Healthy Eating & Your Family

Articles In This Section

• Vitamin D and Your Child

  Vitamin D is needed for strong bones, but is hard to come by because it's found in few foods. Here's how to make sure kids get enough vitamin D.

• Sweet Potato & Black Bean Salad

  Love your heart with this colorful salad that's good for you.

• Olive-Crusted Salmon

  With heart-healthy olives and salmon, this dish packs a double punch when it comes to nutrition.

• Mediterranean Pasta Soup

  Check out this easy heart-healthy recipe for delicious soup.

• Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

  Start their day in a berry way. Serve blueberry oatmeal squares, a heart-healthy breakfast or anytime snack.

• Chocolate Sweetheart Parfait

  Check out this easy heart-healthy recipe - mmmm, chocolate!

• Heart-Healthy Recipes

  Love your heart with these heart-healthy recipes, including Chocolate Sweetheart Parfaits!

• Is the “Cinnamon Challenge” Dangerous?

  Find out what the experts have to say.

• How to Read a Nutrition Facts Label (Video)

  These labels, usually found on the back of food packages, can be hard to understand. Here's how to read them.

• MyPlate Food Guide

  The USDA's food guide icon is designed to make meal planning easy. Here's how to get MyPlate onto your table.

• My Toddler Hates Vegetables. What Can I Do?

  Find out what the experts have to say.

• One Formula for a Healthy Lifestyle

  Learn about an easy way to remember the basics of a healthy lifestyle for your kids.

• Vegan Food Guide

  A vegan doesn't consume any animal-derived foods or use animal products or byproducts, and eats only plant-based foods.

• Organic and Other Environmentally Friendly Foods

  You've probably noticed the increased quantity and variety of organic foods available in regular grocery stores. Are organic foods healthier and safer? How do they taste?

• Produce Precautions

  Kids need daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Here's how to make sure the produce you buy and prepare is safe.

• Healthy Halloween Habits: Tips From Parents

  Halloween is a favorite of kids. But how do you keep candy consumption in check? Here are some candy-management tips from other parents.

• Keeping Portions Under Control

  Waistlines have been expanding over the last few decades. Part of the problem is what we eat, but another is quantity. Are our plates simply piled too high?

• Breakfast Basics

  Even if you eat a healthy morning meal every day, it can be tough to get kids fueled up. Here's how to make breakfast more appealing.

• Cooking With Preschoolers

  It may take a little flexibility and prep work, but time in the kitchen with your preschooler can be a culinary adventure you'll both enjoy.

• Toddlers at the Table: Avoiding Power Struggles

  By anticipating problems and offering choices, you can teach your toddler healthy eating habits and avoid power struggles about food.

• Sports and Energy Drinks: Should Your Child Drink Them?

  When it comes to keeping your kid hydrated, there's a dizzying array of drinks to choose from. Are sports and energy drinks right for your child?

• Kids and On-the-Go Nutrition

  Protein, diet, energy, granola, and cereal bars have flooded the market. They offer convenience, but how do they stack up when it comes to nutrition?

• What Should Preschoolers Drink?

  The best drinks for preschoolers - and indeed for kids of all ages - are milk and water.

• Hunger and Your Preschooler

  Your preschooler eats lunch, then 20 minutes later claims to be hungry. Is a snack OK? Maybe yes, maybe no. Here's why.

• How Can Families Be Healthier?

  Involving the whole family is the best way to promote healthful eating and activities for your kids.

• Finger Foods for Babies

  When they're around 9 months old, babies can begin feeding themselves. Find out which foods are safe, healthy options and which should not be served to little ones.

• Healthy Drinks for Kids

  What kids drink can drastically affect the amount of calories consumed, as well as the amount of calcium needed to build strong bones.

• Halloween Candy Hints

  For health-conscious parents, Halloween can be tricky. Do you set limits? Do you let kids decide how much to eat? There isn't just one right answer.

• Cooking With School-Age Kids

  Why encourage school-age kids to join you in the kitchen? Because the lessons learned there can be helpful both at home and in school.

• Formula Feeding FAQs: Some Common Concerns

  Read about how to manage common formula-feeding concerns, from spitting up and fussiness to gas and milk allergies.

• Formula Feeding FAQs: Starting Solids and Milk

  Find answers to common inquiries about introducing solids and whole milk to formula-fed babies.

• Formula Feeding FAQs: How Much and How Often

  Get answers to some common formula-feeding inquiries, from how much newborns eat to what their diapers might look like.

• Formula Feeding FAQs: Preparation and Storage

  Check out these formula-feeding bottle basics, from how to mix bottles to how to store them safely.

• Formula Feeding FAQs: Getting Started

  Shopping for formula-feeding supplies can be daunting. Here are answers to some common questions about formula feeding.

• Healthy Food Shopping

  What you put in the grocery cart can affect your child's health and attitude toward nutritious food.

• Snacks for Preschoolers

  Healthy and well-timed snacks can help fill in nutritional gaps for preschoolers. But how do you turn yours into a smart snacker?

• Snacks for Toddlers

  Some toddlers may seem too busy exploring to slow down and eat. Others may be fickle about food or refuse to eat at mealtime. That's where healthy, well-timed snacks come in.

• After-School Snacks

  If your kids come in from school and head straight for the kitchen for something to eat, here's how to make sure they still have room for a healthy dinner.

• Snacks

  If the right foods are offered at the right times, snacks can play an important role in managing kids' hunger and boosting nutrition.

• Cooking With Kids

  Inviting kids into the kitchen to help you cook can be a great way to create quality together time and help your child learn and refine some basic skills.

• Kids and Food: 10 Tips for Parents

  Here are 10 simple tips to help you raise kids who develop healthy eating habits!

• Family Meals

  Shared family meals are more likely to be nutritious, and getting everyone together is a chance to reconnect. Here are some simple suggestions for making mealtime into quality family time.

• Strategies for Feeding a Preschooler

  During the preschool years, kids are more willing to cooperate. So it's a great time to teach them about healthy food choices in new and exciting ways.

• Nutrition Guide for Toddlers

  While growth slows somewhat during the toddler years, it's a new era where kids will eat and drink more independently.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Some Common Concerns

  Here are answers to some questions about common breastfeeding concerns - from biting to spitting up.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Solids and Supplementing

  Here are answers to some common supplemental feeding questions - from when to introduce solids to offering breastfed babies formula.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Supply and Demand

  Here are answers to some common questions about your milk supply - from having too much to having too little.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Safely Storing Breast Milk

  Here are answers to some common questions about how to keep breast milk and how to clean and sterilize supplies, from bottles to nipples to breast pump parts.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Pumping

  Here are answers to some common questions about pumping your breast milk - from buying a pump to making the process a little easier.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Out and About

  Here are answers to some common questions about going out in public as a breastfeeding mom - from how to do it discreetly to taming sneaky leaks.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Pain and Discomfort

  Here are answers to some common questions about preventing and reducing breastfeeding discomfort, such as nipple and breast pain.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Your Eating and Drinking Habits

  Here are answers to some common questions about what breastfeeding mothers should and shouldn't eat and drink.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Sleep – Yours and Your Baby’s

  Here are answers to some common questions about breastfed babies and sleep - from where they should snooze to when they'll finally start sleeping through the night.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: How Much and How Often

  Here are answers to some common questions about beginning to breastfeed - everything from how often to nurse your baby each day to how to tell if your little one is eating enough.

• Breastfeeding FAQs: Getting Started

  Here are answers to some common questions about beginning to breastfeed - everything from latch-on to let-down.

• Fats and Your Child

  Fats have been wrongly accused of being "bad." But certain kinds of fat are actually good for us and are an important part of a healthy diet.

• Carbohydrates, Sugar, and Your Child

  Even though they've been blamed for the obesity epidemic in America, carbohydrates are a necessary part of a healthy diet for both kids and adults.

• Caffeine and Your Child

  Caffeine is in many foods and drinks, but it's wise to keep caffeine consumption to a minimum, especially in younger kids.

• Calcium and Your Child

  Milk and other calcium-rich foods help build strong, healthy bones. But more than 85% of girls and 60% of boys don't get enough calcium each day.

• Iron and Your Child

  Iron is an essential nutrient that is needed to make hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells.

• Fiber and Your Child

  Many appetizing foods are also good sources of fiber - from fruits to whole-grain cereals. Here are ways to help kids get more fiber in their everyday diets.

• Hunger and Malnutrition

  Even people who have plenty to eat may be malnourished if they don't eat food that provides the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

• Cholesterol and Your Child

  Most parents probably don't think about what cholesterol means for their kids. But high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, which has its roots in childhood.

• Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding

  Making a decision to breastfeed or formula feed your baby is a personal one. There are some points to consider to help you decide which option is best for you and your baby.

• Figuring Out Food Labels

  Find out how to make healthy food choices for your family by reading food labels.

• Feeding Your Newborn

  How you feed your newborn is the first nutrition decision you will make for your child. Take a closer look at these guidelines for breastfeeding and bottle-feeding so you can make an informed choice.

• Food Safety for Your Family

  Why is food safety important? And how can you be sure your kitchen and the foods you prepare in it are safe?

• Your Child’s Weight

  "What's the right weight for my child?" is one of the most common questions parents have. It seems like a simple one, but it's not always easy to answer.

• Vegetarianism

  Vegetarian diets have become more popular, and many parents may wonder if kids can safely follow a vegetarian diet and still get all the nutrients necessary for growing up healthy and strong.

• School Lunches

  Packing school lunches are a chance to steer kids toward good nutrition. Here are ideas for some fun and easy lunchbox options.

• Healthy Eating

  Good nutrition and a balanced diet help kids grow up healthy. Here's how to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits.

• Feeding Your 8- to 12-Month-Old

  At this age, babies start to explore table foods.

• Feeding Your 4- to 7-Month-Old

  How can you tell if your baby is ready for solids? Learn how and when to get started.

• Feeding Your 1- to 3-Month-Old

  Whether you've chosen to breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby, your infant will let you know when it's time to eat.

• Feeding Your 1- to 2-Year-Old

  Toddlers have little tummies, so serve foods that are packed with the nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong, and limit the sweets and empty calories.

• Eating During Pregnancy

  To eat well during pregnancy, your extra calories should come from nutritious foods that contribute to your baby's growth and development.