• Healthy-Nutrition-Habits-for-Your-Child

DMG Children’s Rehabilitative Services (DMG CRS) registered dietitian, Dominica Dieffenbach, RDN, shares why starting your child off with healthy nutritional habits is critical to their future health.

Dominica is one of the dieticians at DMG CRS and has been a registered dietician since 2006. She was inspired to become a dietician when she was younger because she realized how good nutrition could impact our health and possibly prevent the need for medications in the future.

1 Min Video:

Good nutrition for children is very important; it is the building block for brain and bone development.

Brain development

For the best brain development, your child needs foods like oats, berries, green veggies, tomatoes, grains, apricots, peas, soybeans, and walnuts.

Bone development

Give your child plenty of calcium with foods like oranges, green vegetables, almonds, seeds, figs, soybeans, and wheat bread. In addition, they need vitamin D; one of the best sources can be obtained from playing in the sunshine for 15 minutes every day.

Eating healthy and avoiding too much sugar, like soda and candy, can help to prevent cavities. Avoiding junk foods and processed foods also helps children be more calm and less agitated. A balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains and limits meat, dairy, oils, and processed foods is recommended to improve your children’s health and decrease the risk of asthma, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. It is especially important to eliminate processed meats from their diet as they are known cancer causing agents.

Poor nutrition can wreak havoc on children’s health.

  1. It can damage cells and make it difficult for children to learn and concentrate.
  2. It can cause inflammation which can lead to asthma, acne, diabetes and more.
  3. It can cause cavities and poor dental health.

Give your children the best nutrition for optimal health by choosing from thousands of varieties of whole natural foods especially in the form of:

• Fruits
• Veggies
• Grains
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Beans

Remember, you are what you eat, so keep that in mind and make it a healthy day!