adults and children. “Plus, most sweet- ened drinks don’t have much nutritional value,” says Ayoob. Although they con- tain important vitamins, even fruit juices, such as orange, cranberry and apple, still pack a lot of concentrated sugars. Try this: Phillips recommends limit- ing empty-calorie sweetened beverages and replacing them with unsweetened choices like low-fat milk, homemade iced tea and filtered water jazzed up with lemon or lime. Keep daily intake of fruit juice between four to eight ounces, and focus on eating whole fruits, instead. “You can also freeze natural fruit juice in ice-cube trays,” says Phillips. “Pop these into [a glass of] water for a hint of sweet flavor.” Send children to school or camp with a reusable, BPA-free water container (stainless steel works well) so they get in the aqua- drinking habit. Also consider stocking the fridge with refreshing, potassium- rich coconut water.
Chicken again?
Never before has such a variety of foods been more readily available. Still, too many families fall into the trap of preparing the same familiar eats—like spaghetti, chicken, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread— week in and week out.
When children are repeatedly pre- sented with the same foods, they don’t learn to appreciate new flavors and textures, which reinforces a picky pal- ate and a fear of unfamiliar dishes, says Ayoob. From a body weight standpoint, an article published in Science suggests that when the brain isn’t gratified by food—which can happen when the fam- ily eats roast chicken for the fourth time in the same week—people are more likely to make midnight kitchen raids and add to their total calorie intake. Try this: Once a week, have a new- food-of-the-week meal, featuring healthy ingredients such as quinoa, lean bison or kale, paired with family favorites, to encourage branching out. “Don’t throw in the towel if your child emphatically refuses it at the start. Research shows that it can take 10 or more times before a new food is accepted by a finicky eater,” advises Phillips, a mother of two. She also suggests letting kids loose in the produce department to pick a new
fresh item they are curious about, and then involving them in its preparation, so they are more likely to try it. “Or, substitute a familiar food, like apples, with pears,” Ayoob recommends.
Snack attacks
With so much unhealthy snack food marketed toward kids, it’s easy for youngsters to graze their way to a big- ger waistline.
Findings shared by Italian universi- ty researchers in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition specifi- cally link savory, energy-dense snack foods with childhood obesity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the percentage of American children eating three regular meals a day has decreased over the past 25 years, while consumption of high-calorie, snack- type foods has gone up.
“Unhealthy snacking can have an impact on academic performance, energy levels and weight,” Ayoob re- marks.
Try this: Don’t push the panic but- ton if a child looks a little heavy while he or she is still growing, but it never hurts to give the household pantry and fridge an overhaul.
First, get rid of nutrient-devoid chips, cookies and soda. “Replace them with healthier, portable fuel like nuts, baby carrots, low-fat string cheese and cottage cheese, yogurt and dried fruit,” suggests Ayoob. This does away with the good-versus-bad food battle on the home front.
Ponichtera likes keeping a bowl of varicolored seasonal fruit on the counter for when kids return home ravenous. She also recommends offering sliced veggies and fruit with tasty and nutritious yogurt, guacamole or hummus dip, or making after-school smoothies, using frozen fruit, healthy, low-fat milk and yogurt. Because watching TV—includ- ing commercials extolling unhealthy foods—provides prime opportunities for mindless snacking (various studies link excess TV time with elevated body fat), consider pulling the plug after an hour. If snacking must be done in front of the tube, Ponichtera likes natural, unbut- tered popcorn, deeming it excellent be- cause it’s whole-grain, low in calories and high in filling fiber.
natural awakenings August 2012 35
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