Nutrition In Children

Yeikes! Halloween will be here in a few days and many are
wondering how to keep their little ones safe and healthy at this fun holiday.
Let’s start with the costumes first.

Please make sure your kiddos are dressed warm enough for the
weather and that will vary depending on where you live and what your weather is
doing. I know that here in Colorado it is expected to be cold and wet on
Halloween this year 2010.  Next, make
sure they can see!!  Masks are so loved
by kids however they must fit their face and have adequate openings for their
eyes. It will be dark and lots of goblins will be running about.  Everyone needs to have good visual fields.

To trick/ treat or not to trick/treat, that is the
question.  Many communities have changed
the trick-or-treating process to occur within specified time frames and
locations. I think this is useful for all, those at home greeting the little
ones and the little ones. Also many stores, shopping malls, churches, community
locations offer variations on the process including kid focused parties.  Check out your local and see what is available.
There is also the personal house party if you want to open your home to a group
of little gremlins.  This option can
facilitate improved nutrition in children for the holiday.

Now about those treats! 
If your child will be out trick-or-treating, set the guidelines before
going. This may prevent goblin meltdown while out and about. Create a plan
together on where you will go, see I said “together you will go” as in parent
and child. Also set a time frame and what to do with all the loot.  Smaller treat collection containers will
serve smaller children greatly.  It will
be filled quicker and with less candy. 
Also be clear as to the eating plan. Have a healthy fun meal before
going out, tricking to homes or to a party. 
Full bellies are less inclined to indulge in so much candy.  In addition have a plan or what to do with
the candy when you get it home.  Make it
a game, “see how long the candy can last” – have a prize for the winner.  Maybe they get to select the activity of the
day for the next family day, make it soon after winning. Perhaps personal time
spent with a parent doing a fun craft. Get creative with the prize and the
challenge will be on. Include parents in the challenge (make sure you don’t win
but stay in the game until close to the end).

Ok, and how about all of those witches and warlocks who will
be at home, giving out the healthy snacks or  treats. What to give?  Keep the sugary, candy treats small in size.
The smaller the better.  Remember to
avoid small hard candies that little ones can choke on.  If giving out edible treats, look for treats
that are free of Trans fats, free of preservatives, have some nutritional
value.  The better option is to have
teats that are not edible.  Perhaps small
hand games (non-electronic), decks of cards, child teas in individual tea bags,
art supplies, crayons, paints, note pads. The list goes on.  Check out your local discount stores and see
what great treasures you can find.  Also,
keep your walkways clear of snow, clutter and well lit. And be cheery and
enjoy.

Everyone is running around saying “get a balanced diet”. What
does that mean?  What are the components
of food? Are some more important than others? Let’s check it out for a healthy eating guide.

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats make up the macro-nutrients
of all food.

Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules
that our body uses for fuel = energy. 
Each gram of carbs contains 4 calories. All carbs break down into
sugar/glucose.

What about protein?  What
makes up a protein and why is it important to have protein?   Proteins are made of amino acids and are what
feed our muscles, build tissues and do the major work of the cells. Each gram
of protein also contains 4 calories. However the importance of proteins is in
the amino acids, many of which are termed “essential”. Our bodies break down
the amino acids and then use them to create new proteins within our bodies.

What are fats and what makes some better than others?  Fats are made up of “fatty acids”, go figure.
Some fatty acids are outstanding for our bodies and others are dangerous.  “Essential Fatty Acids = EFA” are the kids of
fats found in fish oils and avocados and almonds and even eggs. We need some
fat in our diets to create cell walls and carry fat soluble vitamins.  Trans fat however are fats that can damage
the cell walls be releasing “free radicals” – scary stuff.  Trans fat can be found in animal fats and partially-hydrogenated fats found in snack foods and
many fried foods. Trans fat is so bad for us that NY outlaws their use in
restaurants!

There are all the other “nutrients” such as vitamins, minerals
and antioxidants.  More about these in a
later blog.

How do we get our toddlers to eat a “balanced meal”? Let’s
look at a meal most toddlers will eat, – peanut butter sandwich and see if it
can be balanced.

The peanut butter is protein and fat.  Let’s look at those parts.  Each tablespoon has about 4 grams of protein
and 7 grams of fat. Wow, that is a great source of protein.  Two tablespoons can meet ½ the daily protein
needs of an average 2-3 year old. Children should receive about 30% of their
daily calories in healthy fats. The fat in the peanut butter is the monounsaturated
(good) fat and when one changes to almond butter the monounsaturated fat content
is even higher.  Also, no worries about
peanut allergies. 

Now let’s go find some carbs for fuel. We still have the jelly
and the bread.  Jelly made from fructose.  Fructose is what it sounds like “fruit
sugar”.  Look for 100% fruit jelly with
whole fruits. We know that sugar is what all carbs break down to, so this is
already on its way to being readily available for fuel.   One
tablespoon of jelly has 15 grams of carbs = 60 calories.  Then there is the bread.  Each slice of bread contains about 12-15 grams
of carbohydrates. If bread has some whole grains it will also contain much
needed fiber.  However, the “whole grain”
label can be deceiving.  Did you know
that most “whole grain” breads get their brown color from the addition of molasses?
Yep it’s a fact, read the label.  Look
for breads that have “whole grains” that you can see in the bread and 100% “whole
wheat”, which will have all the parts of the grain in the flour.

So how does our toddler’s sandwich fair for nutrition in
children? Toddlers will eat about ½ of a sandwich at a sitting.  That will give them 126 calories in fat, 32
calories in protein (2 tablespoons peanut butter), 116 calories in carbs (1
slice of bread and 1 tablespoon jelly). Total calories are 242.  Age 1-3 needs about 1300 calories/day. Add a
4 ounce of 1% milk to this sandwich and you have a great healthy toddler meal,
full of nutrition for kids!

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 Begins at the Beginning

Nutrition in children begins before conception.  Healthy parents offer a better opportunity for  a healthy baby. Before the pregnancy spend some time getting yourself into the best nutritional shape you can be.  Eat well from all food groups. Make a goal to eat 5-7 fruits and vegetables daily. Make sure you are getting enough calcium. All women age 19-50 need 1000 mg each day. Pregnancy does not increase the need, however if your intake is not enough and you are pregnant, the fetus will draw from your bones for it’s calcium needs. It is possible to obtain all the calcium you need from foods, though can be a challenge.  Plain fat-free yogurt is the best source, 450mg in one cup. You can add fresh or frozen fruit to it to liven it up.  Most women need a calcium supplement.  Find one that is Calcium Citrate. It can be taken without meals and has the highest ratio of elemental calcium (the calcium that your body will use).  Also, the body can only absorb about 500-600 mg of calcium at a time, so eat your yogurt in the AM, and take your calcium supplement in the evening. It also helps with sleep!.   Tofu, fortified orange juice, and cheese (2oz) are also good sources however not as god as the yogurt. Your body will only need about 300 extra calories/day during pregnancy. So, don’t go over board on “eating for 2″.  

Overweight babies, are at high risk to be over weight children and can move on to type 2 diabetes as children.Research shows that unhealthy eating in kids begins with unhealthy eating in parents, hey who goes to the store any way??? No 2 year old is running the store pushing her cart selecting what the family will eat, OR are they, demanding what will be eaten and parents too stressed to say NO. Nutrition in children depends upon the adults in their world leading the way.

If you are a junk food junky, change that habit BEFORE your child is born.  Make a plan for your health now and stick to it. Clean out the house of all that junk food and fill the fridge and cupboards with the god stuff. Fresh is best in the fruits an vegs but if winter then go for frozen. This can be as healthy as fresh and is better than fresh when the fresh has to be
shipped from the other side of the world to make it your table.

Also make a plan for regular exercise and begin it now.  Strive for 30 minutes/day on most days of the week. Also make your plan how you will continue this after the new little being arrives in your life.  Remember you are the example that your child will follow. One last, though not final note, stay hydrated with water.  A woman’s body will need extra fluid to create the extra circulating blood that she and the baby will need. Get into the practice of 6-8 glasses of water/day now and you will be able to carry that through the pregnancy and beyond. 

So create a plan for a new person in your life.  Remember healthy parents will bring into the world healthy children, and healthy children are the foundation of our future

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