They say that your diet in the first 10 years is extremely important. It sets the stage for your diet for the rest of your life. It literally determines what your tastes are as well as helps you define what you consider to be a comfort foods and which foods you consider "gross".

So why not help your kids to a lifetime of good eating by setting the stage correctly?

Summer is particularly challenging what with barbeque and visits from the ice cream man. Renee Simon has some tips to help you keep things on track.

Below her article is a link to download the full article (including a helpful chart for fridge posting) in MS Word format,

What to Feed Your Kids this Summer - by Renee Simon

Pixie sticks, baby bottle pops, fun dip, air heads, war heads, and cartoon ice cream pops are some of the typical snack bar fare that are offered to kids at many of the local town pools and parks. These treats don’t resemble real food at all and are made of pure sugar, high fructose corn syrup, AND artificial colors and flavors. Some also contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil, which is thought to be a carcinogenic. Yes, we want our children to have fun this summer, but do we want their blood sugar bouncing, causing erratic mood swings, and more sugar cravings? Do we really want their teeth full of sugar and artificial ingredients? Do YOU want them to be part of the childhood obesity and early diabetes risk factor statistics?

As a certified nutritionist working with many families in the area, I believe that moderation is key, not only to a healthy diet, but to a healthy body as well. We don’t want to be so restrictive that our children binge on candy outside of the household (when ever they get a chance), but at the same time we need to teach them how to make a good healthy choices at the youngest age possible. That way, good nutrition will be part of their lives throughout adolescents and adulthood. In addition, if kids are so used to eating artificial ingredients, high sugar, and preserved food, their taste buds will have a hard time adjusting to natural whole foods and sweetness. For instance, if high fructose corn syrup is a large part of the child’s diet, fresh fruit will NOT taste sweet to him or her.

If your children are routinely eating lunch at the town park/pool snack bar, there are better choices to teach your children to make. When ever possible it is always a good idea to pack lunch and offer healthy snacks like cut up vegetables with dips, fresh fruits, hard boiled eggs, nuts or trail mix, cheese sticks, home made lower sugar muffins or oatmeal raisin cookies, yogurts with all natural ingredients, and of course lots of water.
Kids also love frozen bananas and grapes as a refreshing treat instead of ice cream.

Renee Simon is a NYS certified dietitian-nutritionist with offices in S. Salem and Katonah, NY. She is the author of Take Back Your Health – A Total Wellness Guide for You and Your Family and can be reached at 914 763-9107 or www.totalwellnessnutrition.com.

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