The Reason this Blog Exists!
Since
becoming a Chiropractor I have been asked many questions about various aspects
of a person’s health from my family, friends, and patients. The purpose of this blog is to answer these
questions in a format that they can share with their friends and family. The reason I got into the health field was to
help as many people as possible and this blog is just another way I can do that
in my community.
The Balanced Diet for Your Growing
Child
First and
foremost, I do not have kids of my own.
The experience I have with children is either mandated by family/friends, or is due to volunteering with the
boys and girls club while in school. I
do not claim to be an expert in all things kid related, but I do know a thing or two about
what parents can do to help get their kids get on track to living a healthy life as
they grow older.
We hear a
lot of talk about children eating a “balanced diet.” Sure we all have some sort of an idea of what
that entails, but the purpose of this week’s blog is to explain what exactly is
a “balanced diet”, why each nutrient is important, and give you some tips as to
how to get your little angel not to lose it when a green vegetable is in the
room!
This first
part of this Blog is going to give you a brief description of what a balanced
diet includes, the purpose of each nutrient, and some examples of each. The second half will give some tips to get
your picky eater to try some new foods. If
you are blessed with the child that will eat anything then it will give you
some fun ideas you may not have heard of yet!
Protein
We all know
that kids grow at a rapid rate. Protein
helps this growth by providing the nutrients for building new
muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. Protein
also helps your child's body break down food into energy, fight infection, promote
nervous system health, and carry oxygen.
Foods that contain high levels of protein include:
·
Meat
(Beef, Poultry, Fish)
·
Eggs
·
Beans
·
Nuts
·
Dairy
Products
Carbohydrates
We have all
heard of cutting carbs as a form of losing weight, but this trend is something
that we do not want for our children.
Carbohydrates provide 50-60% of energy needed for your child. If carbs are cut out then our body will use
proteins to provide that energy. If proteins are being used for a primary energy source, then the nutrients that your
child’s cells need to grow starve. Carbohydrates come in several different
forms (sugars, starches, and fiber), but kids should be eating more of the
starches and fibers and less of the sugar. Foods that contain high levels of
carbohydrates include:
Bread
Cereal
Crackers
Pasta
Rice
Potatoes
Fats
Fats, like carbohydrates, are a great source of energy for kids. Like carbohydrates, fats are important because they allow the body to properly use some of the other nutrients it needs such as protein. Other benefits of fats include aiding in the absorption of vitamins (A, D, E, and K), provide the building blocks needed for production of hormones, and help with nerve function. Foods that contain high levels of fat include:
Fats, like carbohydrates, are a great source of energy for kids. Like carbohydrates, fats are important because they allow the body to properly use some of the other nutrients it needs such as protein. Other benefits of fats include aiding in the absorption of vitamins (A, D, E, and K), provide the building blocks needed for production of hormones, and help with nerve function. Foods that contain high levels of fat include:
- Meat
- Nuts
- Whole-milk dairy products
- Avocados
- Cooking oils
Calcium
We all know
or have heard that calcium is essential in helping to build a child's healthy
bones and teeth, but it has other important health benefits as well. It's also
important for blood clotting and for nerve, muscle, and heart function. Foods
that contain high levels of calcium include:
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Cheese
- Egg Yolks
- Spinach
- Broccoli
Iron
Iron is
necessary for a child to build healthy blood that carries oxygen to cells all
over the body. For infants breast
feeding is the best source of iron, if breast feeding is not an option then
iron fortified formula should be used.
Some sources say that iron-deficiency can affect your child’s growth and
lead to learning and behavioral problems. Foods that contain high levels of
iron include:
·
Red
Meat
·
Poultry
·
Shellfish
·
Beans
·
Nuts
·
Whole
grains
·
Iron-fortified
cereals
Folate
Folate,
necessary for soon-to-be moms, is also very important for kids. It is necessary
for healthy growth and development of a child's cells. Lack of this vitamin can
cause anemia, which in short is when the amount of red blood cells decreases
causing a lack of oxygen to your cells.
Anemia causes a variety of symptoms, but is most associated with
fatigue. Foods that contain high levels of folate include:
Whole-grain cereals
Aspargus
Spinach
Black or kidney beans
Chickpeas
Brussel sprouts
Fiber
Fiber helps
produce bowel regularity in a child. It can also play a role in reducing the
chances of heart disease and cancer later in life. Foods that contain high
levels of fiber include:
·
Whole-grain
cereals
·
Nuts
·
Seeds
·
Lentils
·
Chickpeas
·
Kidney
beans
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is
important to kids and adults. It helps growth, assists the eyes in adjusting to
dim and bright lights, keeps skin healthy, and works to prevent infection.
Foods that contain high levels of Vitamin A include:
·
Carrots
·
Sweet
potatoes
·
Squash
·
Spinach
·
Apricots
·
Egg
yolks
·
Broccoli
·
Cabbage
·
Fish
oils
Vitamin C
Most people
typically think of Vitamin C in regards to boosting immune function. While vitamin C is important for keeping your
immune system healthy it also has many other health benefits. It also helps the body heal wounds, holds the
body's cells together, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and, like, calcium
is important for building strong bones and teeth. Foods that contain high
levels of Vitamin C include:
·
Strawberries
·
Papayas
·
Mangos
·
Melons
·
Tomatoes
·
Potatoes
·
Cabbage
·
Broccoli
·
Cauliflower
·
Spinach
Tips for the Picky Eater
Now that we know
the proper nutrients for your child’s diet we get to dive into the fun
stuff! Here I will give you some tips
that I have gotten from family, friends, and various sites online. I have done
my best to provide links when possible.
Please feel free to share with anyone, and if you have any tips that
have helped your child eat a more balanced diet please share with us in the
comments section below!
Tips from My Mom
Sons will
always have a special place in their heart reserved for their mother, and I am
no exception to this. My mother did a
great job at introducing me to new foods, and I didn’t make it easy either. Here are some things she did when I was
younger to get me to try new things.
This was one
of my fondest memories as a child. It is such a simple way to make trying new foods fun!
What she blindfold me so that I had to use my other senses to
determine what the foods were. She also
took this opportunity to explain to me what the different tastes were such as
sweet, salty, bitter, etc.
Here is a
link I found to help you host your own taste test!Click Here!
This site gives a variation from the typical blind fold taste test. It makes it a bit more of a science experiment. Check it out by Clicking Here!
Giving Incentives
Okay, so
let’s call it what it really is, a bribe haha! A little bribe can go a long way
with a kid. Whether it is getting them
to clean their room or try a new food.
The important thing here is to not make the bribe something that is
completely unhealthy for them like the picture to the right (the little girl was to cute not to include it haha). Some
examples of what my mom and dad did were taking me to the pool, waterparks,
letting me go over to a friend's house, etc. I
am sure y’all know better than anyone what your child loves, use this to your
advantage…and, well your kids advantage as well. Getting your kid to love the
right foods will help him or her in all aspects of their life.
Upon
researching this I ran across a study that found that when incentives were used
there was an 80% increase in fruit and vegetable consumption by elementary age
students. If you want to read the paper
I have placed the link below.
What not to do! (for your entertainment!)
We all like
to think we are perfect, but we know that is not the case. My mom is no different. One thing she did that absolutely did not
work was trick me. I am telling you this
so that I can spare your children the agony I went through as a 4 year old boy
haha! As I mentioned earlier I was an
extremely picky eater growing up, and my mother was always trying to get me to
try new things. On this particular
evening we were at one of my favorite pizza places in Memphis, Tennessee. I remember the night well because of the
events that were to follow. Everyone at
the table had ordered a salad (except me) and my mother was convinced I would
try hers. First the lettuce. I thought to myself not bad, but it’s no
pizza! Next, came the croutons! The
crunch, the buttery flavor the mix of herbs…..it sent my 4 year old taste buds
into an euphoria they had never experienced! My mom had me right where she
wanted me! Willing to try anything she suggested! What else was I missing out
on! The next item on her hidden agenda was an olive. The shape and smell worried me, but my mom
assured me it was good, and then made the mistake of saying it was like a
grape. What 4 year old doesn’t love a grape!
I popped it in my mouth and began to chew.
This was NO GRAPE! I spit the olive out and ran to my grandfather
knowing he would protect me from my mother’s lies! To this day I will not eat
an olive. Maybe it’s time for me to have
my own taste test!
Ideas I have seen online
The next few
ideas are some that I stumbled across while doing some research for this blog.
Many sites I
came across had different meals and ways to get your child involved in making
healthy choices. One of the best ideas I
ran across was trail mix. It involves
little to no cooking (depending on how involved you wish to get), it can be
catered to your child’s taste, and customized for any food allergies your
little one may have.
To check out one of the many websites on trail mix. Click Here!
This one I
saw on Pinterest a few years ago and I thought it was a great idea. The name
pretty much explains it all, but I will elaborate slightly. Basically get an ice tray and fill it with
fruit, veggies, and some other things every kid loves like chocolate chip
cookie pieces. After that you are done!
Simple enough!
Its all about the Presentation!
There isn’t
anything to really explain here. We have all
seen it or done it. Make funny faces on
the your kids plate with the food.
Keeping your kid in a good mood prior to trying something new can only
help your cause!
I stumbled upon a link on how to make your own plates to help with this. Click Here!
I stumbled upon a link on how to make your own plates to help with this. Click Here!
Monkey See Monkey do!
We all know
it is important to set a great example for children. It is important to lead by example when it
comes to eating. One idea I thought of while
browsing countless pictures and ideas online were fruit kabobs. Kabobs are typically a healthy choice when it
comes to dinner, so while dad (or mom) is at the grill the kids can grab some
kabob sticks (adult supervision please those things are sharp!) and fruit and
make desert! I also found a few links for this as well. Personally I think the frozen fruit kabobos look amazing!
Fruite Kabobs! Click Here!
Frozen Fruit Kabobs! Click Here!
Fruit Dip link! Click Here!
I hope you enjoyed this blog! It was my first one so bear with me, I can only get better....right?? haha
If ya'll have any suggestions or tips on how to get kids to eat healthy please leave it in the comments section below!
If you have a suggestion for future blog topics please send them to premierchiroga@gmail.com or comment below!
Fruite Kabobs! Click Here!
Frozen Fruit Kabobs! Click Here!
Fruit Dip link! Click Here!
I hope you enjoyed this blog! It was my first one so bear with me, I can only get better....right?? haha
If ya'll have any suggestions or tips on how to get kids to eat healthy please leave it in the comments section below!
If you have a suggestion for future blog topics please send them to premierchiroga@gmail.com or comment below!
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