As a part 2 to National Dairy Month and ensuring your child is getting enough calcium and vitamin D, here is a list of the top foods rich in these two nutrients:

Vitamin D

Cod liver oil, 1 Tablespoon” amount=“1,360 IU

Salmon, cooked, 3½ ounces” amount=“360 IU

Mackerel, cooked, 3½ ounces” amount=“345 IU

Tuna fish, canned in oil, 3 ounces” amount=“200 IU

Sardines, canned in oil, 1¾ ounces” amount=“250 IU

Milk, vitamin D fortified, 1 cup” amount=“98 IU”

Margarine, fortified, 1 Tablespoon” amount=“60 IU

Pudding, prepared with vitamin D fortified milk, 1/2 cup” amount=“50 IU

Ready-to-eat cereals fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 3/4 cup” amount=“40 IU

Egg yolk, 1 whole” amount=“20 IU

Beef Liver, cooked, 3 1/2 ounces” amount=“15 IU

“Swiss Cheese, 1 ounce” amount=“12 IU

Calcium:

June is National Dairy Month and a great reminder that we need to help kids develop strong bones and good eating habits to ensure their bones stay strong.  Dairy is so important because it is the main source of vitamin D and calcium for most kids.  Bones need calcium and calcium needs vitamin D in order to get absorbed into the body.  So these two nutrients go hand in hand to help kids form strong bones.

There are so many studies that indicate our children are not getting enough calcium and/or vitamin D.   There could be lots of reasons for this.  Maybe the child does not like milk and refuses to drink it or maybe they are lactose intolerant, or perhaps they are on a vegan diet.  Whatever the reason, it is important to help kids get these two nutrients.

One thing about dairy, it can be very high in fat.  So look for lowfat or even better, if you can wean them down to nonfat (skim) that is the best.

For lactose intolerant kids, there are now plenty of lactose free dairy products.  I know, because both my husband and son are lactose intolerant and so I only carry lactose free products in my home.  They are usually located in the same section as the dairy products but read the labels and make sure it says “lactose free”.

For parents who have kids who don’t like milk- perhaps some creative snacking ideas.

• Make hot meals like oatmeal and soups with low-fat or fat-free milk instead of water
• low fat yogurt goes great with some fresh fruit, you can even add a little fiber cereal to give it some crunch (and fiber)
• Add a little lowfat cheese (1 ounce or 1 slice) to some scrambled eggs and wrap it in a whole grain tortilla
• Kids love to dip!  Try some veggies and a low-fat yogurt-based dip,
• Kids love sticks – try some skewers with low fat cheese cubes and fruit
• Serve low-fat or fat-free milk with meals
• Some may argue with chocolate milk, but sometimes it is the only way to get them to drink, but be careful of the calories and sugar

For our vegan kids:  look for foods that are high in vitamin D and foods that are high in calcium

There are many calcium fortified foods, orange juice, dark green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin D is a little harder to find in foods naturally.  Talk to your pediatrician about how to ensure that your child gets the necessary amounts of vitamin D in their diet. We are not experts on vegan diets but there are many out there and a dietitian consult can be very helpful.

Vegan Resources:

Vegan Health.org

Vegan Mom

You may be interested in:

Family Tips – Calcium Rich Foods for Each Meal

‘Building Strong Bones and Teeth’ Healthy Contract – Printable Agreement

Building Strong Bones and Teeth – Printable Calcium Tracking Sheet

National study shows that many kids in the US don’t get enough vitamin D

New study shows 70% of kids are low in vitamin D

High Calcium Food List

Milk Food Group Learning Sheets

A new study indicates that children with a higher level of the pesticide, malathion, in their system are at an increased risk to having “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD).

Currently, ADHD is estimated to affect about 3-7% of children.  This population has been growing dramatically over the last 30-40 years.  Other studies are indicating that there might be a link between pesticides and other development problems.

How can we give our children fresh fruits and vegetables that is so important for a healthy diet and avoid these pesticides?  That is the dilemma many parents are facing.  Of course, you can purchase organic produce but many parents can’t afford that.

Well there is a list, called the dirty dozen that are the produce known to have the highest amounts of pesticides.  At least try to purchase these 12 food items as organic produce.  Another option is your local farmers’ markets.  Local farmers tend not to use these pesticides even if they can’t officially label their produce as “organic”.

Resources:

Find out if your favorite fruits and vegetables are high in pesticides

Going Organic a little or all the way, here are some tips

Fun kid friendly guide to buying organic foods

Fiber is so important in our diets and most kids (and even adults) don’t get enough.

I have put together some helpful tips to help you get your child  gradually increase fiber in their diet:

• Choose whole grain cereals for breakfast such as Raisin Bran or Wheat Bran.  Select cereals with at least 3 grams of fiber or more per serving.

• Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices. Whole fruit has more fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Plus an apple or a handful of berries will keep your child feeling full longer than a glass of fruit juice.

• Use whole grain bread, rolls, pita or bagels for sandwiches

• Before your kids get home from school, set out a bowl of carrots, celery, cucumbers or cherry tomatoes with a low fat dip for snacking.

• Replace white rice, bread and pastas with brown rice and whole grain products. If your kids resist at first, try mixing in half brown rice or whole wheat pasta and gradually add more.

• Cut back on refined foods. In many refined foods, the fiber containing parts have been removed.

• Snack on dried fruits such as apricots, figs or raisins. Have your child make their own trail mix using raisins, peanuts, and oat bran cereal.

• Encourage your child to use the Nutrition Facts label to find out how much fiber is in each serving of food. A good rule of thumb to remember is if the food has 5 grams or more per serving it is considered high in fiber.

• Be a positive role model; children learn many of their behaviors by watching what older siblings and grown-ups do. The next time the fresh vegetables are passed to you, take a serving and say, “I love fresh vegetables!” Soon your child will be eating it and saying they love it too.

You may also be interested in:
Fiber and Your Child: How Much Fiber is Enough? ‘Nourish Healthy Kids’

Foods to Boost Your Child’s Fiber PDF of foods high in fiber ( nutrition information serving size and grams)

Healthy Foods Shopping List Print a grocery list organized by the Food Pyramid groups

Fun web pages for kids:

Fiber and Healthy Hearts Story for Kids Cute nutrition story written for children

Fiber Power – Kids Fun Contract To Eat More Fiber Agreement sheet to set goals to eat more fiber rich foods

Fiber Power – Tracking Sheet for Kids Encourage more fiber rich foods – keep track daily and weekly.

Color and Learn About High Fiber Foods Fun coloring page that teaches children about fiber

Fiber Color and Learn Page for Kids

Print Weekly Fiber Goal chart

Michelle Obama announced today, May 17, 2010,  that the Food and Beverage Manufacturer have agreed to make changes to their food products that will result in a 1.5 trillion calorie reduction by 2015.  That’s a lot of calories!

So what exactly does that mean.

The companies that support the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation will be offering more lower calorie options food products and creating new foods that are lower in calories.

How exactly will they do this?

• changing product recipes where possible to lower the calorie content of current products
• reducing portion sizes of existing single-serve products

I think this is a good step in the right direction and my only concern is that the food manufacturers don’t start adding chemicals and unnatural additives to substitute for lower fats and sugars in the food products.  So read the labels to make sure that low fat or low sugar or “low calorie” items are not be compensated with chemicals to make them taste good.  It is really in our hands.  If we don’t buy unhealthy foods, food manufacturers will stop making them.  If we want smaller portion goods, than we need to buy it.  That is what drives these companies, it is their sales.

But I really have a great deal of respect for Michelle Obama because she is serious in her quest.   We hear about changes all the time, but don’t really see them because there is no accountability.  Michelle doesn’t just want talk, she wants results.  To help make sure that these companies are going to honor their commitment:

“The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) will support a rigorous, independent evaluation of how the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation’s efforts to reduce calories in the marketplace affect calories consumed by children and adolescents. RWJF will publicly report its findings.”   (from press release)

Well, I will be watching and sharing more news on this topic  as it comes out.
If you have thoughts, opinions or ideas about this, please share them below

It’s food allergy month. We do have a growing population of kids with food allergies, over 3 million children. Food allergies can be a very serious condition and anyone who works with children or cares for children should know some basics about food allergy.

Here are some quick highlights for the eight most common foods kids may be allergic to:

Milk

• A milk allergy is a harmful reaction to the protein in milk. Do not confuse a milk allergy with lactose intolerance which is a problem in digesting the sugar in milk and is not actually an allergy at all.
• Like all food allergies, reading labels is a must for a milk-allergic child! Milk is in so many processed foods that cooking from scratch might be a safer alternative.
• Milk is in virtually all cheeses, butter creams, yogurt, whipped cream and sour cream. The lactose free milks do have milk protein, so make sure to avoid them.
• Casein and whey are other names that milk can be called on a label. Goat milk and sheep milk are very similar to cow’s milk. They are cross reactive which means that if your child reacts to one, they are likely to react to the others.
• Be careful when eating out or when eating food prepared by others. Ask for information about how the food was prepared. Milk can show up in unexpected places. A good example is grilled steak or chicken. Many restaurants will melt butter on the top right before serving it.

Eggs

Some children allergic to eggs can eat eggs in baked products because the protein changes during the baking process. But remember, if your child is severely allergic to eggs, completely avoiding them is the only cure.

• Most children allergic to eggs are allergic to the protein that is in the egg white. Very few children react to the protein in the egg yolk.
• Eggs can be found in cakes, cookies, egg substitutes and mayonnaise.
• There are other names for eggs that can be used on food labels such as “Ovalbumin, albumin or globulin.”
• There are egg free substitutes sold in the grocery stores that can be used for cooking and baking.
• An easy substitute for baking cookies or brownies is to use 1 ½ tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon baking powder for each egg.

Fish and Shellfish

If your child has been diagnosed with an allergy to fish or shell fish, it is likely that he/she will have the allergy for life. These allergies can come on even as an adult.

It is possible to be allergic to one and not the other. While some children are allergic to both. Separate testing is available to determine if there is an allergy to a specific type of fish.

Some dishes to avoid with a fish or shellfish allergy:

• Caesar salad dressing because most of them contain anchovies
• Fish sauce can be made with shellfish as well as fish
• Oriental sauces, pastes and prepared meals may have traces of fish or shellfish
• Caponata, a sweet and sour Italian relish may contain anchovies
• Deep-fried foods at restaurants. The same oil might be used to make chicken tenders as the deep fried fish.

Wheat allergy

The best way to avoid breads made with wheat is to make your own. Invest in a bread machine. There are several different kinds of flour to make bread. Almond flour, white rice flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot, tapioca and soy flour to name a few. Add some xanthan gum or guar gum to any recipe as a binding agent. First make sure that your child doesn’t have an allergy to these products To maintain a wheat-free diet, your child must avoid the following:

• Wheat, spelt, rye, barley in flour
• Gluten (a protein that is in wheat, rye barley and some oats)
• Distilled vinegar
• Modified food starch
• Dextrin

Make sure to check the ingredients list on salad dressings, sauces, flavorings and processed meats. Usually rice and corn are tolerated for the wheat intolerant or allergic child.

Peanuts

Peanuts are in the legume family along with peas, lima beans, and lentils to name a few. Just because your child is allergic to peanuts does not mean an allergy to any of these legumes will also be present.  An allergy test can be done on each of these foods. Here are some ingredients that you will want to stay away from:

• Anything that says nuts
• Peanut oil • Peanut flour
• Peanuts can be in Chinese dishes, egg rolls, chocolates, and candy bars
• Plain M&M’s ® and Jelly Bellys (jelly beans) label states, “processed in a plant containing peanuts.”

Always check the label and if you or your child do not recognize the ingredients – don’t eat it!

Tree Nut Family

Tree nuts include cashews, almonds, pecans and walnuts to name a few.

• Almonds are in the plum, apricot, nectarine, peach and cherry family.  Many children can be allergic to almonds yet be able to eat cherries or peaches.
• Cashews are in the cashew botanical family along with mangos and pistachios.
• Coconuts are part of the palm family.   It is certainly possible to be allergic to coconuts however they do not cross react with tree nuts meaning your child is not more likely to be allergic to coconuts just because he/she is allergic to tree nuts.

Soybeans

Soy is used in fast food restaurants and most manufactured products like salad dressing, and cereals.   Over half of processed foods have soy in their ingredient list.

Foods to stay away from include:

• Soybeans, soy protein, soy sauce, basically anything that has “soy” on the ingredient list.
• Soy is a legume and is related to peas, green beans, peanuts and carob. Some children are able to tolerate one legume and not another.
• Edamame and miso
• Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
• Canned chicken broth and vegetable broth
• Bouillon cubes (beef, chicken, vegetable, etc )
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) This is a food additive

Again, separate allergy testing is available for each of these legumes if you suspect your child might have an allergy.

Resources

Read Food Allergies and Children-This month’s ‘Nourish Healthy Kids’ article features food allergy facts, food allergy action plan pdf, and links to helpful resources for parents, caregivers, and teachers

Kids story page about food allergies. One of the kids explorer can’t eat peanuts.

There has been quite a bit of buzz about a new law passed in Santa Clara County in California.  The new law essentials bans restaurants from using toys to lure kids to meals high in fat, sugar and calories.

It is true that a toy does not make kids gain weight, it is the food.  And, yes it is also true that parents have the ultimately authority to not buy unhealthy foods for their kids.

But let’s face it.  this is marketing at its finest and parents need some help.  It is very challenging to combat the billions of dollars of advertising the food industry spends to entice kids to want their foods.  And adding that little extra toy only makes the meal that much more enticing.

I am not trying to make excuses for parents who can’t say no to their kids, but I understand that their job is not easy.  Kids can recognize the “McDonalds” golden archers before they can really talk!  I remember being a kids and wanting the cereal with the toy inside it.  I also remember how much my kids wanted the “Happy Meal”, not so much for the food but for the toy it was promoting.  Kids like toys.

There are so many studies showing how adding a fun character, game, or toy helps kids build a positive mind  association with that food.

So is the ban the ultimate solution,? No, but it can help.  We have a growing problem of unhealthy kids.  We are talking about heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and poor nutrition and it is going to take a great deal of creative organizations, laws and support from all areas of our society to change our current situation.

At Nourish Interactive, we believe strongly in early nutrition education for kids while they are still forming their food habits.   And helping kids build an association with fun and nutrition is also part of our mission.   We think it is important for kids to have fun while they learn about nutrition.  We hope our characters, nutrition games and fun nutrition activities are helping kids move towards healthy foods.

Related information:
California County bans toys in happy meals

We are really excited to share with you a new resource from our partners Healthy Monday¡  They are launching today a new section of their website devoted to COOKING WITH KIDS!

Their new section will feature:

• Tips on ways to involve children in the kitchen safely.
• Recipes that kids can help with, organized by age
• Instructional videos demonstrating new recipes and how children can participate
• And more to come!

There is so many compelling research showing the benefits to bringing kids into the kitchen and letting them participate in meal planning, shopping and cooking.  This is a great way and a fun way to have them learn about fresh foods and healthy foods!  The more they interact with healthy foods, the more they will be likely to eat them.

The kitchen represents important family time and a wonderful opportunity to help kids learn to love fresh foods, cooking and healthy meals.

We are happy to share each Monday a new “Kids Cook Monday” Tip.

Serve vegetables as an appetizer.  For example, start dinner with two green beans and two carrots!  If they’re served last or with other foods, kids often fill themselves up and leave vegetables behind.  (Kids Cook Monday Tips-Source Laptop Lunches)

Our kids may be having too many snacks and they are not the healthy kind.  This new study just released by University of Carolina, may be fuel for the big debate “should we tax sugary drinks and junk food”.

A recent study shows the following concerning trends:

• kids are moving towards three snack a day
• more than 27% of their daily calories are coming from snacks
• salty snacks and candy have the largest increase
• desserts and sweetened beverages are still the main
• Children increased their caloric intake by 113 calories per day from 1977 to 2006

This is a great time to talk to kids about healthy snacks during National Nutrition Month!  They are probably talking about it at school.  There are some ways to control snacking habits and more importantly, help kids learn to choose healthier snacks.  Here is some tips to help you teach your children when to snack and what to snack on.  Once kids are teenagers and more independent, it gets very difficult (some parents may just say “impossible”) to control their habits.  So it is best to start when they are young.  And remember, you do have control over the snacks in your home.

Read Healthy Snacks for the Kids (this article talks about summer time but the tips are still very applicable to helping kids choose healthy snacks.

American Dietetic Association gives us 25 Healthy Snack Ideas

Help kids change their habits with our cute kid-friendly “Healthy Snacks” agreement

Then make and fun and track their snack habits with this kid-friendly “Healthy Snacks” tracking sheet

Kids Coloring Page – Chef Solus Healthy Snacks