Nutritionist Offers Tips For Keeping Kids Healthy While Stuck Inside This Winter

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- With the winter weather already here, children are being cooped up inside.

Just letting kids sit around the house should not be an option, Allie Matarasso, clinical dietitian at Montefiore Medical Center, told WCBS 880's Jim Smith.

"It's important to keep them moving throughout the winter, because the winter isn't just a few days; it's a whole season. It's a quarter of the year," she said.

Matarasso said physical activity should not fall from children's routines because it becomes harder to get moving again in the spring.

She suggested being creative with indoor activities, such as a scavenger hunt, hopscotch in the kitchen or a dance party. As for nutrition, try substituting healthier ingredients, Matarasso said.

"It's not saying, 'Oh no, you can't have it,'" she said. "It's just making a healthier version of what they enjoy."

Matarasso also recommended cutting back portion sizes to keep treats in moderation.

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