Choose whole, unprocessed foods:
Kids are a prime target for processed food marketing.
Unfortunately, these foods are usually full of junk.
Cut the sugar:
Many parents and teachers can tell when kids have eaten sugar; the former little angels are suddenly screaming, tantrum-throwing, wall-climbing demons (we usually see this after coming home
from birthday parties! )
Added sugar also disrupts kids’ natural appetite regulation and contributes to excess body fat, cardiovascular disease, and insulin resistance.
“But, my kids don’t eat sugary desserts and almost never drink soda, so they’re
fine.”
This is great! Just keep in mind that ounce for ounce, many breakfast cereals contain more sugar than soft drinks. Sometimes even frozen fruits will contain lots of excess sugars as well as dried fruits, flavoured yoghurts, the little pureed fruit pouches and those “innocent” little bottled fruit smoothies.
Folks- sugar is sugar is sugar – and we recommend, just like with adults, limit fruit intake to a maximum of three servings (preferably whole fruit) per day.
Read labels
Whether it’s yogurt or
fruit juice, granola bars or trail mix, whether it’s labeled “healthy”, read the label.
Look for hidden sugars (any word ending is 'ose' is a form of sugar and other unwanted ingredients). You’ll be surprised at what you find and how sugar is being hidden when you pay closer attention.
Don't have “rubbish” in your house:
Or keep it to just once or twice per week e.g. with the grocery delivery or on the way home from the swimming lesson where you child can have and finish a “little something” (we hate the word “treat” btw ;).
Get the right stuff:
The good news is that kids who eat a varied diet of mostly whole foods will get enough healthy carbohydrates, lean protein, and good fats. Speaking of good fats…
Dietary
fats
Dietary fats help kids absorb vitamins (A,D,E and K). They also help them feel full and satisfied after meals, and they’re necessary to manufacture hormones.
Kids need healthy dietary fats in the diet — without these fats, kids develop
deficiencies, which can lead to growth, eye, body composition, blood lipid, and brain problems – our brains are actually 70% fat!)
Dietary fat is even more critical for kids than it is for adults, since they use a higher percentage of fat relative to their calorie intake.
One type of
dietary fat – omega-3 fat – is even useful for cognitive development and the prevention of many chronic diseases.
- EPA/DHA (one type of omega-3 fat) can come from oily fish, but since most kids aren’t exactly keen on that, try sneaking a spoonful of fish oil into a fruit smoothie or supplementing with a good quality supplement like Eskimo 3.
- Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), another type of omega-3 fat
(which needs to be converted in the body), can come from nuts and seeds such as flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or chia. So make raw nuts available as snacks, and try blending up ground flax or chia seed into kids’ cereal or smoothies (Linwoods do excellent milled flaxseeds of which we throw a teaspoon in to our kids' porridge or smoothie every morning. Excellent source of fibre aswell.
If kids can tolerate eggs, be sure to use whole eggs, as the
yolk provides important fat and choline, another essential nutrient for brain development. Organic and free range is of course the better option health and taste-wise.
Opt for full-fat organic dairy where possible (Rachel's, Yeo Valley).
Coconut is a great source of healthy
saturated fats. Smash open a fresh coconut together — kids usually think this is hilarious. Or use coconut milk or unsweetened coconut flakes in dishes, and coconut flour in baking.
Small substitutions can add up:
Simply switching to less processed, more
whole-food versions of things can make a huge difference.
Look at your daily menu and see where you can make healthier substitutions for processed foods.
A classic parent trick: diluting fruit juice with water; mixing flavoured yogurt with plain yogurt; or switching chocolate milk with regular milk.
Tomorrow:
- Incorporating vegetables and fruits into your child's daily diet.
- All about vitamins, minerals, hydration.
- Dealing with possible intolerances and allergies.
- What to give a picky eater; when vegetables or
dairy or meat is a no-no no matter what!
Good luck with the school run!
Kim
