While developing a balanced diet for children is not hard, you do have to keep in mind that what works for adults does not work for kids. Children in general are much more active than adults and since they are still growing, they need to eat foods that are highly nutritious. Children develop life long eating habits when they are young as well, so presenting the correct food groups is very important. If a child learns how to eat correctly when they are young, they are twice as likely to eat healthy as they become an adult.
How Nutrition Can Affect Growth
Protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals contribute to different aspects of development including proper bone and teeth growth. It is estimated that approximately 96% of children do not consume the correct amount of these foods as recommended by the food pyramid. This can lead to a host of health problems that could range from dental problems such as cavities and gum disease to bones that are weak and brittle. Iron is also absorbed from these foods and is needed for proper cell transportation of oxygen. For children to develop properly and be healthy, foods from all food groups should be included every day.
How Nutrition Affects Education
Recent studies have shown that children who lack the proper diet often have lower test scores. Improper nutrition is also directly linked to aggressive behavior and problem with attention in class. In order to provide your child with the tools needed to obtain a proper education, you must include a healthy diet.
What Makes a Child's Diet Healthy?
Children need to have foods that are a good source of energy for their daily activities. Each of the major foods groups should be included in a child's daily diet plan. Include starches like bread or pasta, fruits and vegetables, meats and protein sources, and dairy products, such as milk. Fat is another of the food groups but this should include essential fatty acids like those in fish. If you follow the food pyramid, it will explain exactly how many servings of each food group are recommended.
What Your Child is Missing if they Don't Eat These Foods
Your child could be lacking in vitamins A, C, and D if they do not consume the proper quantities of nutritional foods that contain essential vitamins and minerals that are necessary for growth. These vitamins are used for bodily processes that occur in the brain, blood and skeletal structure.
Lose-11-Pounds.com have a FREE report Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself which can be downloaded Here.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stuart_Miles
Monday, 26 October 2009
Nutrition Games For Kids
Getting kids to eat a healthy and balanced diet can be a nightmare sometimes with them refusing to eat anything that even looks as if it could do them some good. Aside from bribing them with sweets and toys there is not that much that you can do to change these fussy eating habits...or is there?
Actually nutrition games for kids are the best ways in which you can try and encourage your little darlings to eat some of the healthy stuff. Coming up with your own ideas for these can be rather difficult so I'm going to save you some of the time and fill you in on a few ideas!
First of all one of the first nutrition games for kids that you should try is to get yourself a little chart and place it in the kitchen or on the wall next to the dining table. On this chart you should have each of your children's names and also have it separated into days and also the three different meals of the day. These charts can be bought from quite a few paces and looking online is a great idea but you can also make them fairly easily at home by making your own on the computer and printing it off. You could always encourage the kids to get out their colouring pencils and do the job themselves!
Once the chart is complete you should get the kids to fill in all the healthy food that they are eating, so for broccoli you could have them draw a picture of the vegetable on the chart and follow this pattern for all of the meals that you present them with. This not only encourages them to get creative but also teaches them about healthy eating and also to be able to identity different food groups. You could always supply the child that manages to eat the most nutritional food with a prize at the end of the week to spur them on even further!
You could play nutritional games for kids when you are shopping for the groceries as well and this can be great fun as long as you can keep an eye on them all running about and driving you mad! One good idea for this is to tell your children to find a vegetable or fruit that is a certain colour and then they can place it in the shopping trolley and then choose the next item. This can be great fun and again provides an education for your kids as well as encouraging them to eat healthier and have fun at the same time.
Teaching the kids how to cook while you are cooking is another great nutrition game for kids and can also prove to be an educational experience for both them and you! Try to encourage them to eat more healthy foods by allowing them to cook alongside you and this can also prove helpful in future when they get older as they will have no excuse not to cook!
Lose-11-Pounds.com have a FREE report Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself which can be downloaded Here.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stuart_Miles
Actually nutrition games for kids are the best ways in which you can try and encourage your little darlings to eat some of the healthy stuff. Coming up with your own ideas for these can be rather difficult so I'm going to save you some of the time and fill you in on a few ideas!
First of all one of the first nutrition games for kids that you should try is to get yourself a little chart and place it in the kitchen or on the wall next to the dining table. On this chart you should have each of your children's names and also have it separated into days and also the three different meals of the day. These charts can be bought from quite a few paces and looking online is a great idea but you can also make them fairly easily at home by making your own on the computer and printing it off. You could always encourage the kids to get out their colouring pencils and do the job themselves!
Once the chart is complete you should get the kids to fill in all the healthy food that they are eating, so for broccoli you could have them draw a picture of the vegetable on the chart and follow this pattern for all of the meals that you present them with. This not only encourages them to get creative but also teaches them about healthy eating and also to be able to identity different food groups. You could always supply the child that manages to eat the most nutritional food with a prize at the end of the week to spur them on even further!
You could play nutritional games for kids when you are shopping for the groceries as well and this can be great fun as long as you can keep an eye on them all running about and driving you mad! One good idea for this is to tell your children to find a vegetable or fruit that is a certain colour and then they can place it in the shopping trolley and then choose the next item. This can be great fun and again provides an education for your kids as well as encouraging them to eat healthier and have fun at the same time.
Teaching the kids how to cook while you are cooking is another great nutrition game for kids and can also prove to be an educational experience for both them and you! Try to encourage them to eat more healthy foods by allowing them to cook alongside you and this can also prove helpful in future when they get older as they will have no excuse not to cook!
Lose-11-Pounds.com have a FREE report Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself which can be downloaded Here.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stuart_Miles
Healthy Snacks For Kids
In the growing up phase, while you are teaching your kids the right habits and manners, the eating habits often stay neglected. A child tends to pick up an extra snack anytime during the day between his regular meals. These snacks, if planned properly, can add to his nutrition and energy value. But if not, it can lead to grave problems, like child obesity.
In the fast paced life, children often pick up cookies, chips, doughnuts and colas with their pocket money or from their parents plate. While a little of these things help him/ her to get adjusted to outside food, a greater intake of these foods could result in health issues including liver malfunction and other digestive system problems. Obesity or overly lean frame is only an aftermath. It is, therefore, the parent's responsibility to keep a check on the snacks habit of their kids and to see to the fact that whatever they eat in off-time snacks should not be crossing approximately 150 calories.
If you are finding it very difficult to restrict your kid's snacks habit, then the alternate way of keeping the calories in check is to check the contents of his plate. A diet full of fibres and proteins will keep him full and reduce his cravings for unhealthy food. You can gradually develop his snacks habit around fruits like apples, oranges and pear. Introduce cereal bars, baked chips, low-fat chips, yogurt and pop corns in his snacks plate. These foods will satisfy his cravings for tasty, trendy foods and at the same time keep him fit and fine.
To know more about healthy snacks for kids you can visit http://www.rainbowfood.com.au
Brenda Jones has been promoting healthy eating habits in children through her work as well as her articles on the internet. She is also a mother of two girls.
http://www.rainbowfood.com.au
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Jones
In the fast paced life, children often pick up cookies, chips, doughnuts and colas with their pocket money or from their parents plate. While a little of these things help him/ her to get adjusted to outside food, a greater intake of these foods could result in health issues including liver malfunction and other digestive system problems. Obesity or overly lean frame is only an aftermath. It is, therefore, the parent's responsibility to keep a check on the snacks habit of their kids and to see to the fact that whatever they eat in off-time snacks should not be crossing approximately 150 calories.
If you are finding it very difficult to restrict your kid's snacks habit, then the alternate way of keeping the calories in check is to check the contents of his plate. A diet full of fibres and proteins will keep him full and reduce his cravings for unhealthy food. You can gradually develop his snacks habit around fruits like apples, oranges and pear. Introduce cereal bars, baked chips, low-fat chips, yogurt and pop corns in his snacks plate. These foods will satisfy his cravings for tasty, trendy foods and at the same time keep him fit and fine.
To know more about healthy snacks for kids you can visit http://www.rainbowfood.com.au
Brenda Jones has been promoting healthy eating habits in children through her work as well as her articles on the internet. She is also a mother of two girls.
http://www.rainbowfood.com.au
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Jones
3 Simple, Healthy and Quick Recipes For Kids
Health and nutrition for children can sometime be a bit hard to get by, especially without the right food at hand. Five major food groups (vegetables, grains, fruits, dairy products, proteins) are usually targeted as the best way to keep a child well-nourished and strong. But as any parent knows, it is also hard to make kids eat well - especially when it comes to the vegetables and fruits part.
So to start you and your child off on this fun quest to health, here are 3 simple, quick and deceivingly nutritious recipes (all of the recipes make for 1 serving, so if you need more, just double the quantity of the ingredients):
Pizza Roll. Place 1 8-inch whole wheat flour tortilla on a plate, and spread 2 tablespoons of prepared pizza sauce on it. Put a layer of baby spinach leaves and sprinkle 3 tablespoons worth of shredded part skimmed mozarella cheese. (Note: Any cheese will actually do, but for better results, use this.) Microwave for about 45 seconds or until the cheese has melted. Roll the tortilla up and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing into pieces. (I sometimes use processed cheese spread for a faster roll, but not so often. When I use that, I cut down the microwave time to just 20 seconds.) This is perfect for inclusion in a child's daily lunch kit (together with other goodies like vegetable dips and what-have-yous).
Egg Salad. Hard-boil 2 eggs for about 8 to 10 minutes. (Tip: After 10 minutes, take out hot water, pour in cold water and let stand for a couple of minutes. This will not only make peeling easier for you - since the egg will now be just warm to the touch - but also, it will stop the cooking process as well.) Peel, chop and mash in a bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of finely diced celery, 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonaise (preferably, but regular mayonaise will do), 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of minced scallion greens, and salt and pepper to taste.
Chicken Sandwich. This is possibly the easiest chicken sandwich recipe I have come upon. If you have some left-over chicken, then this is perfect. Combine half a cup of shredded cooked chicken, one-fourth cup shredded (and previously blanched) carrots, and 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce. Spread some ranch dressing on the bun, put in the chicken mixture and top with a piece of romaine lettuce.
It's not difficult to serve healthy food to your child. Just be sure that you don't pressure them by telling them over and over again about the benefits of eating. Trust me, if you start out with these, you may not even need to say anything. Just the look of them eating and enjoying at the same time is usually enough.
Any halloween recipes for kids? Click on the link for more info.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Sanders
So to start you and your child off on this fun quest to health, here are 3 simple, quick and deceivingly nutritious recipes (all of the recipes make for 1 serving, so if you need more, just double the quantity of the ingredients):
Pizza Roll. Place 1 8-inch whole wheat flour tortilla on a plate, and spread 2 tablespoons of prepared pizza sauce on it. Put a layer of baby spinach leaves and sprinkle 3 tablespoons worth of shredded part skimmed mozarella cheese. (Note: Any cheese will actually do, but for better results, use this.) Microwave for about 45 seconds or until the cheese has melted. Roll the tortilla up and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing into pieces. (I sometimes use processed cheese spread for a faster roll, but not so often. When I use that, I cut down the microwave time to just 20 seconds.) This is perfect for inclusion in a child's daily lunch kit (together with other goodies like vegetable dips and what-have-yous).
Egg Salad. Hard-boil 2 eggs for about 8 to 10 minutes. (Tip: After 10 minutes, take out hot water, pour in cold water and let stand for a couple of minutes. This will not only make peeling easier for you - since the egg will now be just warm to the touch - but also, it will stop the cooking process as well.) Peel, chop and mash in a bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of finely diced celery, 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonaise (preferably, but regular mayonaise will do), 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of minced scallion greens, and salt and pepper to taste.
Chicken Sandwich. This is possibly the easiest chicken sandwich recipe I have come upon. If you have some left-over chicken, then this is perfect. Combine half a cup of shredded cooked chicken, one-fourth cup shredded (and previously blanched) carrots, and 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce. Spread some ranch dressing on the bun, put in the chicken mixture and top with a piece of romaine lettuce.
It's not difficult to serve healthy food to your child. Just be sure that you don't pressure them by telling them over and over again about the benefits of eating. Trust me, if you start out with these, you may not even need to say anything. Just the look of them eating and enjoying at the same time is usually enough.
Any halloween recipes for kids? Click on the link for more info.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Sanders
School Lunches Made Easy
Good Nutrition should be a key factor when deciding what to put in your child's lunch box. It does not, however, have to be a source of stress for parents. It does require that we get organized and creative. To keep it simple we have created a few handy tips that hopefully will make this easier for you.
Plan lunches before your weekly grocery shop. Make out a list of what you will prepare for lunches in the up and coming week. Organization goes a long way in making your life easier.
Freeze it or dump it!
I don't know about you but I do not always make the best of my left over's. It is understandable that your children don't want to eat the same thing day after day. But you can cook a bit more of what you are preparing and freeze it in small containers that will fit in your kids lunch boxes. Then you can rotate what you are giving them to keep it healthy and interesting, while simplifying things for yourself.
Capitalise while preparing dinner by incorporating tomorrow's lunch.
While in the kitchen preparing your family's dinner, use the time to get tomorrows lunch underway.
Make a double batch of meals that taste just as good "the morning after," like; pasta, fried chicken or quiche. Plenty of kids like cold chicken. You can peel carrots and cut them up and leave them in water over night to keep them fresh.
There are a number of easy meal plans that you can find for free on the internet, Watch this space and we will advise you.
Chicken Soup for the soul
There is nothing nicer then feeling a tummy with nice warm soup from a thermos on a cold day. You can make minestrone, vegetable or chicken soup. Again when you prepare soup make extra and freeze it. Then defrost the night before, heat in the morning and wa-lah!
Let the kids participate in preparing their lunches. It goes a long way when you can teach your child a life skill to be self sufficient while making your life easier and less stressful. Don't you agree? Your children can prepare their own lunch or help you prepare by putting things in their lunch box, the evening, before that do not require refrigeration. They can also choose their own snacks. This will also teach your children about making healthy choices for themselves.
Fast Food
It can be tempting to buy your kids fast food and once in a while it is okay if it gets you out of a bind. Surely they will consider it a nice treat. For the most part it is usually fattening and unhealthy. The amount of sodium, fat and preservatives used to keep down the price and guarantee and long shelf life is not what you want your children eating when you can avoid it.
Pat is the creator of the 'I Can Do It' family planner. She is a mother of four.
The program/planner is a fun and interactive family & school management solution which uses tried and trusted practical strategies and tools to teach your children life-skills, as well as social values.
I Can Do It! is the only practical, flexible and diverse program that infuses self esteem in your children while teaching responsibility and self-sufficiency on a daily basis .To receive a FREE copy of The 9 Tough Parenting Problems & How To Solve Them report go to http://icandoitlifeskills.com/ezine
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Lieberman_Baker
Plan lunches before your weekly grocery shop. Make out a list of what you will prepare for lunches in the up and coming week. Organization goes a long way in making your life easier.
Freeze it or dump it!
I don't know about you but I do not always make the best of my left over's. It is understandable that your children don't want to eat the same thing day after day. But you can cook a bit more of what you are preparing and freeze it in small containers that will fit in your kids lunch boxes. Then you can rotate what you are giving them to keep it healthy and interesting, while simplifying things for yourself.
Capitalise while preparing dinner by incorporating tomorrow's lunch.
While in the kitchen preparing your family's dinner, use the time to get tomorrows lunch underway.
Make a double batch of meals that taste just as good "the morning after," like; pasta, fried chicken or quiche. Plenty of kids like cold chicken. You can peel carrots and cut them up and leave them in water over night to keep them fresh.
There are a number of easy meal plans that you can find for free on the internet, Watch this space and we will advise you.
Chicken Soup for the soul
There is nothing nicer then feeling a tummy with nice warm soup from a thermos on a cold day. You can make minestrone, vegetable or chicken soup. Again when you prepare soup make extra and freeze it. Then defrost the night before, heat in the morning and wa-lah!
Let the kids participate in preparing their lunches. It goes a long way when you can teach your child a life skill to be self sufficient while making your life easier and less stressful. Don't you agree? Your children can prepare their own lunch or help you prepare by putting things in their lunch box, the evening, before that do not require refrigeration. They can also choose their own snacks. This will also teach your children about making healthy choices for themselves.
Fast Food
It can be tempting to buy your kids fast food and once in a while it is okay if it gets you out of a bind. Surely they will consider it a nice treat. For the most part it is usually fattening and unhealthy. The amount of sodium, fat and preservatives used to keep down the price and guarantee and long shelf life is not what you want your children eating when you can avoid it.
Pat is the creator of the 'I Can Do It' family planner. She is a mother of four.
The program/planner is a fun and interactive family & school management solution which uses tried and trusted practical strategies and tools to teach your children life-skills, as well as social values.
I Can Do It! is the only practical, flexible and diverse program that infuses self esteem in your children while teaching responsibility and self-sufficiency on a daily basis .To receive a FREE copy of The 9 Tough Parenting Problems & How To Solve Them report go to http://icandoitlifeskills.com/ezine
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Lieberman_Baker
Nutrition - An Essential Component of Health
A good Nutritional value of our body system helps in determining our power to sustain. Nutrition is vital for the growth and development of your body and mind. Better amount of nutrition gives sound immune system to your body which helps in preventing disease and other disorders. According to WHO, daily intake of good nutrients provides a healthy living that makes you more productive to fight hunger and poverty.
Classification of nutrients
Nutrients can be broadly classified into two groups: macro- nutrients and micro- nutrients.
Macro- Nutrients - Carbohydrates, Fats and Protein
Micro- Nutrients - Minerals and Vitamins
Macro- nutrients provides structural material to the body. This includes amino acids and lipids that help in building protein and cell membranes respectively. Molecules of carbohydrates and fats contain atoms of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. But a protein has nitrogen in addition to carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
And micro- nutrient provides protection to your body system as it consists of antioxidants. Deficiency in vitamins can cause several diseases like goitre, scurvy, pre-mature aging, poor psychological health and impaired immune system.
It is been noticed that no single food can compliment our basic diet, hence it is essential that we intake a variety of food items. It is said to be five main food groups:
Fruits
Vegetables
Cereal and pulses
Dairy
Poultry, fish and meat products
You can balance your nutrients with such assorted items of food. The adequate amount of nutrition always ensures a proper health to you. They play vital role in building the mental strength as well. Therefore many nutritional awareness campaigns emphasize on food that gives apt amount of nutrients to your child.
Nutrients affected diseases
Over nutrition- Consuming excessive nutrients and less exercise results in accumulation of fats. This cause obesity which is the paramount problem of many countries. It can also lead to diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Apart from this, overly high storage of vitamins which is known as vitamin poisoning also results in toxic symptoms. Similarly iron overloaded disorders are caused by over- accumulation of iron in body.
Deficit nutrition- Disease like kwashiorkor, malnutrition, metal retardation and marasmus occurs due to deficiency of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In addition, deficiency in following nutrients results in certain diseases-
Calcium- Osteoporosis, rickets and tetany.
Vitamin B1 ( thiamine)- beriberi
Vitamin C- scurvy
Iron- iron deficiency anaemia
Zinc- growth retardation
Iodine- iodine deficiency
The necessity of adequate nutrients has risen as our children seem to lack concentration nowadays. You may notice their poor performance and obtuse respond in school activities. Many child health problems are rooted in their basic diet which is normally full of junk and canned food. Since we give up for taste and overlook the nutritional value of a food, we tend to set examples for our kids who imitate our eating habits. Hence it has become imperative to teach your child the healthy eating habits. This will not only help him to develop but also provide resistance for many diseases.
For any help on Nutrition, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the nutrients!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michel_Disusa
Classification of nutrients
Nutrients can be broadly classified into two groups: macro- nutrients and micro- nutrients.
Macro- Nutrients - Carbohydrates, Fats and Protein
Micro- Nutrients - Minerals and Vitamins
Macro- nutrients provides structural material to the body. This includes amino acids and lipids that help in building protein and cell membranes respectively. Molecules of carbohydrates and fats contain atoms of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. But a protein has nitrogen in addition to carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
And micro- nutrient provides protection to your body system as it consists of antioxidants. Deficiency in vitamins can cause several diseases like goitre, scurvy, pre-mature aging, poor psychological health and impaired immune system.
It is been noticed that no single food can compliment our basic diet, hence it is essential that we intake a variety of food items. It is said to be five main food groups:
Fruits
Vegetables
Cereal and pulses
Dairy
Poultry, fish and meat products
You can balance your nutrients with such assorted items of food. The adequate amount of nutrition always ensures a proper health to you. They play vital role in building the mental strength as well. Therefore many nutritional awareness campaigns emphasize on food that gives apt amount of nutrients to your child.
Nutrients affected diseases
Over nutrition- Consuming excessive nutrients and less exercise results in accumulation of fats. This cause obesity which is the paramount problem of many countries. It can also lead to diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Apart from this, overly high storage of vitamins which is known as vitamin poisoning also results in toxic symptoms. Similarly iron overloaded disorders are caused by over- accumulation of iron in body.
Deficit nutrition- Disease like kwashiorkor, malnutrition, metal retardation and marasmus occurs due to deficiency of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In addition, deficiency in following nutrients results in certain diseases-
Calcium- Osteoporosis, rickets and tetany.
Vitamin B1 ( thiamine)- beriberi
Vitamin C- scurvy
Iron- iron deficiency anaemia
Zinc- growth retardation
Iodine- iodine deficiency
The necessity of adequate nutrients has risen as our children seem to lack concentration nowadays. You may notice their poor performance and obtuse respond in school activities. Many child health problems are rooted in their basic diet which is normally full of junk and canned food. Since we give up for taste and overlook the nutritional value of a food, we tend to set examples for our kids who imitate our eating habits. Hence it has become imperative to teach your child the healthy eating habits. This will not only help him to develop but also provide resistance for many diseases.
For any help on Nutrition, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the nutrients!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michel_Disusa
Children's Nutrition Starts With Regular Mealtimes
Children will eat at different times of the day if we allow them to. But should we schedule meals throughout the day, or is it better to eat on demand?
The answer depends on the age of the child. Newborns don't have their time clock set in any direction yet. Their sleeping cycle is not established and their eating time is erratic. At this age it is important to feed on demand; with time the baby will be able to go a number of hours without food and feedings become more predictable by about 3 months of age. Some baby care books advise to offer food to newborns every 3 hours around-the-clock, but if the baby feels hungry before the 3 hour limit you will end up with a crying baby, and a crying mother.
During the newborn period my advice is to pay attention to feeding/hunger cues and offer breast milk or formula on demand. After a few months, the baby will develop a semi-schedule of feeding, and the time in between feedings will be approximately 3 hours.
When the baby starts getting some sense of circadian rhythm, that is, when he/she becomes aware of the difference between day and night, he may cluster-feed in the evening while he gets used to transitioning to the night. This is a normal occurrence and does not in any way signify that the baby is not learning; to the contrary, it means the newborn is now able to sense a change and his/her brain is ready to transition to the night.
By about 3 months of age most babies eat every 3 hours during the day and they cluster feed in the evening, from about 5 PM to 9 PM. They then are capable of sleeping 10 to 12 hours with an early morning feeding between 6 AM and 8 AM. It all has to do with the process of brain development created by the exposure to sunlight and the absence of sunlight.
When babies become toddlers, they are capable of going without food for hours. At this point many of them learn to test the rules and manipulate them to their advantage. This too is part of a natural, healthy process of learning. It is very tempting to offer the child food without much of a schedule with the purpose of assuring enough calorie intake for the day. It is more tempting when you are dealing with a picky eater: parents spend their days chasing poor meals by offering food right afterwards in order to make up for it. This technique does work for the most part. At the end of the day parents feel as if they have done their best at trying to feed this picky eater. But when we look at the quality of the food ingested the results may not be so healthy.
By offering food without a schedule we end up giving too many snacks of poor nutritional quality. Since the snacks taste good, they reinforce the child's desire to avoid the regular meal in favor of the snack. Very soon the toddler ends up eating what he wants and never gets the opportunity to learn to eat good food.
We all learn to eat quality food when we are hungry and we don't have many choices. In order to make the child hungry, we must allow a number of hours in between meals and we must make sure we are not loading on crackers, gold fish and juice.
My advice is to offer food 4 times per day: breakfast, lunch, after-school snack and dinner. If we place breakfast as close as possible to waking up and dinner as near as feasible to going to bed, we then can situate lunch at about noon and a snack after school - or after the afternoon nap, for younger children. We now have our 4 meals with enough time in between them to become hungry.
Our body is designed to function better this way. We know that the production of Growth Hormone is important for children's growth and development. This hormone is secreted by a gland inside the brain, the anterior pituitary. The secretion of Growth Hormone is not continuous but pulsatile; it does increase by certain stimuli. One of the stimuli for Growth Hormone secretion is a substance called Ghrelin, which is secreted by the stomach when we are hungry. So, we are programmed to be hungry at certain times and being hungry is not bad for us.
In our society we have learned to avoid the sensation of hunger at all cost. Food is readily available and, for the most part, it is socially acceptable to eat anywhere at any time.
Snacking too much creates another negative accomplishment: it gives us the opportunity to teach the child to associate food and emotions. At this is not a good association, especially in toddlers, who are emotional and ready to let us know when things don't go their way.
When a parent gets into the habit of carrying food with them and giving snacks to the child, they end up offering those snacks when the toddler is upset and about to throw a temper tantrum; the child then eats while going to the grocery store and when in the doctor's office. They eat while driving in the car and while going for a ride in their stroller... You get the picture.
The association of food and emotions is not a good one to acquire. When these children become adults they are going to have a hard time staying away from food and this bad habit may contribute to the development of health problems.
As the mother of 3 children I learned my lesson early on. I have to say I had the advantage of having grown up in a society with very strict rules when it came to eating etiquette. Although looking back I find some of those rules a little too strict, they did help me do the right thing when my children were growing up.
Today's mothers are constantly receiving conflicting information about nutrition, as some of the food manufacturer's point out the benefits of vegetable puffs or vitamin-enhanced crackers. As a rule of thumb, if it doesn't look or taste like a vegetable or a fruit, it is not likely to be a vegetable or a fruit.
Another word that sells these days is "natural", and I do like this word. Let's go back to the "natural" way of eating: offer the real thing at mealtime only. You are going to end up ahead when it comes to assuring good nutrition for your children.
Pediatrician Dr. Marta Katalenas is on a crusade against childhood obesity. Children are not responsible for buying or preparing their own food, and Dr. Katalenas believes the cooperation of the entire family is essential in the fight against childhood obesity. She is available for public speaking engagements and is located in the Austin, Texas area. Pediatric Center of Round Rock.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Marta_Katalenas
The answer depends on the age of the child. Newborns don't have their time clock set in any direction yet. Their sleeping cycle is not established and their eating time is erratic. At this age it is important to feed on demand; with time the baby will be able to go a number of hours without food and feedings become more predictable by about 3 months of age. Some baby care books advise to offer food to newborns every 3 hours around-the-clock, but if the baby feels hungry before the 3 hour limit you will end up with a crying baby, and a crying mother.
During the newborn period my advice is to pay attention to feeding/hunger cues and offer breast milk or formula on demand. After a few months, the baby will develop a semi-schedule of feeding, and the time in between feedings will be approximately 3 hours.
When the baby starts getting some sense of circadian rhythm, that is, when he/she becomes aware of the difference between day and night, he may cluster-feed in the evening while he gets used to transitioning to the night. This is a normal occurrence and does not in any way signify that the baby is not learning; to the contrary, it means the newborn is now able to sense a change and his/her brain is ready to transition to the night.
By about 3 months of age most babies eat every 3 hours during the day and they cluster feed in the evening, from about 5 PM to 9 PM. They then are capable of sleeping 10 to 12 hours with an early morning feeding between 6 AM and 8 AM. It all has to do with the process of brain development created by the exposure to sunlight and the absence of sunlight.
When babies become toddlers, they are capable of going without food for hours. At this point many of them learn to test the rules and manipulate them to their advantage. This too is part of a natural, healthy process of learning. It is very tempting to offer the child food without much of a schedule with the purpose of assuring enough calorie intake for the day. It is more tempting when you are dealing with a picky eater: parents spend their days chasing poor meals by offering food right afterwards in order to make up for it. This technique does work for the most part. At the end of the day parents feel as if they have done their best at trying to feed this picky eater. But when we look at the quality of the food ingested the results may not be so healthy.
By offering food without a schedule we end up giving too many snacks of poor nutritional quality. Since the snacks taste good, they reinforce the child's desire to avoid the regular meal in favor of the snack. Very soon the toddler ends up eating what he wants and never gets the opportunity to learn to eat good food.
We all learn to eat quality food when we are hungry and we don't have many choices. In order to make the child hungry, we must allow a number of hours in between meals and we must make sure we are not loading on crackers, gold fish and juice.
My advice is to offer food 4 times per day: breakfast, lunch, after-school snack and dinner. If we place breakfast as close as possible to waking up and dinner as near as feasible to going to bed, we then can situate lunch at about noon and a snack after school - or after the afternoon nap, for younger children. We now have our 4 meals with enough time in between them to become hungry.
Our body is designed to function better this way. We know that the production of Growth Hormone is important for children's growth and development. This hormone is secreted by a gland inside the brain, the anterior pituitary. The secretion of Growth Hormone is not continuous but pulsatile; it does increase by certain stimuli. One of the stimuli for Growth Hormone secretion is a substance called Ghrelin, which is secreted by the stomach when we are hungry. So, we are programmed to be hungry at certain times and being hungry is not bad for us.
In our society we have learned to avoid the sensation of hunger at all cost. Food is readily available and, for the most part, it is socially acceptable to eat anywhere at any time.
Snacking too much creates another negative accomplishment: it gives us the opportunity to teach the child to associate food and emotions. At this is not a good association, especially in toddlers, who are emotional and ready to let us know when things don't go their way.
When a parent gets into the habit of carrying food with them and giving snacks to the child, they end up offering those snacks when the toddler is upset and about to throw a temper tantrum; the child then eats while going to the grocery store and when in the doctor's office. They eat while driving in the car and while going for a ride in their stroller... You get the picture.
The association of food and emotions is not a good one to acquire. When these children become adults they are going to have a hard time staying away from food and this bad habit may contribute to the development of health problems.
As the mother of 3 children I learned my lesson early on. I have to say I had the advantage of having grown up in a society with very strict rules when it came to eating etiquette. Although looking back I find some of those rules a little too strict, they did help me do the right thing when my children were growing up.
Today's mothers are constantly receiving conflicting information about nutrition, as some of the food manufacturer's point out the benefits of vegetable puffs or vitamin-enhanced crackers. As a rule of thumb, if it doesn't look or taste like a vegetable or a fruit, it is not likely to be a vegetable or a fruit.
Another word that sells these days is "natural", and I do like this word. Let's go back to the "natural" way of eating: offer the real thing at mealtime only. You are going to end up ahead when it comes to assuring good nutrition for your children.
Pediatrician Dr. Marta Katalenas is on a crusade against childhood obesity. Children are not responsible for buying or preparing their own food, and Dr. Katalenas believes the cooperation of the entire family is essential in the fight against childhood obesity. She is available for public speaking engagements and is located in the Austin, Texas area. Pediatric Center of Round Rock.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Marta_Katalenas
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