Harmon-y Pediatric Clinic offers tips to get children to eat healthy

Making healthy snacks fun can help with proper nutrition

 
OKLAHOMA CITY – According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, between one-third and one-half of Native American children are overweight or obese.  To promote healthy eating habits at home, the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC) and its Health Promotion Disease Prevention department will host a Kids in the Kitchen cooking workshop open only to patients of the clinic ages 8 to 14 years old. The event will take place on July 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oklahoma County OSU Extension Center, 930 N Portland. OKCIC’s Harmon-y Pediatric Clinic is also encouraging families to make healthy eating fun for children.

“Healthy eating can be a key role in keeping your children energetic and keeping their minds sharp,” said Harmon-y pediatrician Dr. Janice Hixon. “By helping them understand the benefits of eating healthy and exercising at a young age, we’re not only helping them create positive routines but also boost immune systems and prevent diseases.”

OKCIC and Harmon-y Pediatric Clinic are offering the following tips on how parents can help their children learn to eat healthy:
 
Get the kids involved. Let children play a part in deciding what the family will eat for dinner. Ask them to help you shop for groceries and prepare the meal. Letting them pick something new to try for the whole family will get them excited and broaden their experience. Shop for groceries around the perimeter of the store where fresh fruits, vegetables and meats are located. The farther you get into the center of the store, the more junk food your kids will see and want.

Make healthy snacks fun. Whether it’s with a game or a fun recipe, entertaining little ones plays a key role in getting them interested in what they eat. Foods like “ants on a log,” celery smeared with peanut butter and topped with raisins, or “octodip,” humus with a bell pepper cut and placed to look like an octopus rising from the sea, are more likely to pique a child’s interest than a plain plate of broccoli.

Replace favorite junk foods with healthy alternatives. Replacing your child’s favorite dish with a healthy, yet similar alternative lets them keep the tastes they love while satisfying their needs for healthier foods. Try swapping low-fat frozen yogurt for ice cream or pretzels for potato chips.

Limit snacks to two per day. Growing kids need to eat several times a day, but random snacking can lead to loss of appetite and weight problems. Young children should eat three well-balanced meals and two snacks every day. Limiting snacks to two times a day will keep your child energized without taking away from their appetite at meal time.

Have regular family meals at home. Meals at home lets you decide what your child eats and sets a specific time for meals. A regular schedule for meals will help boost their appetites and reduce unnecessary snacking between meals. Children are also more likely to accept healthy foods if they see you eating them. Save dining out for special occasions, as restaurant foods tend to be heavier in fat, salt and sugar.

For more information, visit www.okcic.com.

 
About Oklahoma City Indian Clinic
The Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC) was established in 1974 to provide high-quality health care and wellness services to urban Indians in central Oklahoma. The clinic staff cares for more than 18,000 patients from more than 220 federally recognized tribes every year. Urban Indians can receive a range of services, including medical, pediatrics, dental, prenatal, pharmacy, optometry, physical fitness, nutrition, family programs and behavioral health and substance abuse treatment. For more information, please visit www.okcic.com.