Summertime Health Tips
While summer is a wonderful, carefree time of year, it can come with the loss of routine and structure, especially in terms of eating. The Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Center of Florida is excited to share some tips for healthy summer eating and give parents some great ideas about food to eat in summer to keep their family on the right track.
Childhood Obesity During Summer
Studies have shown that the risk of childhood obesity during summer months was greater than during the school year, as children are shown to consistently gain weight at an increased rate. Childhood obesity is considered a public health problem because, as research shows, over 39 million children under the age of five were obese or overweight in 2020. One way to combat this health problem in your own home is to encourage healthy eating and maintain a daily meal routine.
How to Maintain a Daily Meal Routine
When the days are longer, and we fill our schedules with activities, vacations, and more, our everyday routines and sleep schedules shift, leading to a shift in what we crave, snack on, and eat overall. As a parent or guardian, it is essential to encourage children to eat three meals and one to three healthy, smaller portioned snacks each day. The first meal of the day should be within an hour of waking up, even if a child sleeps in. It is helpful to space breakfast, lunch, and dinner between four to five hours apart from one another.
In terms of snacks, if your child is hungry, snacking should take place between meals and at least an hour or two before the next one is served. One of the most useful summertime health tips is to eat the rainbow! Building meals with different fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins will encourage healthy summer eating. Even if a child does not usually eat certain fruits or vegetables, it is best to still consistently put those options on their plate. Chances are, they will give it a try one day!
Avoid Mindless Eating
Another way to combat childhood obesity during summer and maintain positive examples about healthy food to eat in summer is to avoid mindless eating in the household. This is a tough one, as adults are guilty of this, too! Even if a child is not actually experiencing hunger, they are not always able to determine their needs alone. If the child is thirsty or even bored, this can trigger an unnecessary trip to the pantry.
To help offset these urges, be sure that your child is drinking plenty of water, meaning up to ten cups each day. In hotter temperatures and during sports or heightened activity, they may need more. Hydration is key in combating mindless eating and snacking. If a child has had an especially active day and articulates that they are feeling hungry, try a glass or two of water first. After this, an appropriate portion of fruits or vegetables is a great way to keep a child energized and happy until their next meal.
Keep Healthy Food Options in Your Home
If there is something in your home you do not want your child eating, it is best practice to keep it out of the house. Some of the best healthy summer tips are to keep fresh, healthy options within reach instead of processed foods like chips and cookies. When the right, healthy choices are in your child’s line of sight, they will instinctively be drawn to this healthy food to eat in summer.
In terms of stocking the pantry, try to stick to low-sugar, whole-grain options. Whole-grain oats, bread, crackers, cereals, canned tuna, and natural, unsweetened nut butter and apple sauces are all excellent staples to keep on hand in your home. Fresh fruits like berries and grapes are delicious, sweet treats without compromise. Clementines and apples have a longer lifespan than other fresh fruits, can easily be kept on the countertop, and kids truly enjoy these healthy options. Fruits and vegetables additionally provide great hydration, which is crucial during those hot summer months.
Food Preparation
Another one of our go-to summertime health tips is food prep. Set your children up with the right food to eat in summer by making it readily available to them. By washing and slicing vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, celery, and peppers in advance, healthy choices are in turn so readily available for you and your children to enjoy, and you will be able to more easily encourage healthy summer eating.
Children love their independence, and helping in the kitchen is a great way to set a good example and get them involved. Even younger children will be excited and able to pick out their veggies of choice, wash and dry them, and help package them up, so they have something to look forward to for a snack later in the day.
You can set up a salad bar or a station in the kitchen to create wraps for older children. With a little food prep of proteins and veggies, your children can get involved in their routine in a creative, fun way! Fruits and vegetables paired with protein and nutrient-packed foods such as unsalted seeds and nuts, hard-boiled eggs, hummus, yogurt, and more are fantastic grab-and-go options as well.
Avoid Added Sugars
Perhaps the most important way to combat childhood obesity during summer is to avoid buying and offering foods and drinks with added sugars. Another one of our valuable summertime health tips is that water should be the one drink available during and between meals. Because children need variety, it is essential to shake things up while still instilling good habits. Things like sodas and sports drinks are loaded with unhealthy, unnecessary added sugars, and they should be avoided. However, adding your child’s favorite fruit to some water, or even offering sparkling water, can make for an excellent alternative.
We know sweets can be difficult to avoid, especially when ice cream trucks are constantly roaming the streets with their familiar jingle in the summertime. Still, there is a healthy way for children to enjoy sweet treats without the extra sugar. Circling back to food preparation, one of our favorite summer healthy tips is to prepare homemade popsicles.
Not only will you get to control the ingredients, but children love to participate in blending their favorite fruits and yogurts and help with pouring the mixture into popsicle molds. Another delicious and healthy option is to make ice cream with frozen fruits like mangos and strawberries simply by adding ice. Finally, dipping your child’s favorite fruits into yogurt and freezing them makes for a tasty treat without all the added sugar. It is easier than you think to maintain healthy habits without sacrificing any fun!
A Note From the PEMC of Florida
We hope you have enjoyed reading our summer healthy tips. Through proper meal planning and food preparation, maintaining a summer of healthy eating for you and your family has never been easier! With a bit of effort, your family will see the short and long-term benefits of encouraging and maintaining healthy eating. When people get the necessary vitamins and nutrients they need in childhood, they are set up for success and a lifetime of consistent eating habits year-round.
We encourage you to visit our website today for more helpful ideas about staying active and healthy this summer and during the school year.