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Help
toddlers avoid a future of obesity
Nov. 27, 03
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
We’re
fast raising the next generation of junk
food junkies.
And they get an early start, according to
a study presented at the annual meeting
of the American Dietetic Association last
month in San Antonio.
That study – which took a snapshot
of the eating habits of children ages
4-24 months – found that French
fries, soft drinks, and candy were a
regular part of the diet for a sizeable
number of young kids.
Hot dogs, sausage and bacon were daily
staples for others.
Just as noteworthy was what the junk was
displacing.
One third of children studied ate no
fruits or vegetables on the day of the
survey. Of those that ate a vegetable,
the most common choice for kids 15 months
and older was French fries.
One immediate result of such a
nutrient-starved, junk-laden diet: kids
in the 1-2 year age range got
substantially more calories than they
needed, setting them up for future
overweight and the health problems that
come with it.
What should you make of this study?
Consider it an early warning. Many people
are oblivious to the fact that what they
feed the very young really does matter.
Eating habits really do become entrenched
at a very early age.
And those habits can pave the way for a
life of health or chronic illness.
If you hold any sway over the diet of a
young person, do what you can to remedy
problems now and encourage a healthful
start.
And remember: it’s never too early.
As soon as a child is ready to eat solid
food, the education should begin.
Here’s what you can do:
* Let them choose. Whenever feasible,
empower kids to choose from among a few
wholesome meal or snack options. It
increases the likelihood of acceptance
and meets their growing need to exercise
independence.
* Show variety. Keep a range of foods on
hand that vary in color, texture, and
flavor. Don’t give up on any
particular food. Kids are fickle –
today’s reject may be
tomorrow’s favorite.
* Get kids involved in meal prep. Kids
who have a hand in shopping for food,
planning, preparing, and cleaning up
after meals are more likely to eat the
food that’s served. Even toddlers
can place ingredients into a pan or help
shred lettuce or shuck corn.
* Be positive. A positive attitude about
food is contagious. Kids will take your
cue and react towards foods accordingly.
* Be a role model. Let kids see you
enjoying the foods you’d like them
to eat. And if you don’t want them
craving soft drinks, don’t let them
see you downing them yourself.
And about those hotdogs and French fries
…
Offer some acceptable substitutes. Not
fakes but good-tasting alternatives. For
instance:
*Instead of French fries, serve
oven-baked potato chunks or wedges.
* Instead of soft drinks, serve fruit
juice spiked with seltzer water.
* Instead of candy, encourage kids to
snack on fresh or dried fruit.
It’s all a matter of habit, what you
get used to. Need more ideas for
healthful snacks or light meals? Kids
like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,
mashed potatoes, raw vegetable sticks
with low fat dip, whole grain muffins,
pancakes and waffles, nonfat flavored
yogurt or soy yogurt, bean burritos,
noodles with tomato sauce, and milkshakes
made with frozen bananas or berries mixed
with skim milk or fortified soy or rice
milk.
They’ll be making all their own
choices soon enough. In the little window
of time that you have to guide them, do
everything you can do to launch them in
the right direction.
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