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February, 2010

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Answering the question, why won’t my child eat vegetables?

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

If you feel you are struggling to get your child to eat vegetables, ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Do I dislike vegetables and eat them no more than once a day?
  2. Does my child eat more than one serving of bread or milk at meals while vegetables remain untouched on the plate?
  3. Do I offer dessert as a reward for eating vegetables?
  4. Are vegetables offered less than twice a day?
  5. Do I tell my child how much of their food they have to eat?

Answering yes to any of the above questions may explain part of the problem.  To develop healthy eaters, it is best if parents choose which foods are offered and the child chooses if and how much they will eat.  Consistently offer vegetables throughout the day and let your child see you enjoying vegetables.  Remain as neutral as possible regarding the quantity of food they choose to eat.  When they request a second helping of bread or glass of milk/juice, encourage them to eat their first helping of vegetables if they are still hungry.

Posted in Newsletter Articles, Nutrition for Parents | No Responses »

Mooooo

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

All cow milk has roughly the same amount of calcium and protein.  The difference among types of cow milk is based upon the different amounts of fat in the milk.  Whole milk is milk that has nothing removed.  Its fat content is about 4% of its total content.  Two percent milk has roughly half as much fat as whole milk.  Similarly, 1% milk has half as much fat as 2% milk.  Nonfat milk has all of the fat removed and is also called skim milk, based upon the way the cream is “skimmed” off the top of the milk during production.

Children under the age of two need whole milk because the additional fat is needed for nerve and brain development.  However, older children and adults do not need the additional fat and would benefit in general from fewer calories and fat.  Thus it is recommended for the general population to gradually transition to 1% or nonfat milk after the age of two.  While 2% milk may sound much healthier than whole milk, it still contains the same amount of fat as in about 2 slices of bacon.  If your family hasn’t already made the transition, gradually begin working down towards 1% or nonfat milk.  To ease the transition, you can mix two grades of milk together, such as whole and 2% milk, and slowly increase the proportion of the lesser fat milk until your family’s tastes have adapted.

Posted in Dietary Guidelines, Newsletter Articles | No Responses »

Avoiding tooth decay requires more than just brushing

Monday, February 1st, 2010

   Tooth decay, in the form of dental cavities or caries, is a common health problem, second in prevalence only to the common cold.  Most people understand that candy and soda are bad for teeth but do not realize that all carbohydrates foods play a role in tooth decay. 

All carbohydrates are not the same nutritionally but they all are made up of long chains of sugar.  Some carbohydrate foods, such as soda, candy, table sugar, and honey, are simple chains of sugar.  Other carbohydrates, such as grains, fruits, and milk products, are more complex chains and may contain additional nutrients. How are all carbohydrates related to tooth decay?  The bacteria living in plaque, the sticky film coating the outer surface of teeth, feed on sugar and when they do so, produce an acid which destroys the tooth.  Any carbohydrate that is left behind on the teeth can be food for the bacteria. 

Repeated productions of acid can increase the risk of dental caries because the tooth does not have time to recover.  Therefore, small amounts of carbohydrates eaten throughout the day are more damaging than large amounts eaten less frequently.   This spells bad news for kids because snack time is often a favorite time of day and crackers and fruit leather a major snack time preference. 

Bottom line: For happier teeth, steer your child away from constant snacking on carbohydrates throughout the day. Replace those carbohydrates with foods containing protein, which is not used by the bacteria.  Sorry Goldfish and fruit leather – the gig is up.

Posted in Newsletter Articles | No Responses »