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My Kids' Nutrition
Here at Greatist, we believe in taking a day off. Instead of our regular programming Saturdays, our writers get a chance to write about living the greatist lifestyle and, basically, whatever they want. This is one of those awesome articles. Enjoy!
I am the boss of malcontents and champions What's the number one concern for parents? Survey says: getting kids to eat healthier.
“I am not going to eat that!”
“What IS that? It looks disgusting.”
“I thought you said we were having something good to eat.”
“You’re not the boss of me.”
Welcome to feeding time in any household with kids. Meal time with kids can be the most frustrating and maddening part of the day. Veteran moms don’t tell moms-to-be about kids’ nutrition issues, because it would be way too daunting to know this stuff beforehand. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding kid’s nutrition. There is news about banning happy meals, changing the way companies market food to kids, lack of P.E. programs in schools, and now even installing cameras to "study" the choices of kids in a school cafeteria, but this article is not about any of that. As a parent, I am the gatekeeper, so am I doing a good job with the gate? After a recent run of popsicles for breakfast (okay, no judgment here), I knew I had to make some changes. I decided to throw out the unhealthy snacks and replace them with healthy choices. Healthy snacks are very subjective, though. One mom’s goldfish is another mom’s chocolate chip cookie. An all or nothing approach works for my family, but part of being a kid is getting treats, so I did tell the kids that they can have one or two days a week where they can choose a treat. It is going on three weeks now, and with ways less complaining than I expected, the kids are eating healthier. We have gone from the breakfast of malcontents to the breakfast of champions. Not ready to throw everything out? No problem. In the spirit of being the greatist parent, make one small change in your child’s menu this week. Add an extra fruit or veggie to their plate, replace that juice box with a water bottle, or even make your own banana ice cream. I AM the boss of my kids and I get a say in what they eat and don’t eat. That is what makes me the greatist mom.
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Comments Leave a comment
Billyjake
Hi Kristine,
I would be interested in reading more about what is a healthy diet for children.
I haven't read a comprehensive study--clinical nutrition studies often times have to work around being unethical--but I would love o read something about the effects of a diet scarce in saturated fat and cholesterol and brain development. We can see a correlation between developmental disorders (ADD, Asperger's, etc.) and the advocation of a low-fat and low-cholesterol diet. There are obviously other variables, and correlation doesn't imply causation, but it is an area that I feel desperately needs some investigation.
Breast milk is the purest form of nourishment a child can receive, and it also happens to be extremely rich in cholesterol. And cholesterol is necessary for the formation of neuron pathways--brain development.
--BJ
May 21, 2011 • 7:40 pm
Kristine Lockwood
Hi BillyJake,
Thanks for your comment. One issue is moms just trying to keep their kids from eating so much junk food, processed food, and HFC laden food, which may also be a parenting strategy article in addition to a nutritional article.
The other issue is the science. You are right about saturated fat and cholesterol being a key ingredient for brain development, and there are a few studies where high fat diets have had very positive effects on kids with ADHD, Asperger’s, Epilepsy, etc.
Your comment about Breast milk is right on, and since the highest concentration of cholesterol is found in the brain, making sure kids get enough saturated fats and cholesterol is a no brainer (okay couldn’t resist). But really, many people misunderstand the term cholesterol, and they think cholesterol = bad. They don’t realize that it is vital for our bodies and especially for kids.
Parents shouldn’t be afraid of saturated fats and cholesterol (meat, red meat, eggs, dairy) when it comes to their kids. Of course it depends on the age of the kids, but what parent doesn’t want to ensure the best brain development for his or her children. Many parents are surprised about the idea that cholesterol and saturated fats are good for kids, as it goes against what they have been told for so long. With so many things, when it’s science V.S. the media, the media wins.
May 23, 2011 • 3:56 am
Billyjake
Hi Kristine,
Thank you for the response. If you have links to those studies, I would love to take a look.
On a disheartening note, I happened to look at the ingredients label on a package of "baby formula mix" the other day. Low-fat milk was the "main" ingredient. :/
May 23, 2011 • 3:46 pm
Kristine Lockwood
Here are two interesting studies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21441643
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19728277 There is another, more visible study that says ADHD is linked to a "western" diet (which is higher saturated fat). I think that the 'confectionary, processed, fried, and refined' foods that are described in the study are the more dangerous parts of a western diet.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100729091454.htm
May 23, 2011 • 5:37 pm
Billyjake
Thank you!
There are a lot of things that make up a western diet. If a high saturated fat content were the cause, then you would expect the French to suffer from the same diseases/disorders (French Paradox).
I look forward to reading these studies.
Thanks again!
May 25, 2011 • 1:00 pm
Sunny
As a proud Grandma I guess I had better throw out some of those bad snacks and replace them with healthier choices----"but, Grandma"---I can just hear it now. But, Mom is the boss of what they eat.
May 23, 2011 • 5:06 pm
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