Kid's Healthy Eating Plate - The Nutrition Source

Eating healthy and eating right is of paramount importance in an individual’s life. Kids just seem to love junk food however they should learn more about the Healthy Eating Plate and its necessity.Packing your child’s tiffin everyday can be a very tiring as well as challenging task. Apart from packing meals, it is also important to ensure that your kids finish their lunch box - so it should definitely include healthy eating options as well.The Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate was constituted by the nutrition experts at the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health. Find out what it is all about: In this articleWhat is the Healthy Eating Plate?What Should I Include in My Child’s Plate?Importance of Fat and Dairy ProductsDrinking Water BenefitsConcluding FactsWhat is the Healthy Eating Plate?Have you ever thought about the type of meals you are giving your child every day? Did you know that some sources of carbohydrates are better than others? The Healthy Eating Plate is a plan designed to make sure that your child receives adequate nutrition from the right sources. For example, the type of carbohydrate is far more important that the amount of carbohydrate.The main focus of this type of diet is its emphasis on quality which is a very important factor. Along with a balanced and interesting meal, there is also focus on physical activity which is very important.What Should I Include in My Child’s Plate?As a mother, you cannot ignore the importance of nutrition and good health. As per the guidelines of the Healthy Eating Plate plan, here are a few tips:Include several varieties of veggies. Let your child’s plate be flavourful and colourful.Include several types of delicious fruits of various sizes and colours. Limit your child’s intake of fruit juice and focus on consuming fruits as a whole.Choose whole grains like whole wheat, brown rice and other minimally processed varieties instead of pasta or bread. Pasta, pizza etc include a lot of maida which is not good because your body ends up converting those to sugar.Indians tend to consume less amount of red meat which is great for the body. Instead opt for proteins such as beans, peas, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.Importance of Fat and Dairy ProductsEating a healthy and balanced meal means eating items from all the food groups. While people think that eating fat or dairy products makes you obese, it is not the case when had in limited quantity.Choose plain milk instead of sweetened or flavoured milk and be sure to include it in your child’s daily diet because milk is a great source of calcium. Milk also includes Vitamin D which promotes health and development of children. Soy milk is also a source of protein which can be had instead of regular milk.Drinking Water BenefitsAs your child runs and plays, he or she will start sweating and the body loses water. Drinking water refreshes and replenishes your child’s body and makes your child feel better. Especially during summer heat, it is essential to consume a lot of water.There is nothing like water to quench thirst and do not make a mistake by substituting water with other colas or drinks. Water is much better than other sweetened drinks available in the market. Sugary drinks are more likely to cause weight gain.Concluding FactsOverall, the main message of the Kid’s Health Plate is the focus on improving quality. You can use healthy oils like olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, etc. Avoid Trans fats and limit the amount of butter in your child’s diet. Backed by science, the Kid’s Healthy Plate was formulated to improve your child’s overall well-being.Include a lot of physical activity in his or her daily schedule. The above tips are meant to encourage and educate mothers to feed their child well and improve his or her life. Remember that raising a healthy child is indeed raising a happy child. Teach your child the importance of always leading a healthy lifestyle.How to encourage kids to eat healthy? What should be included in a healthy eating plate for kids? What is the importance of a healthy eating plate for kids? Discuss here.