Dial In Your Child’s Back to School Nutrition

Summer eating is full of poolside popsicles, juice boxes, barbeque cookouts, easy snacks for road trips and dining out while on vacation. With back to school is just around the corner, it is a perfect opportunity to recalibrate your child’s nutritional habits to help them feel good and perform well at school.

The Committee on Nutrition, which is part of the American Academy of Pediatrics, studies the nutritional needs of children from infancy through adolescence. The guidelines they develop become the recommendations you will hear from your pediatrician on how to foster optimal health status for your children.

Recap: The Five Food Groups

We all know the major food groups that should make up our diets. Below is that list along with the minimum daily servings for children:

• Vegetables: 3-5 servings
• Fruits: 2-4 servings
• Bread, pasta or cereal: 6-11 servings
• Protein: 2-3 servings
• Dairy: 2-3 servings

Let’s dive in a little deeper with what constitutes a serving in each category.

Vegetables: a serving may consist of 1 cup of raw, leafy veggies, ¾ cup of vegetable juice, or ½ cup of other vegetables which can be raw or cooked.

Fruits: ½ cup of sliced fruit, ¾ cup of fruit juice or a medium size whole fruit constitutes a serving.

Bread, pasta or cereal: Each serving should equal 1 slice of bread, ½ cup pasta (or rice) or 1 ounce of cereal.

Protein: 2-3 servings of 2-3 ounces of cooked poultry, fish or lean meat per day is best. Protein can also be obtained through ½ cup of cooked, dry beans, an egg or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for each ounce of lean meat.

Dairy: A serving is considered 1 cup of low-fat milk or yogurt or 1 ½ ounces o natural cheese.

Why Fiber is Important

Fiber is a carbohydrate that is usually undigestible and beneficial in children to help ease constipation. It is found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans some breads and cereals (look for fiber-rich whole grain) so if your child is eating a balanced diet, it’s likely they are getting the recommended amount of fiber needed.

Foods with fiber also contain loads of vitamins and nutrients that may help reduce the risk of obesity, certain cancers and heart disease.

Why Kids Need Protein

Protein is a building block for little bodies to grow, develop and function properly. This includes their ability to build new tissues and produce antibodies to help fight infections and. Protein contains essential amino acids that make children’s immune systems stronger to fight serious diseases.

It is important to pay attention to the amount of red meat and shellfish consumed as they can be high in cholesterol and fat.

Yes, Everyone Needs Fat

Fats have been given a bad rap but the truth is our bodies cannot live with it. Fats are concentrated sources of energy that provide fatty acids which are essential to many bodily processes, including metabolism and vitamin absorption.

Saturated fats should be monitored as they can contribute to heart disease later in life. The general rule is that fats should make up less than 30% of the calories in your child’s diet. Your children will learn their eating habits early, so feeding them foods lower in fat and saturated fats will provide them with an understanding of how to eat healthy when they are older.

Sugar & Salt, Not Always So Nice

Possibly two of the sneakiest food items that can contribute to obesity and other co-morbidities are sugar and salt. Sugary foods may taste delicious but they provide very little nutritional value. These empty calories often mean kids are leaving the healthier options behind and build unhealthy eating habits.

Salt use is another learned eating habit. If kids don’t have a lot of salt added to their food when they are young, they will not feel the need to add more salt when they are older. You can cook with herbs spices to add flavor in lieu of the salt. It’s also important to read food labels to check the sodium content. Processed foods are often very high in sugar and in salt as the salt helps preserve the food for a longer shelf life.

References

American Academy of Pediatrics:
https://www.aap.org/en/community/aap-committees/committee-on-nutrition

Healthy Children:
https://www.healthychildren.org