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Good Food Today, Great Kids Tomorrow: 
50 Things You Can Do For Healthy, Happy Children 

Quick Links:

• Introduction

• Defining Healthy Foods

• Dangerous Foods

• Healthy Foods

• The Science of Feeding Your Children

• A Practical Approach to Meals

• Special Times

• The Top 10 Feeding Questions Parents Ask

• Health Concerns 

• Immunity

• Philosophy

Introduction

Defining Healthy Foods

Everything I read has a different definition of "healthy". How do I know if my children are healthy?

I want only the best for my child, but I don't want to take away his choices. How can I lead him toward the highest level of health possible?

Dangerous Foods

Doesn't my daughter need milk and other dairy products so she can grow strong bones and teeth?

I heard that butter is better for you than margarine. Is this true?

My son loves cheese. Is it safe to give him a little?

I understand about butter and cheese, but you can't mean that a scoop of ice cream is going to do any harm?

My toddler's favorite snack food is a couple of cocktail wieners. Should I let him have them?

How about hamburgers? I make sure I only buy ground round to get less fat and then I barbecue instead of frying.

Our family doesn't eat any red meat. Isn't it healthier to stick to chicken and fish for our protein?

I hear a lot about "junk foods", but I'm not always sure what's included in that definition.

I'm so grateful for artificial sweeteners. Aren't they a better way to give my children sweets without worrying about their reaction to sugar?

I only allow my child two pieces of candy a day. I don't have to refuse him that small pleasure, do I?

Healthy Foods

What is the benefit of organic foods? Why should I spend extra money for them?

I keep hearing about tofu. What is it and how do I use it?

The Science of Feeding Your Children

If I don't feed my children meat, where are they going to get the protein they need?

I've always heard that calcium is one of the building blocks of the body. Where is my child going to get calcium without dairy products?

The whole question of vitamins is conflicting. Do I need to give my twins vitamin supplements or will their food provide everything they need?

My husband and I are both on sodium-restricted diets, so I never add salt to our food. Do our children need more salt in their diets?

I know cholesterol is dangerous for adults but children don't get hardening of the arteries, do they?

I make sure that there isn't any candy in the house, and I only feed my children foods sweetened with honey or fruit juice. I can't understand why they seem so fidgety.

My preschooler has a hard time with bowel movements. What can I do to ease his constipation?

I am worried about the quality of our drinking water. Should I use tap water, mineral water, or distilled water for my infant?

A Practical Approach to Meals 

My daughter is in the third grade, and it’s a fight to get her up in the morning. She’s often so late she misses breakfast so she can catch the bus. Will it hurt her to skip this meal?

I have heard that you shouldn't eat a big meal and then go to bed. Would it be better if I fed my children their biggest meal of the day at lunch?

I'm never sure what I should pack in my child's lunchbox. What do you suggest?

Our school participates in the School Lunch Program. Is this a healthy lunch?

My daughter frequently complains of a stomachache at night before I put her to bed. Can it be that she's allergic to something she's eating?

I have read conflicting reports. Should I refuse to allow my little boy to eat between meals?

Special Times

My mother and I get into big arguments about the food she tries to serve my children. Do I have to stay away from her house until they're grown?

We try to keep our junk food intake down to a minimum, but we do go to a fast food restaurant once or twice a month. It's all we can afford as a family. That can't hurt, can it?

Ever since my child was born, I have begun to dread the holidays. Between celebrations and fast food, there seems to be no way to avoid eating badly. Any suggestions?

We're going on vacation next month, and I don't know how I'm going to keep our diets on a healthy track. Do you have any suggestions?

The Top 10 Feeding Questions Parents Ask

My son isn't eating on a regular schedule. Should I be worried that he won't grow properly?

My daughter hardly eats anything at all. I don't know how she can exist on so little food. How can I make her eat?

If I keep the four basic food groups in mind when I'm fixing meals, I won't have to worry about my children's nutritional needs being met. Right?

My daughter is the heaviest child in her class. She's only in second grade. Can I put her on a diet?

My son is the thinnest boy in his play group. His grandmother is always warning me that he's not healthy. How can I "put some meat on his bones"?

We have two children, and they are both very short for their age. What can I fee them to make them grow taller?

My mother bribes my daughter to eat, promising her ice cream and cookies if she cleans her plate. Now, mealtime has become a battleground. How do I get her to eat without the bribes?

Young people have so much peer pressure to deal with that I hate to make my children feel like they're different or weird. How can I stop their playmates from teasing them because they eat strange foods?

My husband and I have no trouble with a vegetarian diet in our home but our parents think we're crazy and say so! How do we keep everyone happy?

Health Concerns

My son has been diagnosed as hyperactive. Can food play a part in his behavior?

My 9-month-old daughter is allergic to both milk and dust. No one else in the family has allergies. What causes them?

We've been told our son is anemic. We feed him a balanced diet with lots of meat and dairy. What causes anemia?

It seems as if one of the children is always sick, nothing really serious, just the normal childhood stuff. Is there any way to avoid this?

My son was just diagnosed as having childhood onset diabetes. There's never been any diabetes in our family. How can this happen?

My neighbor's child was just diagnosed with cancer. She always seemed so healthy. What causes this in children?

My daughter is only ten but she's already obsessing about her weight. She only eats a few bites of food a day. Should I worry about eating disorders?

Immunity

What can I do to give my child immunity from some of the health problems of childhood?

I would like to nurse my baby but, as a working mother, I'm concerned about the issue of time and convenience. Is it really necessary to breastfeed or will formula be sufficient?

Philosophy

How do I talk to my children about the importance of good food in ways that they can understand?

What can I do to help my sixth grade daughter raise her self-esteem?

I'm convinced! Now I have to convince my family. How do I change our diet most effectively?