Let's face it - eating is more fun with variety and choice, especially for children. From savory to sweet, spicy to mild, the whimsical nature of a child's growing palette makes everyday an adventure. The best way for children to learn how to choose balanced, nutritious meals is to encourage them to mix and match foods. In other words, to balance the previous meal's fries or a veggie-less lunch, encourage more fiber at the next meal with bean chili on a baked potato and a side salad or add healthier fats by sprinkling almonds on top of a low-fat yogurt.

Gone are the days of completely banishing fried foods and ice cream from your children's diets - it's just not realistic. Instead show them how wise food choices can allow for occasional indulgences, while maintaining a healthful, balanced diet. Help your family create delicious and nutritious meals everyday by thinking outside the box.

Advice for Making Smart Choices:

• All Foods Can Fit. It's the old "80/20 rule" where eighty percent of the time you are encouraging healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, lean meat, chicken and fish; the other twenty percent of the time you let kids be kids. From time to time, allow for a candy bar, an ice cream cone, a small serving of French fries or a piece of birthday cake.


• Add vegetables and fruits in little ways. Whether you top a salad with mandarin oranges, accent a piece of chicken with a melon salsa or offer cut-up veggies and dip for a snack, the small ways you add fruits and vegetables will add significant nutrients and flavor to meals. The best part is no force-feeding involved.


• Encourage low-calorie, healthy beverages. Discourage sugary, high-calorie juices, soft drinks and high-fat dairy beverages from the time you introduce solid foods to your child. Teach your children early to trade fruit juice for the whole fruit or low-fat milk instead of whole milk (after age 2), or sparkling water for carbonated soft drinks.


• Balance tastes on the plate. As if a plate is divided into three compartments: one-half and 2 one-quarters - show half the plate filled with colorful green, red, orange, yellow, and purple vegetables, one-quarter filled with lean meat, chicken, turkey or fish and the other quarter filled with a whole grains like brown rice, couscous, sweet potatoes or whole grain pasta. Encourage your child to mix tastes and textures from every compartment when eating meals.