[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/09\/advice-from-clinical-dietitian\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/09\/advice-from-clinical-dietitian\/","headline":"Good Eats for Kids: Advice from a Clinical Dietitian","name":"Good Eats for Kids: Advice from a Clinical Dietitian","description":"Ellen Cernich, MS, RD, LDN, CDE is a Clinical Dietitian in the Endocrine Wellness program at UPMC Children\u2019s Hospital of Pittsburgh who works with families to help them develop tools to make healthy changes. What\u2019s the best way to get kids to be healthy? Ellen says it starts with the caregivers. \u201cParents, grandparents, and other […]","datePublished":"2018-09-17","dateModified":"2020-09-23","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/iStock-1168255908-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/iStock-1168255908-scaled.jpg","height":1366,"width":2048},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/09\/advice-from-clinical-dietitian\/","about":["Pediatrics"],"wordCount":832,"articleBody":"Ellen Cernich, MS, RD, LDN, CDE is a Clinical Dietitian in the Endocrine Wellness program at UPMC Children\u2019s Hospital of Pittsburgh who works with families to help them develop tools to make healthy changes.What\u2019s the best way to get kids to be healthy? Ellen says it starts with the caregivers. \u201cParents, grandparents, and other family members need to be the role models\u201d Ellen says. \u201cKids rely on adults to bring nutritious food into the home.\u201d Here are Ellen\u2019s top tips:Take your kids grocery shopping with youAsk them what kinds of veggies and fruits they want to eat. They will be more likely to try it and eat it when they\u2019re included in the shopping and meal planning process. \u201cParents have to be role models and make a good food environment,\u201d Ellen says. \u201cKids rely on adults to put healthy foods in the house. There\u2019s a time and place for treats, but most of the goodies we keep in the kitchen should be nutritious. Make the healthy food easily accessible.\u201dEliminate soda and sugary drinksOne easy food fix is to eliminate sugary drinks. \u201cGetting rid of soda, juices, Kool-Aid, certain teas, and sports drinks is the easiest place to change.\u201d Ellen says. Instead, water should be the go-to option.Meal prep in advanceMeal prep is a great way to eat well during the week. \u201cA lot of families tell me they don\u2019t have time to cook,\u201d Ellen says, \u201cso I encourage them to use a weekend or day off to plan even two or three meals for the week.\u201d It doesn\u2019t\u2019 have to take hours, and kids can help too! It\u2019s okay to use shortcuts: bagged broccoli is fine, and the crockpot is great! Making enough for leftovers means more nutritious meals throughout the week.Healthy food is not always expensive foodBudget is also an issue for many families, but eating well doesn\u2019t mean breaking the bank. \u201cBeans, like black beans or kidney beans, are cheap and good for you,\u201d Ellen says. \u201cEat fruits and veggies that are in season, or buy frozen veggies. If you get canned produce, just rinse it before eating.\u201d It\u2019s important to get something colorful on your plate at every meal.Create a mealtime routineWhen and where you eat is just as important as what you eat. Don\u2019t skip meals, and create structure around mealtime so kids understand the routine. Don\u2019t eat in front of the TV or computer, and put the phone down when it is time to eat. Endless snacking throughout the day isn\u2019t good either. Offer snacks at certain times. \u201cThere\u2019s a difference between being hungry and just being bored. If your kid says he is hungry, offer some healthy snacks, like water or an apple,\u201d Ellen advises. \u201cAnd if he doesn\u2019t want that, or something else wholesome, then no snack.\u201dPatience with picky eatersFor \u201cpicky eaters,\u201d it\u2019s all about patience. Keep introducing new foods for kids to try. \u201cIt takes multiple exposures to begin to like new things,\u201d Ellen says. \u201cSo just keep putting it on their plates. Even if they say they don\u2019t like it the first time, keep offering it. And lead by example.\u201d Parents also shouldn\u2019t be making separate meals if their kids complain about fruits and veggies. \u201cLots of parents will make a different meal for their kids because the kids complain. What you make is what is for dinner!\u201d And don\u2019t make dessert a reward for trying new foods. Dessert should be a special treat, not a nightly habit.Don’t forget to check labelsRead labels and follow portion sizes. It\u2019s important to check labels for added sugar or high fat content so you can avoid them. Portion sizes can also cause trouble. It\u2019s easy to serve up a big bowl of cereal, but a serving may be way less than you think. Pay attention to how much is in a serving so your kid doesn\u2019t overeat.Diet and nutrition play a big role in staying healthy, but so do adequate sleep, vigorous exercise, and limiting screen time.About Endocrine WellnessThe mission of Endocrine Wellness is to help children in our region achieve and maintain a healthy weight and to prevent, identify and treat weight related problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.Fulfillment of this mission requires the involvement of a multidisciplinary team that includes physicians, nurses, nutritionists, exercise specialists, and behavioral specialists. Another mission is to advance research in childhood obesity and its comorbidities.At Endocrine Wellness, the goal isn\u2019t just to lose weight. \u201cMany parents biggest concern is, \u2018How much weight does my child need to lose to be healthy?\u2019 but it\u2019s not about losing a certain amount,\u201d Ellen says. \u201cWe\u2019re working with families to make long-term lifestyle choices.\u201dLearn more at www.chp.edu\/our-services\/endocrinology\/endocrine-wellness."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2018","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Good Eats for Kids: Advice from a Clinical Dietitian","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/09\/advice-from-clinical-dietitian\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]