We all want our youngsters to eat nutrient-rich foods and hope they naturally gravitate towards choosing healthy options – especially when we’re not around to feed them. But you may find yourself with a picky eater and you’re at a loss of how to get them to eat anything other than chicken nuggets or mac & cheese.

Being a picky eater typically starts around the age of one or two. This is the age when kids begin to form specific opinions, but also act very fickle. They love a certain food one day, but if you suggest it to them the next day, they have a temper tantrum.

Some parents feel like bribing their kids is the only way to get them to eat healthy options. Forcing and bribing kids to eat specific foods seldom instills a desired result or behavior. Instead, try different strategies on your meticulous eaters to encourage healthy eating habits.

Being the parent of a picky eater can be frustrating at times. No matter what meals you prepare, your picky eater will often refuse to eat what is on their plate. Most picky eaters have a select few dishes that they are willing to eat. People have different views about picky eaters. There are some people who believe that children are picky eaters because they are spoiled. Others believe that when a child is a picky eater that they are just going through a phase. According to Healthline, picky eating could be linked to depression or anxiety. Whatever the reason your child is picky with what they eat, it can not only be frustrating, it can also cause you to worry that your child isn't getting the nutrients that they need to be healthy.

 

Do you have a hard time coming up with dinner ideas? What if your child struggles with childhood obesity? Then you may feel even more pressure and stress to plan and prepare healthy meals. You may start the month out by planning a week of dinners to make when everyone gets home, with the best intentions to continue, only to get to the middle of week two and realize you’re out of anything and everything to even invent a new pasta dish or a creative grilled cheese sandwich – let alone fresh fruit and veggies to make it healthy.

Little Peggy comes home from school, but she doesn’t tell her mom about her day, instead she heads to the living room and watches the TV. She doesn’t ask to have any friends over, or if she can go over to a friend’s house; not the typical attitude of an elementary schooler. Her mom doesn’t know how to respond, so she offers her an after-school snack: cookies and milk – Peggy’s favorite.

The number of overweight children in the United States has been growing at an alarming rate. According to KidsHealth.org, one out of every three kids is considered to be overweight or obese. The reason so many children are overweight and obese is because getting them healthy requires a complete lifestyle change. When your child starts to lose weight, they will start to feel better about themselves. It's important that you understand, however, that setbacks are not uncommon.

 

For close to 40 years, childhood obesity has been on the rise. The number of children in the United States who suffer from childhood obesity has nearly tripled since the 1970's. Today, one in five school-aged children between the ages of 6 and 19 is obese. It’s the responsibility of a child's parents to take the necessary steps to keep their child from becoming obese.

Childhood obesity in the United States has become a major concern for teachers, parents, and the medical community, all with differing theories philosophies, and tips for prevention. Factors that contribute to childhood obesity include genetics, inactivity, technology, as well as the beliefs and attitudes of the parents.

Determining whether or not a child is at a healthy weight is difficult for one main reason: Body Mass Index (BMI) is typically how body fat is calculated, however, for children it’s different. Their BMI is on a sliding scale in terms of percentile in comparison to all other children. A child who is 5 years old and weighs 100lbs. is considered normal if all other 5 year olds weigh 100lbs. It’s the flaw in the system. Rather than looking at a child’s weight to determine their health status, let’s instead take a look at the top 3 early warning signs you might see if your child’s weight is unhealthy to their body.

The greatest health crises in Gridley, Biggs, Live Oak and the surrounding towns, are the same as in the entire world: the overweight crisis and the resulting diabetes crisis. 

Data has been gathered in the United States since the 1920's on how long people live. Thanks to the advances in medical care, people kept living longer and longer - until recently.

Getting kids to eat their fruits and veggies is hard enough, but when you have a picky eater it’s even harder. It can be tempting to give in as long as they’re eating something, but allowing bad eating habits – like reaching for the cookies instead of carrots or a bag of chips instead of a banana – can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. An unhealthy lifestyle can lead to weight gain and even child obesity or obesity as a teen or adult. Help your kids to start good eating habits by making fun, creative and healthy snacks like the ones featured below: