Nutrition and Pediatrics

		Cindy Cunningham, MS, RD/LD Section Editor, Pediatrics Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Nutrition; UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Thanksgiving with kids
Posted: November 2004
Source: UT Southwestern Health Watch

Thursday is Thanksgiving, one of the biggest eating holidays of the year. This week on "Healthwatch", we'll talk about a healthier way to face the holiday.

One challenge with Thanksgiving is planning a nutritious meal that kids will enjoy. Many traditional holiday foods may be unfamiliar to children because those foods are seldomly made. Nutrition experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas suggest including children in holiday meal planning and preparation.

When they take part, children can learn good nutrition by example. Make it a game to choose a variety of foods from the Food Pyramid. Children can help prepare fruit salads or raw vegetables to serve as garnishes. If they've had a hand in choosing and preparing these nutritious dishes, children may be more enthusiastic about eating them.

Next on "Healthwatch": The traditional Thanksgiving dinner isn't necessarily a nutritional nightmare.