logo
facebook twitter youtube
AUGUST 2020 Features| Newsletters | Contact Us
image4

Picky Eaters


All children are different and there are a multitude of factors that shape food preferences over one’s lifetime. Parents should expect some bout of picky eating as it is normal for children to go through phases where they feel less adventurous or to even have less of an appetite. Family mealtimes with limited distractions can aid in setting expectations around eating habits and individuals’ responsibilities. For example, it is the parents’ responsibility to provide the meal and then the child decides what and how much to eat from the food provided. Some helpful tips to increase a child’s acceptance of meals include frequent exposure to a variety of food groups and involvement of kids in the planning and preparing of meals.
image5
Building Healthy Bones
Bone is living, growing tissue, whose growth is significant from childhood to near age twenty-five. Thus, there is a limited time to maximize bone health. Nutrients that aid in building healthy bones include calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and vitamin K. Regular physical activity is also a benefitting factor that can increase bone size, strength and reduce fracture risks. Calcium can be found in dairy products as well as almonds and dark, leafy greens. Dark leafy greens boast vitamin K. Dietary vitamin D can be found in egg yolks and fatty fish.
image4
Easing Multi Meals a Day by Bringing Kids into the Kitchen
Being at home more often can create meal prepping fatigue. As Americans continue to navigate COVID19, making every meal, daily, for all family members is a real possibility. Sometimes it might feel like you never leave the kitchen. One way to ease mealtime burdens is to solicit help from your family members. For instance, if your kids were packing their lunches for school, have them prepare their lunches at home. The end results may be a little odd, but they usually will include a variety of food groups in adequate portion sizes that will leave your child feeling satisfied. Research shows that things like packing their own lunches and helping to choose a dinner theme, improve independence and build confidence in kids.
In addition, by letting them pick the foods and amounts they want to eat, you are teaching them early on to trust their bodies. There will be opportunities for you to guide and provide good food knowledge. For instance, if you notice there's always a certain food group missing, use neutral words to encourage the addition of that food group. One example of neutral language is, “I noticed you don't usually put any vegetables on your plate." Phrasing in this manner, affords an open dialogue that may provide insight. In this example, you may come to find out that there aren't any vegetables your children like that are cut up, and they are not confident chopping those vegetables by themselves. With this knowledge, you can troubleshoot the concern. We encourage having at least a little something from all the food groups on the plate for variety and to ensure that kids are getting all the nutrients they need. However, not every meal needs to be perfect. It is our choices that add up over time that determine our health, not one meal or one day.
More About School Lunches, Nutrition and Healthy Kids
01
Post COVID-19 Playdate Checklist
02
Back to School 101
03
Benefits of Elderberry
REFERENCES
  1. Now is the Time to Build Your Child's Bone "Bank Account"
  2. What Is Bone?
  3. Healthy Bones at Every Age - OrthoInfo - AAOS
  4. Physical Activity and Bone Health
  5. 10 Tips for Parents of Picky Eaters
  6. 8 Ways to Get Picky Eaters to Become More Adventurous
About HotLunch.com
HotLunch.com is the only web-based system of its kind
HotLunch.com is used by schools across North America! With HotLunch.com you can easily manage school-lunch administration, publish lunch menus online, receive payments, and reduce time spent on managing parent transactions, including fundraising, after-school care, volunteering, and much more.

See For Yourself!
Request a Software Demo
Call 1-888-376-7136, or email [email protected]
set2-image5
HotLunch.com Mobile App Launched
HotLunch.com is excited to announce that we have launched our new mobile app for iOS mobile phones! You are now able to order and track your child's meals on the go.

Look for the HotLunch.com app in the Apple Store, or download it here.
set3-image10
Hotlunch.com partners to feed unprivileged girls
We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Ainiti.org an organization that empowers underprivileged girls through computer education. Thanks to you, profits from Hotlunch.com will be used to fund regular meals and groceries for these deserving girls and their families.
image
PARTICIPATE
FOLLOW US
facebook Facebook
twitter Twitter
web Instagram
Please click here to like us on Facebook
set4-image2
About the author
set4-image11
Cheyenne Richards
Cheyenne Richards is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a private practice team that provides nutrition counseling across the U.S. and as far as Germany. She attended the University of Oklahoma where she received her Bachelor's, after which she earned her M.B.A. in Austin, Texas. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is an American Council on Exercise Certified Health Coach. When not working, Cheyenne enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, gardening, and other outdoor activities.
CONTACT US
Mail : [email protected]
Call Us : 1-888-376-7136
Call Us : 1-310-530-8261
ABOUT US
Simple, Fast, Accurate solution for Schools, Food Service Providers & Offices
www.hotlunch.com
logo-top
facebook twitter instagram
© 2020 Hotlunch.com All rights reserved.