Scrub all fruits and vegetables with plain water (even if you plan to peel them) to remove any pesticide residue or dirt that could contain bacteria.
• Wash melons, particularly cantaloupes and watermelons, before eating to avoid carrying bacteria from the rind to the knife to the inside of the fruit.
• Many types of bagged lettuce are pre-washed (the packaging will say if it is). Even though the produce has been washed before bagging, you still should wash it again right before you eat it.
• Dry produce with a paper towel or clean towel to help reduce bacteria.
• Discard the outer leaves of leafy greens, such as spinach or lettuce.
• Refrigerate all cut and peeled produce.
• Thoroughly wash cutting boards with hot, soapy water after each use. Consider using separate boards for meat and produce. Replace worn plastic or wooden cutting boards with hard-to-clean grooves that can harbor germs.

Though commercial produce washes are available, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend washing produce with them. Following the recommendations above and washing your hands, dishes, utensils, and the surfaces in your kitchen should work just fine. Periodically sanitizing cutting boards and kitchen surfaces can offer added protection.

Rest assured that while fresh produce, meat, and fish do carry some contamination risk, with the proper precautions you can reduce that risk and enjoy them safely.

Buying lunch at school might be the first time kids get to call the shots on which foods they’ll eat. Luckily, school lunches have improved over the years, both in taste and nutrition, with many serving healthier dishes, such as grilled chicken sandwiches and salads.

But some still exceed recommendations for fat. In the typical school cafeteria, kids can still choose an unhealthy mix of foods, especially the less nutritious fare often available a la carte or in the vending machine. For instance, a kid might decide to buy a hot dog, day after day.

Lunchtime Opportunities

Use school lunches as a chance to steer your kids toward good choices. Especially with younger kids, explain how a nutritious lunch will give them energy to finish the rest of the schoolday and enjoy after-school activities.

Here are some other tips:

• Look over the cafeteria menu together. Ask what a typical lunch includes and which meals your kids particularly like. Recommend items that are healthier, but be willing to allow them to buy favorite lunch items once in a while, even if that includes a hot dog.
• Ask about foods like chips, soda, and ice cream. Find out if and when these foods are available at school.
• Encourage kids to take a packed lunch, at least occasionally. This can put you back in the driver’s seat and help ensure that kids get a nutritious midday meal.

Healthier Alternatives

Encourage kids to choose cafeteria meals that include fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains, such as whole wheat bread instead of white. Also, they should avoid fried foods when possible and choose low-fat milk or water as a drink.

If you’re helping pack a lunch, start by brainstorming foods and snacks that your kids would like to eat. In addition to old standbys, such as peanut butter and jelly, try pitas or wrap sandwiches stuffed with grilled chicken or veggies. Try soups and salads, and don’t forget last night’s leftovers as an easy lunchbox filler.

You also can perform a lunch makeover. These small changes do make a nutritional difference:

Nutritional Upgrades

Here’s how two lunches stack up after a typical lunch received a nutritional upgrade:

Healthy Packed Lunches

Prepackaged lunches for kids are popular and convenient, but they’re also expensive and often less than nutritious. Instead, create your own packable lunch using healthier ingredients. Consider these components and pack them in plastic containers, resealable plastic bags, or colorful plastic wrap:

• cold-cut roll ups (lean, low-fat turkey, ham, or roast beef with low-fat cheese on whole wheat tortillas)
• cold pizza (shredded mozzarella cheese with pizza sauce on a flour tortilla, whole wheat pita, English muffin, or mini pizza shell)
• cracker sandwiches (whole-grain crackers filled with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter and jelly)
• peanut butter and celery sticks
• veggie sticks with low-fat dip or dressing
• 100% fruit juice box or bottle of water
• optional dessert (choose one): flavored gelatin, low-fat pudding, oatmeal raisin cookie, graham crackers, fresh fruit

Be sure to check with the school to make sure that there aren’t any restrictions on what kids can pack in their lunches. And don’t forget to involve your kids in the process so that healthier lunches can become a goal they strive for, too.

Safe Packing

A packed lunch carries the added responsibility of keeping the food safe to eat. That means keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold. One study found that fewer than a third of parents included a cold pack when packing yogurt, deli-meat sandwiches, and other foods that need refrigeration.

Here are some suggestions to keep lunch foods safe:

• Wash your hands first.
• Use a thermos for hot foods.
• Use cold packs or freeze some foods and drinks overnight. They’ll thaw in the lunchbox.
• Wash out lunch boxes every day or use brown paper bags that can be discarded or recycled.
• Toss in some moist towelettes to remind kids to wash their hands before eating and to clean up after.

Smart Snacking

“Don’t eat that, you’ll spoil your appetite.” If only you had a dollar for every time you heard that growing up.

But if the right foods are offered at the right times, snacks can play an important role in managing kids’ hunger and boosting nutrition. A well-timed snack can even out spikes in hunger and provide a much-needed energy boost between meals.

Snacks can keep younger children from getting so hungry that they become cranky, and they can keep older kids from overeating at larger meals. And for picky eaters of all ages, snacks can be added insurance that they’re getting the necessary nutrients.

This doesn’t mean that giving your child a cupcake half an hour before dinner is suddenly a good idea. The best snacks are nutritious — low in sugar, fat, and salt. Fresh fruit and vegetables and foods that contain whole grains and protein are also good choices.

But it’s not just about what you offer as a snack — it’s how much you serve and when. Pay attention to portion sizes and timing of snacks so they don’t interfere with a child’s appetite for the next scheduled meal.

Kids who are allowed to graze all day long often have a hard time figuring out when they’re truly hungry — one key to maintaining a healthy weight in childhood and later in life. A structured meal and snack schedule is one solution. You offer the meals and snacks at the same times each day, and your kids can decide what they want to eat and how much.

Snacks and Toddlers

Toddlers may not eat much at a sitting and they often get hungry before the next meal. At this age, kids may need to eat five or six times a day — three meals and two to three snacks.

There are two common “snack pitfalls” to avoid with toddlers because once done, they can be hard to undo:

1. using sweets to reward good behavior, which sends the message that desserts are somehow better or more valuable than other foods, and can start a pattern of unhealthy eating
2. pacifying kids with a snack just before a meal, which can decrease their hunger and make them less willing to try new foods at the table

Scheduled snacks served at the same times every day give kids a sense of control and also establish that snacks are available only at certain times. Offer two or three nutritious options and let kids choose. Try:

• low-sugar, whole-grain breakfast cereals
• cut-up fruit (if pieces are small and soft enough to avoid choking)
• graham crackers
• cheese slices cut into fun shapes
• applesauce
• yogurt

Snacks and Preschoolers

Control is still a key issue at this age, so preschoolers also might enjoy the chance to choose their snack from the options you present. The desire for sweets can be quite strong at this age, but you can avoid the struggles. Don’t offer candy and cookies at snack time. You can decide not to stock them at all or, if you do, to keep them out of sight.

Preschoolers are just learning to label their feelings, and they’ll often say “I’m hungry.” But they could just be bored, tired, or in need of some attention. Figure out what your child really needs. It may be that some playtime with you or a change of scenery could end the cries of “I’m hungry.” Also, when kids do need a snack, make sure it’s eaten at the table and not in front of the TV.

Healthy snacks for preschoolers include:

• cut-up fruit or applesauce
• yogurt
• sliced or chopped veggies
• whole-grain crackers topped with cheese

Snacks and School-Age Kids

With homework, activities, lessons, and sports, school-age kids are busier, and probably more independent, than ever. Some may still need three meals and two snacks per day — usually one mid-morning and one after school.

But the morning snack could become unnecessary depending on lunchtime at school and as kids get older. Talk with your kids to find out.

Unless you have an especially early dinner time, most kids still need an after-school snack to help them stay focused on homework and other after-school commitments. Try to pack healthy snacks for after-school activities of kids who aren’t coming right home.

Kids who come straight home after school probably can start fixing their own snacks (with permission, of course). Leave things in the fridge that can be grabbed quickly — veggie sticks and dips, yogurt and berries. If you’re serving fruit or a salad with dinner, consider letting kids eat that early to take the edge off.

School-age kids are capable of understanding why it’s important to eat healthy, but more than ever they look to the people they love as role models. Make healthy snacking a family affair and your kids will take it to heart.

Here are some snacks that school-age kids might enjoy:

• low-sugar, whole-grain breakfast cereal with low-fat milk
• low-fat string cheese
• fruit smoothies made with low-fat milk or yogurt
• nuts and raisins
• whole-wheat pita slices, cut-up veggies, and hummus
• whole-grain pretzels
• fruit slices dipped in low-fat flavored yogurt

Snacks and Teens

Teens might still need a snack or two during the day, but what they eat may seem out of your control. Your teen might have sports, a job, an ever-expanding social calendar, money to spend, and car keys. With this much independence, you can’t police what your teen eats, but you can encourage healthy snacking by keeping nutritious foods at home that your teen can take along.

Healthy snacks for teens include:

• veggie sticks with low-fat ranch dip or hummus
• low-fat granola bars
• fresh or dried fruit
• trail mix
• air-popped popcorn
• hard-boiled eggs

Snacking well can be a challenge, especially once kids are old enough to make independent food choices. But if you’ve set the stage right from the start — offering mostly nutritious choices at home and encouraging good alternatives when away — they’re more likely to reach for something healthy when a hunger pang strikes.

Filling Nutritional Gaps

No one’s busier than the average preschooler. Preschoolers are so active and imaginative, it’s no wonder they get hungry between meals and need a snack.

Although growth during the preschool years is slower compared with that of the first 2 years of life, preschool kids still need to eat a balanced diet that includes whole grains, lean meat, beans, low-fat milk, fruits, and vegetables.

That’s sometimes easier said than done. Some preschoolers don’t eat well at mealtime. Others might be willing to eat, but only certain foods. This can leave nutritional gaps in a child’s diet. Healthy and well-timed snacks can help fill in these gaps. They also can keep kids from getting overly hungry and cranky.

Tips for Smart Snacking

So how do you turn preschoolers into smart snackers?

1. Keep healthy snacks in your refrigerator or pantry. Let kids choose their own snacks from among a couple of nutritious options.
2. Offer a variety of snacks, not just the ones kids already likes. Offer new choices, but don’t give up on foods that may have been rejected in the past. It may take a few tries before a child accepts a new food.
3. Have a schedule for meals and snacks. This lets kids manage their hunger because they know when to expect the next chance to eat at the next scheduled time. Avoid letting kids pick throughout the day, which can dull internal hunger cues and make them more likely to overeat.
4. Don’t let kids eat in front of the TV. Serve snacks and meals at the table.
5. Keep mostly healthy foods in the house, with those high in calories, fat, and added sugar kept to a minimum. This doesn’t mean kids can never have these foods, but they should be offered only once in a while.
6. Serve skim or low-fat milk or water with snacks instead of sugary drinks and soda. Limit 100% juice to one serving per day.
7. Make your preschooler a part of the action! Kids this age feel important when adults let them help out. Let them do what they safely can to prepare their own snacks — whether that’s tossing the fruit salad or putting utensils and napkins on the table.
8. Keep an eye on how your child’s moods affect eating patterns. Preschoolers often confuse boredom or fatigue with hunger. If your child just ate and is complaining of hunger again, see if a change of scenery or some active play could do the trick.
9. Share a healthy snack with your kids, who will follow your lead and get the message that you’re serving something good.

Be Creative

Preschoolers are anything but boring, so why should their snacks be? Being creative when it comes to expanding the snack menu doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming.

Here are a few action-snack suggestions to get you started:

Cut it! Use a cookie cutter to cut cheese, veggies, and sandwiches into fun, irresistible shapes.

Dip it! Pair slices of fruit, veggies, or whole-wheat crackers with a side of dip. Whether it’s peanut butter, low-fat ranch dressing, guacamole, salsa, applesauce, or yogurt, everyone loves to dip.

Create it! Make art out of food. Try apple-wedge flower petals around a kiwi slice for some flower art. Or maybe fun food faces with berry eyes and a banana mouth.

Sip it! Who says you have to eat a healthy snack? Fruit smoothies made with low-fat yogurt or milk and fresh fruit are a great way for kids to drink up needed nutrients.

Crunch it! Low-fat granola and lower-sugar, whole-grain breakfast cereals are good choices. Also try toasted whole-wheat pita wedges for a satisfying crunch without the salt and fat of potato chips.

Play it! Turn healthy snacking into a game. For example, try making a “food rainbow” on a plate and let your child decide which colors to eat first. Next time, you can do the same with different shapes. Which will it be — squares or triangles?

Balancing an Uneven Diet

Parents of toddlers often wonder if their kids are getting enough to eat. It’s an understandable concern, and offering healthy snacks can help ensure that the answer is yes.

Some kids at this age may seem too busy exploring the world to slow down and eat. Others may be fickle about food or refuse to eat what’s served at mealtime. Toddlers benefit from eating a variety of healthy foods, but often don’t eat a lot at one sitting. That’s where snacks come in.

Healthy, well-timed snacks can help balance out an uneven diet, tiding toddlers over between meals and keeping them from getting so hungry that they become cranky. And you boost the intake of nutrients your toddler needs to be healthy when you serve fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein, and calcium-rich foods.

Most toddlers do well with three meals and two or three snacks a day — perhaps mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and again after dinner, if necessary.

Decide What’s Appropriate

The influence you have on your child’s eating patterns may never be stronger than it is right now. Toddlers can’t run out to the store for candy and chips. They’ll eat what’s served to them and ask for what they know is in the cabinet. Take this opportunity to set the stage for healthy eating.

Stock up on fresh foods that are high in nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber) and try to avoid prepackaged, processed ones, which tend to be high in sugar, salt, and fat. If your child goes to daycare, ask what kinds of snacks are served there. If you don’t approve, consider suggesting a healthier snack menu. If that’s not an option, send in your own snacks for your child, even if it means a bit of extra planning the night before.

Toddlers should be feeding themselves, so think simple, finger-friendly, bite-size foods like:

• low-sugar, whole-grain breakfast cereals
• fresh fruit thinly sliced or cut into small pieces
• whole-grain crackers and mini-muffins
• cheese cut into thin slices or shredded

Think small portions, too. Adults tend to overestimate the amount of food kids need to eat, but the recommended serving size for a toddler’s snack is actually quite small: ¼ cup (57 grams) dry cereal and ½ cup (118 ml) milk (serve low-fat if your child is over 2 years old) make a fine mid-morning snack, just as a half a banana and ½ cup (118 ml) of milk are great in the mid-afternoon.

Not only are small portions less overwhelming for a picky eater, but they also help prevent an avid eater from overdoing it at snack time.

Stick to a Snack Schedule

Kids do better with a routine, so try to serve snacks and meals at about the same time every day. That way your child will know what to expect.

Feeling the sensation of being full and then hungry again a few hours later teaches kids to respond to internal hunger cues — and knowing when to eat and, more important, when to stop is vital to maintaining a healthy weight. If allowed to graze all day without a schedule, kids may lose the ability to detect their own hunger and fullness, which can make them more likely to overeat.

A word about juice. Juice — even 100% fruit juice — contains about the same amount of calories as soda. And juice drinks have excessive amounts of added sugar. Letting kids carry around a juice box all day can lead to diarrhea in some and contribute to weight gain in others.

Limit your toddler’s juice intake to no more than 4 oz. (120 ml) a day. When your child is thirsty, water and milk are the best choices. If your child is a juice fanatic, offer fruit rather than juice, because whole fruits contain important vitamins and fiber.

Let Your Toddler Choose

Your toddler may still be your baby, but is increasingly ready to hold the reins once in a while. Snacks are a great chance for kids to be in charge in a limited way. Offer a few nutritious foods at each snack, then sit back and let your toddler choose what and how much to eat.

Though it may be tempting, resist the urge to feed only foods that your child likes. (This is especially hard for parents of picky eaters who just want their kids to eat something!) Perhaps pair something your child likes with a new food at snack time. Even if new foods are rejected, continue offering them. Remember that it may take several tries before a child is receptive to eating something new.

Don’t make a big deal of an uncleaned plate, even if means your child skips a snack or meal. But also don’t allow kids to pick alternate foods or decide when meals and snacks should be served. You want them to learn that meals and snacks are available only at certain times and that they may choose from among the foods you present.

Things to Avoid

Most parents have bribed their child by promising some tasty treat, but this isn’t a good strategy. Using sweets as a bribe creates the impression that they’re more valuable or better than other, more healthy foods — plus kids quickly learn to use them as a bargaining tool.

As for sweets, there’s really no reason, nutritionally, for young kids to have them. You don’t have to deprive your child of birthday cake, though, or other occasional treats. But don’t let these empty-calorie items become part of the regular snack menu.

Make sweets the exception rather than the rule and your child won’t feel entitled to them or too surprised when you say no. Your toddler will be less likely to beg for sweets and chips if you keep these less nutritious snacks out of your home.