Nutrition/Recipes/Food for Children

If you want to give your children a gift that will last throughout their lifetime, teach them to eat a healthy diet. Kids want to be smart, beautiful and strong. You can help them achieve these goals by encouraging them to Eat for Health! Like adults, they too need information and guidance regarding what healthy food choices are and what they are not.

Current Trends

Overweight children are a growing part of our population. They have increased in numbers by 50% in the past ten years to represent about 15% of our population. Of course, the diet they consume accounts for this rise in girth. It is estimated that more than 10% of the food consumed by children is fast food, which is laden with chemicals and hidden sugars.

Sugar is a huge contributor to many health problems for children. Below are just a few of the evils caused by sugar:

• Suppresses the immune system and impairs defense against infectious disease.
• Causes a rapid rise in adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
• Causes saliva to become acidic, leading to tooth decay and gum disease.
• Causes food allergies.
• Reduces the learning capacity, adversely affecting school children’s grades and cause learning disorders.
• Worsens the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In fact, juvenile rehabilitation camps that reduce sugar intake have noted a 44% drop in antisocial behavior when children were put on a low sugar diet.

What You Can Do

The number one rule for teaching your children to eat a healthy diet is to lead by example. A 2001 study demonstrated that parents who are well educated regarding healthy food choices can significantly aid their children in reducing their fat and sugar intake, while increasing their fruits and vegetables.

Remember that food bonds a family. To help your kids establish good eating habits, involve them in menu planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation. Whole, fresh, local, natural foods are the keys to eating well. Choosing organic whenever possible will limit the amount of chemicals to which your children are exposed (bear in mind that toxins become concentrated in their tiny bodies).

Food themes are great and go a long way in teaching kids about the nutritional content of foods and how to prepare them for optimal enjoyment. A fun project might be helping your child create a cookbook of his/her favorite recipes.

Here are some other positive eating habits you can teach your kids:

• Encourage them to eat regular meals and healthy snacks.
• Don’t allow them to skip breakfast (this is the worst). We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and of course it stands to reason. After sleeping for 8 – 10 hours, blood sugar levels are low and the body must refuel for the day.
• Don’t buy your kids sugar laden cereals. If you need a quick breakfast option, consider making a healthy and tasty breakfast smoothie (see the recipe below).
• Provide healthy beverages – make soda pop a thing of the past. Instead make iced tea from fruit flavored herbal teas, such as raspberry, blueberry, peach, and apple-cranberry.
• Make sure that fresh fruits and vegetables are a part of every meal and snack.
• Teach your children to make fresh dips and spreads, such as guacamole, hummus, nut butters and mild salsa.
• Garden with your children; they will learn where food comes from and how it gets from the earth to your table.
• Encourage your children to set the table and create the ambiance for meal time, such as soft music, low lighting, and meal time conversation. Turn off the TV.
• Keep stress away from the table. Stress makes digestion difficult. Everyone will benefit from keeping things light during meal time.

“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go!” Smoothie

Children love this recipe and you will too. They can even help with preparation! Great for breakfast and an after school snack.
Organic ingredients are recommended.

• 1 cup yogurt, kefir (plain or flavored), rice, coconut, goat, cow or almond milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit (berries, pineapple, banana, or a combination of these)
• 1 Tablespoon whey-based protein powder
• 1 Tablespoon fish or flax oil

Optional ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon sunflower or pumpkin seeds (soaked in water overnight)
• 1 Tablespoon freshly ground flaxseeds
• 1 Tablespoon of unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 Tablespoon green powder (spirulina, barley or chlorella, etc.)
• 1-2 Tablespoons of honey, maple syrup, or agave to taste
• 1 Teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and/or cocoa powder

Put all ingredients into blender or smoothie maker and whir until combined and all fruit is pureed. Enjoy!

Note: If using fresh fruit, include a few ice cubes to create the “smoothie” texture.