Dianne Pettit has a passion for good nutrition. As a dietician educator at Pella Regional she brings this enthusiasm with her every day to work. She has lots of great advice on how to get our kids to eat well, and why it is important.

Kids perform better in school if they have a balanced breakfast and lunch.

Parents need to know what the school is providing for lunch and reinforce lessons learned in school about nutrition.

Parents often ask kids how their school day was, but they don’t often ask them what they had for lunch, making sure they are choosing to eat fruits and vegetables that are offered. Make lunch and nutrition something you talk about regularly.

Nutrition lessons learned now will likely be carried through life. A child that learns to eat and enjoy fruits and vegetables will also eat better in college, and as adults.

Make time for breakfast, and sit down as a family as often as possible–say, two or three times a week.

Sometimes kids and families will have to stop for fast food. That’s OK. It can be fun, and don’t feel guilty about it. But it should be avoided if possible.

Listen below to the full interview and for more tips!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS | More