November is the American Heart Association's Eat Smart month.
That can be tough since so many of us are looking forward to that one day a year when we eat a lot: Thanksgiving.
Just think about the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. I haven't even mentioned dessert. But, imagine being 4 or 5 years old, that big meal can be quite overwhelming.
Dr. Raquel Hernandez is a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. She says it's all about the portions of food.
"If you know your child loves certain types of sweets or meals or foods at Thanksgiving, put it on their plate, but help them choose the portion," Dr. Hernandez explained. "Oftentimes, knowing just how much they are having on their plate can make a big difference. So you can kind of agree on how much you're going to have. Certainly letting them have their preferred dessert or preferred food is the right thing, the amount of it is the important part."
Another way to get kids to try new foods is to let them be involved in the process from shopping for the groceries to helping you cook. They will be more likely to try it if they made it!
Also, don't just linger at the table. Hernandez says kids especially need to be active and just sitting at the table can lead to mindless eating, instead of mindful eating. So once kids are done eating, let them go play.
Since it is Eat Smart month, we'll let you go for one day to indulge, but get back to healthy habits right away with kid-friendly meals that swap out some fattening foods for some heart-healthy choices. Watch the video for a great recipe for Thanksgiving sliders. That recipe and many others can be found here at the Fit 4 All Kids website.
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