Frequently Asked Questions About Feeding School-age Children

Frequently Asked Questions About Feeding School-age Children

How can I get my child to eat more fruits and vegetables?

• Be a positive role model - eat more fruit and vegetables yourself.
• Keep a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in the home.
• Keep juice in the refrigerator.
• Put a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table or counter.
• Eat fruits with meals or for dessert.
• Pack fruits or vegetables to eat at school.
• Wash and cup fruits and vegetables and keep them in a clear container (so they can be seen easily) in the refrigerator, along with low-fat dip or salsa.
• Serve two or more vegetables with dinner (including at least one your child likes).
• Serve a salad with a choice of dressing.
• Use plenty of vegetables in soups, sauces, and casseroles.
• Plant a garden with your child.
• Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, but don't force your child to eat.

How can I get my child, who does not drink milk, get enough calcium?

• Serve low-fat flavored milk.
• Use low-fat dairy foods in recipes (for example, in puddings, milkshakes, soups, casseroles, and cooked cereals).
• Serve low-fat dairy foods for snacks (for example, cheese, yogurt, and frozen yogurt).
• Offer unusual dairy foods (for example yogurt juice drinks and new flavors of low-fat yogurt).
• Serve other calcium-rich foods (for example, tofu [if processed with calcium sulphate], broccoli, and turnip greens).
• If your child is lactose intolerant, try serving small portions of milk and other dairy foods frequently; milk with a meal or a snack; yogurt or lactose-reduced milk; aged hard cheeses (for example, cheddar, colby, Swiss, and Parmesan) that are low in lactose; or lactase tablets or drops in the milk.
• Serve calcium-fortified foods (for example, orange juice or cereal).
• If these strategies don't work, talk to a health professional about giving your child a calcium supplement.

How can I teach my child to make a healthy food choices away from home?

• Encourage your child to make healthy food choices when purchasing food at school., stores, and restaurants, and from vending machines.
• Review school and restaurant menus with your child and discuss healthy food choices.
• Identify on these menus foods that are low in fat and calories.
• Encourage your child to eat salads, low-calorie dressings, and broiled or baked meats.
• Encourage your child to avoid eating fried foods or to reduce the serving size (for example, by splitting an order of French fries with a friend).
• Teach your child to be assertive and to request food modifications (for example, asking the server to "hold the mayonnaise").