News

Are your kids eating healthy? Ask the dietician!

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Shen-Chia Chu
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Summer is almost over and the kids are going to be heading back to school soon.

Busy schedules leave some people with no time to prepare healthy meals and snacks, so what can we do?

The 436th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Health and Wellness Center is the place to go for advice to maintain healthy dietary habits for adults and children.

"Parents tell me they can't get their children to eat healthy snacks, but I tell them it is possible to prepare delicious, nutritious snacks and sweets for kids, they just need a little creativity and a few common ingredients," said Kate Jennings, 436th AMDS HAWC registered dietitian and nutrition program manager. "Combining food groups for a snack increases nutrient-density, and can fill in gaps from missing nutrients, such as raw carrots or apples, any fruit or vegetable, for a snack in a day when a child is low in fruits and veggies group."

The dietician suggests snacking as a part of a healthy eating plan, especially for children who need the calories and nutrients for growth and development.
"If healthy snacking is learned early, it can support lifelong healthy eating habits and prevent chronic disease later in life," said Ms. Jennings.

Ms. Jennings suggests the following healthy snacks to munch on:

Crunchy snacks: Apples, breadsticks, carrot, celery, pepper strips, zucchini circles, radishes, broccoli spears, cauliflower or unsalted rice cakes.

"Nuts can be a healthy snack as long as the portion size is small, and combined with other foods, for example - almonds and apple slices," said Ms. Jennings.

Sweet snacks: Unsweetened canned fruit that's packed in 100 percent juice, a thin slice of angel food cake, baked apples, raisins, frozen bananas, grapes or cherries, dried fruit in individual packs, and unsweetened applesauce.

"All fruits are naturally sweet and provide fiber as well as beneficial vitamins and minerals," says the dietician.

Healthy grains: English muffins, pita, or tortillas, breakfast cereal, crackers, rice cakes, popcorn, breadsticks or flatbread.

"Look at the nutrition facts for whole wheat flour, it's healthy if it's listed as the first ingredient," said Ms. Jennings.

Low-fat dairy foods: Low-fat or fat free yogurt and pudding, low-fat cheese, or regular cheese in small portions, combined with other foods.

"I enjoy fruit with cheese cubes, a delicious combination," said Ms. Jennings.

Beverages: Water should be the main drink served at snack time. Seltzer or sparkling water can be flavored or unflavored. Children two years and older need low fat or fat free milk to have the necessary calcium and Vitamin D intake. Soy or rice milks that are fortified with calcium and Vitamin D can be used as a substitute. Fruit juice should be 100 percent juice, no more than 6 ounces for children under the age of six and no more than 12 ounces for children ages seven and up.

"Avoid juice drinks with sugar or high fructose corn syrup because they are nutritionally no better than soda," said Ms. Jennings. "Water is the best source to quench your thirst because it satisfies thirst without adding calories or sugar."