Yes, it's that time again! The new school year means your children will be spending more time away from home, and out of your sight. When they're younger, you know what they eat, because you're preparing the meals. But what can you do about their eating habits when you're not around?

According to Dr. Craig Osleeb, Pediatrician, Allergist and Immunologist at MKMG, parents should avoid trying to directly control a developing child or teen's diet, and opt for a more subtle approach.

"Power struggles around food end up working against the child, as well as the parents. In fact, anorexia and other eating disorders can sometimes result from negative, subconscious paradigms about food and control," Dr. Osleeb said. "Food should not become a source of agitation. It's a tough challenge, but it's better to gently suggest good nutritional choices than to dictate them."

It All Starts at Home
Healthy eating is a habit -- a regimen that should be developed and followed at home. By instilling the benefits of healthy eating at home, you're giving kids the knowledge and training they need to make wise choices when they're at school -- choices that come naturally.

Of course, it's important to teach your children about their nutritional needs, the basic food groups, and how foods maintain their overall good health. Especially important, though, is simply making an effort to prepare a wide range of tasty, healthy meals at home. By exposing your children to a larger variety of healthy foods, you'll help them develop a taste for more and more selections, and create a vast resource of nutritionally sound foods they enjoy. After all, we only eat foods if we like the taste!

Basic Requirements
While trying to expand your family's meal variety, there are some important nutritional needs to keep in mind. Boys and girls ages 6-10 should eat between 1,800-2,400 calories each day. As they reach puberty, girls will need about 200 more calories per day, while boys will typically require another 500.

Calcium is an essential element of a child's diet, especially during puberty. Kids ages 4-8 should get 800 milligrams per day, while older children and teens ages 9-18 require 1,300 milligrams.

"Girls especially should be taught the importance of calcium in building a healthy foundation of bone mass to prevent osteoporosis later in life," said Dr. Osleeb.

Fiber, found in vegetables, fruits, whole-grain breads and cereals, is also important, as it provides energy and may reduce the chance of developing heart disease and cancer later in life. Finally, after ages 2-3, fat content should be lowered to about 30% of your child's total day's calories.

Maintaining Control
True, there is little you can do to control what children eat when they are away from home. To offset possible poor choices at school, "squeeze in" your own, nutritious meals whenever possible. Start by feeding your child a nutritious breakfast each morning, which will help them stay energized and satisfied through lunchtime. If possible, pack a healthy lunch for your child each day. If you can't, check out your school's lunch menu to ensure it provides the appropriate nutritional choices. If you're not sure how the menu measures up, call your MKMG pediatrician for an opinion. Most importantly, encourage your child to eat a full lunch, consisting of foods from all the major food groups. This will help cut down on snacking.

In the meantime, let your child enjoy treats in moderation. If he or she tends to eat fast food, try to instill the importance of choosing lower-fat, smaller, or more basic selections (e.g. a hamburger as opposed to a bacon cheeseburger).

Finally, make supper a scheduled, family event. This helps you learn what your child likes and dislikes, and provides a place for you to introduce new foods into the mix.For more information on your child's nutrition, or ideas for healthy meal and snack selections, call your MKMG pediatrician.