The word "diet" has two common usages. As a noun, it simply means what we eat, our "diet." As a verb, "to diet" implies restricting foods, fats, and calories. It's this second use of "diet" that's associated with deprivation and discomfort! The major reason people do not adhere to diets they perceive to be healthy is that these diets often require going without certain "bad" foods. Help your kids steer clear of this difficulty by not labeling foods as "bad." Help them to understand that balance and moderation are the keys to a healthy diet. With a healthy diet, they won't need to diet!

A healthy diet is a healthy eating lifestyle. Your children's healthy diet is like a puzzle, and the foods they eat are the pieces. Each piece fits together to form the whole picture. Some foods may have more protein, fat, or sugar, while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how the foods fit together to form a complete picture.

Balancing the puzzle pieces for your kids is important. They need more than fifty different types of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals every day for good health. Since your child can't get them all from a few select foods, it is important to balance your children's daily choices (along with your own). And since there are no good or bad foods, your family doesn't need to miss out on the foods you all enjoy! The best way to make sure you get the right balance is to eat a wide variety of foods in moderation each day by following the food pyramid guidelines.

More on: Healthy Meals for Families

Excerpted from:

From Raising Healthy Eaters: 100 Tips for Parents by Henry Legere, M.D. Copyright © 2004. Used by arrangement with The Perseus Books Group.

To order this book visit perseusbooksgroup.com.