Morbid Obesity San Jose, CA with Dr. Robert McKeen South Bay Bariatrics

Nutritional Mistakes Parents Make

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Parents are finding innovative ways to ensure that their kids eat healthy snacks. It's snack time once again in the Browne household. Seven year old Patrick and three year old Shawn feverishly scour the pantry shelves searching for the perfect treat. "Obesity does run in both my husband's family and my family, so it's always something that is in the back of my mind. I don't want it to be an issue for my children." says mom, Heather Browne.

But, Heather says sometimes she just caves in. "The biggest mistake is using treats as rewards, which I tend to do. I tell the kids to eat their dinner and then they can have dessert, or to finish their homework and they can have a snack." According to Temple University pediatrician, Dr. Denise Salerno, Heather is not alone. Many parents fall into what she calls nutritional mistake traps. "I see it every day, oh, if you're good, or if you don't cry during your shots, we'll go get McDonald's." says Dr. Salerno.

Using food as a reward can translate into lots of extra calories. Salerno says parents should not force children to eat if they are full. "The clean plate club is very common. Kids have to finish everything on your plate, they can't get up from the table until they finish your whole dinner or their whole lunch." explains Salerno. Fruit juices, sports drinks and chocolate milk drinks have high amounts of sugar and calories. Water is the ideal beverage because it hydrates and does not add extra calories.

Instead of giving your child a fruit drink, give him a piece of fruit instead. Slowly but surely, Heather is weaning her kids off of high-powered sugar drinks. "They like apples, grapes, raisins, bananas." says Heather. Hitting the drive-through window with the kids should be rare occasions. Because most fast foods are high in salt and calories, Salerno recommends putting a strict limit to once month. And children should always select from the kid's menu, since adult menu portions are too large for children. Dr. Salerno says the bottom-line is parents must lead by example.

Another nutritional trap parents fall into is keeping too much junk food around the house. It's better to avoid placing the temptation around the house. "If you are eating healthy, it's likely your child is going to eat healthy because that's the food that you are going to have around the house." says Dr. Salerno. Also, be creative. In an effort to have her boys eat vegetables, Heather has re-invented one of her boys' favorite foods. "We've snuck a lot of vegetables in the mashed potatoes." says Heather. Dr. Salerno recommends stocking up on low-fat treats like jello, yogurts and making healthy snacks out of vegetable and fruit slices. Finger-sized food can make eating healthy fun.

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