Nutrition
Good nutrition gives kids the energy and building blocks they need to grow, think, and stay active - but getting there doesn't require a perfect diet every day.
Offering a variety of foods regularly, even ones a picky eater rejects at first, tends to work better over time than pressuring a child to finish a plate.
Regular movement matters as much as what's on the plate. Kids don't need a formal workout - active play, walking, and time outside all count toward staying healthy.
Family meals, consistent routines, and modeling healthy choices yourself tend to have more influence on a child's habits than any single rule about food.
- 3 Ways to Build Strong Bones
- 4 Ways to Make Meal Planning Easier
- A Guide to Healthy Food & Eating Well
- After-School Snacks
- Are Sugar Substitutes Safe for Kids?
- Breakfast Basics
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Getting Started
- Breastfeeding FAQs: How Much and How Often
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Out & About
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Pain & Discomfort
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Pumping
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Safely Storing Breast Milk
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Solids and Supplementing
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Some Common Concerns
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Supply and Demand
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Your Eating & Drinking Habits
- Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding
- Build a Better Fast-Food Meal
- Caffeine
- Calcium
- Carbohydrates & Sugar
- Cooking With Kids
- Cooking With Preschoolers
- Eating During Pregnancy
- Fats
- Feeding Your 1- to 2-Year-Old
- Feeding Your 4- to 7-Month-Old
- Feeding Your 8- to 12-Month-Old
- Feeding Your Baby: How Much Should a 1- to 3-Month-Old Eat?
- Feeding Your Family on a Tight Budget
- Feeding Your Newborn
- Fiber for Kids & Teens
- Finger Foods for Babies
- Food Safety
- Food Safety: Fruits & Vegetables
- Formula Feeding FAQs: Getting Started
- Formula Feeding FAQs: How Much and How Often
- Formula Feeding FAQs: Some Common Concerns
- Formula Feeding FAQs: Starting Solids and Milk
- Halloween Candy Hints
- Handling Picky Eating in Toddlers (Video)
- Healthy Eating and Your Family (Topic Center)
- Healthy Food Shopping
- How to Add Balance to a Favorite Meal
- How to Keep Kids Satisfied With Healthy, Low-Cost Foods
- How to Make a Healthy Snack
- How to Make a Low-Cost and Healthy Dinner
- How to Raise a Healthy Eater
- Hunger and Your Preschooler
- Iron
- Keeping Portions Under Control
- Kids & Food: 10 Tips for Parents
- My Toddler Hates Vegetables. What Can I Do?
- Nutrition Guide for Toddlers
- Reading Food Labels
- School Lunches
- Snacks
- Snacks for Preschoolers
- Snacks for School-Age Kids
- Snacks for Toddlers
- Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks
- Sports Supplements
- Tips for Feeding a Preschooler
- Toddlers at the Table: Avoiding Power Struggles
- Vegetarian Diets
- What’s Best for My Baby to Drink?
- Your Child's Weight
- Exercising During Pregnancy
- Fitness and Your 13- to 18-Year-Old
- Fitness and Your 2- to 3-Year-Old
- Fitness and Your 3- to 5-Year-Old
- Fitness and Your 6- to 12-Year-Old
- Fitness for Kids Who Don't Like Sports
- Kids and Exercise
- Motivating Kids to Be Active
- Motivating Preschoolers to Be Active
- Motivating School-Age Kids to Be Active
- Raising a Fit Preschooler
- Safe Exploring for Preschoolers
- Safe Exploring for Toddlers
- Signing Kids Up for Sports
- Strength Training
- Teaching Your Child to Be a Good Sport
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears
- Are Electric Bikes (E-bikes) Safe?
- Are Electric Scooters (E-Scooters) Safe?
- Bike Safety
- Brachial Plexus Injury (Burner or Stinger)
- Can Kids & Teens With Asthma Play Sports?
- Competitive Sports: Helping Kids Play it Cool
- Compulsive Exercise
- Dehydration in Kids & Teens
- Exercise-Induced Asthma
- Head Injuries
- Heat Illness
- How to Handle a Head Injury
- How to Handle Heat Illness
- How to Handle Nosebleeds
- How to Handle Strains & Sprains
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome
- Kids & Sports (Topic Center)
- Knee Injuries
- Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injuries
- Muscle Cramps
- Nosebleeds in Kids
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner's Knee)
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Preventing Children's Sports Injuries
- Repetitive Stress Injuries in Sports
- Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
- Safety Tips: Golf
- Safety Tips: Ice Skating
- Safety Tips: Pool Swimming
- Sports & Wellness: Running
- Sports Physical
- Steroids
- Strains and Sprains
- Water Safety
- What to Do About Teeth Injuries
- Dairy-Free Diet Recipes
- How to Add Balance to a Favorite Meal
- How to Make a Balanced Salad
- How to Make a Healthy Snack
- How to Make a Low-Cost and Healthy Dinner
- Recipes for Kids With Celiac Disease
- Recipes for Kids With Cystic Fibrosis
- Recipes for Kids With Diabetes
- 3 Ways to Build Strong Bones
- Celiac Disease
- Dairy-Free Diet
- DASH Diet for High Blood Pressure
- Dietary Needs for Kids With Cerebral Palsy
- Dietary Tips for Kids With Cystic Fibrosis
- Egg Allergy
- Feeding Your Child Athlete
- Food Allergies
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy
- Milk Allergy in Infants
- Nutrition Therapy and Crohn's Disease
- Peanut Allergy
- Sesame Allergy
- Tree Nut Allergy
- Vegetarian Diets
- Vitamin D
- Are Sugar Substitutes Safe for Kids?
- Does Nonfat Milk Provide the Same Nutrients as Whole Milk?
- How Can I Calculate Calories From Fat?
- How Should I Deal With a Picky Eater?
- I'm Pregnant. Can I Lower My Baby's Food Allergy Risk?
- My Toddler Hates Vegetables. What Can I Do?
- What Is a BMI Report Card?
- When Should Kids Switch to Nonfat Milk?
- Anorexia
- Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
- Binge Eating Disorder
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Bulimia
- Eating Disorders
- Indigestion
- Lactose Intolerance
- Overweight and Obesity
- Pica
- Weight Loss Medicines
- Weight Loss Surgery
- What Is a BMI Report Card?
- Your Child's Weight