(PCM) Kids are out of school for the summer, and while you would like to think that means they’ll be getting more physical activity and eating healthier without the school lunch and vending machines, it doesn’t. Chances are, unless they’re enrolled in summer camp or other structured program, they are at a higher risk for weight gain.
A study by the University of Texas found children typically gain weight two or three times faster over the summer. Why? Kids are often less active in the summer, spending up to 7 hours a day in front of the TV or computer. That equates to nearly 2 entire days per week of screen time!
Plus, children have the freedom to eat all day long during the summer months, whereas during the school year, kids have structured eating times. All that time in front of the TV usually leads to mindless snacking throughout the day, adding hundreds, if not thousands of unnecessary calories to their diet. For older children who can walk to convenience stores or fast foods joints, they are on an even faster track to weight gain.
Try and keep your kids on some kind of structured eating plan like they would have during the school year. Establish two different snack times in the house, so children know when to ask for a snack or grab one from the kitchen. Have healthy snacks and lunch prepared for your children in the fridge so that even if you’re not there, they’ll know what to eat and when. As for the older children, talk to your teens and tweens about nutrition, helping them to understand what a serving size is and how to read nutrition labels.
The most important thing you can do is help your kids strike a healthy balance. There’s nothing wrong with an ice cream sandwich a day, as long as they’re staying active and eating healthfully the rest of the day. In other words, limit the amount of unhealthy snacking throughout the day, cut down on screen time to two hours a day, and get the kids outside when it’s nice out (bike rides, swimming, jump-rope, etc.)!
Get healthy summer snack ideas here!
