The lecture that I attended at SFU last night opened up with some startling statistics: 9% of girls, and 16% of boys in grades 4 and 5 met calcium–and 0% met the fruits and vegetable!– daily recommended servings. More than half of 5 - 17 years olds do not get the recommended 90 minutes of daily activity. The current lifestyle of 9-12 year olds puts them in danger of heart disease by their early 30’s. Here are some tips on each of the food groups.

Milk & Alternatives:

• Children need two cups of liquid milk per day.
• Milk, yogurt and cheese contain more calcium than ice cream, sour cream or cream cheese.
• Use evaporated milk instead of cream in sauces– more calcium, less fat, same creamy texture.

Fruits & vegetables:

• Eat at least one dark green and one orange veggie daily.
• Enjoy fruit and veggies more often than juice. Children should be limited to one small glass of juice per day.

Grains:

• Try to make half of the grains your child eats whole grains. This recommendation is for both fibre and nutrients.
• Eat a variety of whole grain, and whole wheat products, preferably that are low in fat, sugar and salt.

Meat & Alternatives:

• Eat two servings of fish such as herring, salmon, trout or cod per week. Children may have canned tuna once a month.
• Choose meat alternatives, such as beans or tofu often.
• Use lean cuts of meat and cooking methods that don’t require a lot of added fat.

Oils & Fats:

• Choose unsaturated fats. Limit saturated and trans fats.

Beverages:

• Soft drinks, punches, fruit ‘beverages’, energy drinks, sports drinks and sweetened hot and cold beverages are mainly sugar and have little or no nutritional value.
• Make water your beverage of choice!

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