Feeding your children
Published:Saturday | May 8, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Heather Little-White, Gleaner Writer
What children eat will definitely define what they become as adults. Nutrition of children is important to parents as well as the nation, as good nutrition of the young is an investment in a healthy workforce in later years.
Healthful eating helps to establish a foundation of good nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits to reduce the risk for lifestyle diseases later in life. During the celebration of Child Month in May, nutrition for children is brought into sharp focus, especially against the background of the marketplace being flooded with a range of snacks with very little nutrients. The result? Childhood obesity!
Childhood obesity
Who is to blame for obesity in children, which has reached epidemic levels? It is estimated that 15 per cent of children are overweight and another 15 per cent are at risk of becoming overweight. Further, two-thirds of these overweight children will become overweight adults.
Inactivity
There are several reasons for obesity and other lifestyle diseases in children:
Less activity, as they watch too much TV and play lots of video games.
High-calorie and high-fat supersize meals.
Drinking excessive amounts
Schools which allow students to buy snacks and soft drinks from canteens and vending machines.
Schools with limited physical education classes.
Parents who do not breastfeed, which can decrease a child's risk of becoming overweight later in life.
Very often, parents tear their hair out in an attempt to provide tasty, nutritious meals of their children. A young mother who had just completed a workshop in preparing meals for children quipped, "Once you know what to do, it is really easy to provide meals that your children can enjoy ... . I now enjoy preparing meals for my 'dumplin' [daughter]."
Parents often blame themselves for poor nutrition of their children as they are the primary ones that have control over food preparation at home. Parents can help their children make healthy food choices, both at home and when eating out.
Of course it is not easy, especially if the parents themselves are overweight. Teaching your children to make healthier choices is essential if you want them to be healthy and avoid the health consequences of being overweight.
High in fibre, low in fat
So, what is it that parents and other caregivers need to know in preparing meals for their children? The following healthy-eating recommendations will help your children follow a diet that has lavish amounts of foods that are high in fibre, low in fat and have calcium, iron and other vitamins and minerals. These recommendations also help them avoid high-calorie and high-fat foods that can lead to childhood obesity and other health problems.
Healthy-eating plan:
Eat 1-2 cups of fruit each day.
Eat 1-3 cups of vegetables each day.
Drink 2-4 cups of milk each day.
Eat 2-6oz of low-fat or lean meat or chicken, or other foods from the Food from Animals and Legumes & Nuts food group, such as fish, beans, peas and eggs.
Get half of their grains from whole grains.
Picky eaters
If your children are picky, you will have to try different approaches:
Offer at least one serving of fruit each day.
Offer at least one serving of vegetables each day.
Offer at least one serving of non-fat milk (skim milk) or low-fat milk (1 per cent or 2 per cent milk) each day or other high-calcium food.
Limit 100 per cent fruit juice to only one serving a day.
Offer at least one wholegrain food each day, such as wholewheat bread, oatmeal, or a wholegrain breakfast cereal.
Cook foods by baking, grilling, or roasting as often as possible instead of frying them.
Prepare and serve whole foods as often as possible instead of processed and packaged kids' meals that are often high in fat, calories, and salt, and low in fibre.
Offer age-appropriate portion sizes when your child eats meals and snacks.
It may take some time, but having a healthy-eating plan will help move your children away from wanting to eat fried chicken and French fries at every meal.
FOODS TO WATCH
To help your kids with their healthy-eating plan, it may also help to:
Avoid flavourings that can make milk less healthy, keeping in mind that chocolate milk or strawberry-milk flavouring will usually add more sugar and calories to your child's serving of milk.
Avoid serving, or do not serve, fried meats, such as chicken nuggets, corn dogs or fish sticks more than once a week.
Avoid serving or do not serve high-fat meats, such as sausage, bacon, hot dogs or bologna more than once a week.
Do not give your children drinks with a lot of added sugar, such as sweet tea, soda, or fruit punch or any fruit drinks that are less than 100 per cent fruit juice.
Avoid eating fast food. Make healthy choices when you do go out to eat at a restaurant.
Avoid giving sweets regularly, limiting candy, cookies and cakes to occasional treats, and offering healthy snacks in-between meals and for dessert instead.
Combined with regular physical activity, this healthy-eating plan can help your kids maintain a healthy weight or even begin to lose weight if they are already overweight.
THE Ws OF MEALTIME EATING
1. What foods are offered.
2. When they are eaten.
3. Where they are eaten.
4. What foods to eat.
5. What portions are acceptable.
FAMILY TIME, MEALTIME
Parents ought to lay down the regulations that will help children eat better.
Have quiet time before meals. It helps with opening the child's appetite.
Children live what they learn, so they will be watching your eating patterns.
Eat together as a family. Use the opportunity to focus on the social aspects of food.
Discourage eating while standing, walking or lying down. Children should learn to sit at the table.
Give children a chance to choose foods from the various food groups, respecting their food preferences.
Avoid extreme temperatures in food. Allow hot foods to cool down and cold foods to warm up a little before serving.
Moisten dry foods which may be hard to chew with cheese sauce, ketchup, fruit and vegetable juices.
Offer new foods at the start of the meal when children are most hungry and talk about it before so they can get excited to try it.
Make food interesting by cutting foods in exciting shapes and arranging them nicely on a plate. We all eat with our eyes!
Encourage children to serve themselves.
Give them enough time to eat even in our fast-paced society.
Get the children involved in meal planning and food preparation.
EASY BAKE DEEP DISH PIZZA
When Barbie has Ken over, this is what she fixes him for dinner. It's definitely his favourite. Your children will enjoy making this full pizza too.
Ingredients:
2 tbsps all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 dash salt
1 tsp margarine
2 1/4 tsps milk
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsps shredded mozzarella cheese
Method:
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and margarine until dough looks like medium-size crumbs. Slowly add milk while stirring. Shape dough into a ball and place into a greased pan. Use your fingers to pat the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan, then up the sides. Pour the paste evenly over the dough, and then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake 20 minutes. Remove.
Makes 1 pizza.
Source: Cooking with Kids/Belinda Mooney
EAT WHAT YOU GROW
Children start backyard gardens with seeds and you will be surprised how much children will enjoy eating what they grow. The Ministry of Agriculture will provide the guidance you need in this activity.
HEALTHY SNACKING
Children like to snack, and this should not be seen in a bad light. It provides an opportunity to add nutrients and food energy that may be missing from just three meals a day. Make healthy snacks using the food groups and let them become a healthy part of your child's diet.
Schedule snacks as planned eating events, serving no less than two hours before meals.
Choose snacks that complement the child's meal.
Vary snack foods to get a good range of nutrients.
Snack time can be fun time too, so appeal to the senses.
Heather Little-White, PhD, is a nutrition and lifestyle consultant in Kingston. Send comments to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.