Nutrition Nuggets December

Positive Feedback

When your child chooses nutritious foods, let her know that you notice. your praise can encourage her to keep making similar decisions. Here are some thins you could say:

• "Good idea to have carrots for a snack!"

• "I'm happy to see you trying pomegranate seeds. They're so good for you!

• "Wow--I see lots of yummy vegetables on your plate!"

• "I'm glad you and Tami decided to turn off the TV and go shoot baskets."

• "I like the way you're cutting the fat off the meat. That's what I do, too."

• "I appreciate your clearing the table. With you helping, we'll finish sooner and be able to play outside."

Handling Holiday Sweets

When holiday season rolls around, I always have the same problem. There are treats everywhere, and I'm not sure how much to let my kids eat.

This year I asked my neighbor Barbara, who is a dietitian, for advice. She agreed this is a tricky problem -- if we don't let our children have any cookies and cake, they'll want them even more. And, she said, weight gained over the holidays tends to stay on children and adults.

Barbara recommended letting our kids have some treats but talking to them about "moderation." We could decide on something like one sweet a day, and they get to pick it.

She also suggested other ways to make the holiday season healthier, such as drinking water instead of soda or punch and taking a family walk after meals. I know the holidays will be challenging eating-wise, but I'm happy to have a plan.