How often do we get practical suggestions on getting kids to eat healthier?  Yahoo! published a great Associated Press article that has amazing ideas and incorporates the realities of picky eaters and lunch trading at school.  One of the dietician contributors follows an 80-20 rule with her family:  80% healthy, 20% fun.  Each of her kids gets a small treat like 2 cookies or a piece of candy each day.  Variety seems to be a key factor in a successful approach.  Kids need to have some sense of control over their food choices, and not get too bored with their meals.  Also, don’t get too stressed out if your child doesn’t eat their lunch at school, because you have control over breakfast and dinner, so if you make the most of the at-home meals, the lunch problems aren’t as crucial in their overall intake. 

Other tips include making sure that lunch foods have been introduced at home first.  If the child has not seen the food before, it will not be eaten.  Also, avoid the temptation to pack sodas and sweets because your kids will take their cues from you in developing their long-term food habits.

One factoid from the article:  Kids over 5 should have skim or 1% milk.  Who knew?

I really like this article, because if I hear one more ad about childhood obesity with no concrete ideas for addressing the problem, I think I’m going to scream.  These are real moms with real kids who are just like ours----sometimes picky, and not always wanting the healthiest food.  I’ve actually highlighted some ideas to keep for later when we have our next food issue with the kids.