Transcript Nutrition Myths and Mysteries Cutting through the hype to feed your

Nutrition Myths and Mysteries
Cutting through the hype to feed
your family healthfully
Anne Mahon, RD, MSPH
www.nutritionsimply.wordpress.com
Ever been confused…?
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Lowfat diet in the 80’s
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Low-carb diet in the 90’s
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Atkins, Zone, high fat/protein
Plant-based diet
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Snackwells, Wheaties, jello, skim milk
Vegan/vegetarian, earth-friendly eating
Mediterranean? French? Okinawans?
Where are we now?
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Unprecendented access to fruits, vegetables,
international cuisines
But………………….
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40% of calories come from “junk food”
25% of calories come from sugar
More calories from sugar than milk
First generation in the U.S. with a shorter life
expectancy than their parents
Babies
Why feed solids? Increased
calorie and iron needs,
learn how to eat
 When? 4-6 months, or when
he can sit supported, shows
interest, and can swallow
 What? Iron fortified whole-grain cereal, then
veggies, meats/fruits, combos
 www.gerber.com for stages
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Babies
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Whiteout campaign to eat whole grain
Allergies and intolerances
Separate new foods by 3 days
 Milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat
make up 90% of allergies
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Variety – try a new food 12-15 times
Texture – smooth purees, combo foods like
soup, choking hazards (popcorn, raisins, nuts)
Homemade Baby Food
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Benefits: cheaper, increased variety of flavors
and textures
Beware: keep tools, foods, containers sterilized
and clean, watch out for added salt
Try sweet potatoes, peas, bananas, lentils
Growing Up So Fast!
Nutrition Timeline
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6mo – 1 year: getting teeth, starting purees and
different textures; diet is based on breastmilk or
formula
1 – 2 years: can eat a greater variety of regular
foods, start losing “baby fat,” nutrition needs
start resembling adult needs
2 – 5 years: setting nutrition foundation for a
lifetime
Whole Grains
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At least half should be whole
First ingredient should be “whole wheat/oats/rye”
Multigrain, wheat, “made with” do not mean
whole grains
Also oatmeal, quinoa, millet, brown rice
Fiber, magnesium, folate, potassium, vitamin E
prevents heart disease, obesity, diabetes
Switching to whole grains
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Breakfast: oatmeal, whole-wheat pancakes/waffles,
quinoa
Lunch: 100% whole wheat bread or pita
Snacks: Triscuits, Cheerios, some granola bars
Dinner: brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole-wheat
couscous
Fruits and Veggies
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Fiber, potassium,
Daily Goal: at least one
orange, one green, and
one purple/red/white
every day
Fresh is best! Followed
by frozen, then canned,
then juices
Juice and fruit drinks
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100% juice, or made with juice?
40% of 2’s and 50% of 3’s drink a sweetened
beverage daily
Ingredients: water, corn syrup high fructose, pear
Juice from concentrate, citric acid, strawberry juice from
Concentrate, pectin, flavoring natural
Apple Juice Ingredients: apple juice
concentrate, Water, ascorbic acid,
malic acid
Snack Attack
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Snack or treat?
Snack – “stay on track”: whole grain,
fruit/veggie, protein, healthy fats
Treat – “fun to eat”: white flour, white
sugar, added fat…but fun to eat
Sugar, sugar everywhere…
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25% of preschoolers’ calories comes from
added sugars
High fructose corn syrup, dextrose, xylitol,
sucrose, evaporated cane juice…
Tips for cutting the sugar out:
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avoid sugar-drinks
limit desserts/treats to one/day
at least ½ as much fiber as sugar in cereals
and snacks
Picky Eater solutions
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Remember, 12-15 tries
Two bite rule
Involve kids in prep
Dip it! – yogurt dip, hummus, PB
Separate it – Bento boxes, divided plates
Hide it – smoothies, lasagna, soup
Limit snacks before meals
Serve the “offensive” food first when the child is
hungriest, followed by foods you know she likes
Set the example – if you eat it, they want it
Setting the example
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You and your child: similar needs, same
challenges
Similar patterns: too much solid fat and
sugar, too little fiber, iron, vitamin D,
healthy fats
Similar goals: Add more healthy fats,
whole grains, fruits & veggies
Three secrets to healthy eating
1.
2.
Meal planning
Grocery list – and stick to it!
Structure
+
Nurture
= happy, healthy family meals
3.
Meal Planning
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10-20 minutes can save you hundreds of dollars
and 3-5 hours
Weekly menus work best
Include lunch, breakfast, snacks
You are what you eat, and you eat what you are…plan
meals to work with your week
Meal Planning Methods
Day Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Sun oatmeal leftovers eggs/toast
Mon muffins pbj
pot roast
Tues oatmeal hummus taco salad
Wed granola
FF
shep. pie
Thurs oatmeal pbj
salmon burger
Fri
oatmeal
leftover HM pizza
Sat waffles
sandwich grilled chix
Match it to your
personality and
lifestyle
 More exact if you
have less storage space and flexibility
 What’s in your pantry? What’s on sale? What
does your husband want?
 Prep once/eat twice to save time and cleanup
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Meal Planning - Sides
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Bagged salad
Sweet potatoes
Frozen veggies, variety
Seasonal fruits and veggies: roasted, steamed,
raw, cut into fun shapes
Keep It Simple, Sweetheart (KISS)
Grocery Shopping
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Limit trips – make a list
Meals and snacks
Don’t go hungry
Use it as a learning opportunity for kids
Colors and names of produce
 Reading
 I spy
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Structure + Nurture = Healthy
Family
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Structure
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Regular meals and snacks
Parents choose what foods to buy
Parents are consistent about mealtime expectations
Nurture
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Watch for kids’ changing needs
Make food fun
Let kids make age-appropriate decisions
“Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife” Proverbs
17:1
A day in my shoes
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Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me
will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be
thirsty. John 6:35