Listen closely to this very simple statement: by the time your child is three their life's foundation is built.

By the age of three!

In thoses three very short years we have instilled in their young minds a foundation of what they will probably follow as an adult. Not saying that this cannot be broken but it will be a  difficult task for them to change what they have been taught during that building of their foundation. It is much like building a house. You start with a good foundation, set on solid principles, regarding many different issues, one being food. If we neglect to build a solid foundation for our house it will start to crumble sometime in the future, and, so will a child going into adult life.

In the beginning we introduce or babies to all of the food groups.  But, as they start eating table foods something seems to happen. Taking the baby foods out of jars was simple. Now as they get older we actually HAVE to prepare the meat, vegetable, fruits, breads. Or do we? Depending on many of our life styles, I bet that time (your time) is of the essence, or maybe you don't know how to cook a nutritious meal, or you just really don't care because it is not that big of a deal which says it just is not important to you and you can't be bothered. We take many short cuts to nutrition depriving our families and ourselves, likely setting us up for heallth issues.

Parents use food in so many different ways to try to influence their children. How about as a leverage towards good behavior. This comes in many different forms, for example: your child is acting up in a store so to get them to hopefully straighen up you promise them  a candy bar at check out,  or ice cream, fast food, you name it.

Bad habitis, going uncorrected because many of us as parents do not have the time or really care about our child going to the refrigerator any time they please, eating whatever they want that looks good at the moment, weather it is nutritious or not. Ideally we should prepare three nutritious meals a day and allow three snacks. Not a whole day of snacking whenever they want. How about getting a large container, gallon size, go shopping with your child and fill it wilth nutritious snacks (you help them). They are now allowed to take food from their container only when they ask or are offered one of their three daily snacks. The refrigerator is no longer at their daily disposal.

Lack of exercise fuels obesity. Video games and television,  make wonderful baby sitters and snacking seems to go along with these activities.

A good friend of mine, who has been reading my articles emailed me and said, "One of the things causing obesity in children is the lack of recess or organized outdoor activities. They are on their rear ends in the house on some electronic device." She did feel that the WII game was a very good one for the kids, offering an element of exercise and fun. 

Let's get ourselves and loved ones on the right track in order to enjoy many more healthful  years

To your nutrition,