Tagged with 'child-nutrition'

Children eat 1,640 dinner meals before the age of five. During that time, their eating habits are like cobwebs, easy to change. After five, their eating habits are more like cables, with powerful holds on their life and health.

Use that birth to 5 timeframe to your advantage by considering the tips listed below. If your kids are over five years old, children develop a natural preference for the foods they enjoy the most, so the challenge is to make healthy choices appealing. Of course, no matter how good your intentions, it’s always going to be difficult to convince your eight-year-old that an apple is as sweet as a cookie. However, you can ensure your children’s diet is as nutritious and wholesome as possible, even while allowing for some of their favorite treats.

Tips to Promote Healthy Childhood Eating

Have Regular Family Meals. It’s more than just eating together. You eat. You talk. You listen. You laugh. You learn. Family meals connect families in powerful ways.

Knowing dinner is served at approximately the same time every night and the entire family will be sitting down together is comforting and enhances appetite. Breakfast is another great time for a family meal, especially since kids who eat breakfast tend to do better in school.

An increase in the frequency of family meals is also associated with higher nutrient intakes (including calcium, iron, vitamins, and fiber) and lower intakes of saturated and trans fats. This blog talks about how dinner rituals correlate with a child’s weight. 

Cook More Meals at Home. Eating home-cooked meals is healthier for the whole family and sets a great example for kids about the importance of food. Restaurant meals tend to have more fat, sugar, and salt. Save dining out for special occasions.

Get Kids Involved. Children enjoy helping adults shop for groceries, selecting what goes in their lunch box, and preparing dinner. They also like washing vegetables. They’ll enjoy eating them more if they help prepare them. It's also a chance for you to teach them about the nutritional value in different foods, and (for older children) how to read food labels. My 3½ year-old frequently asks how certain foods help his body. I find myself telling him things such as, “chicken gives you big muscles,” “carrots help you see better” and “fish makes your heart healthy.”

Walk the Talk. A child's impulse to imitate is strong, so it’s important you act as a role model for your kids. Sooner or later, kids will do as you do. It’s no good asking your child to eat fruit and vegetables while you gorge on potato chips and soda. Let them see you eating a variety of different fruits and vegetables. If you don’t like a particular fruit or vegetable, by all means, NEVER, and I mean NEVER, tell your child that. Fake it!! If your child knows you don’t like it, they won’t want to eat it either!

Make a Variety of Healthy Snacks Available (instead of empty calorie snacks). Children learn to enjoy healthy snacks if offered to them consistently. Keep plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grain snacks, and healthy beverages (water, milk) around and easily accessible so kids become used to reaching for healthy snacks instead of empty calorie snacks like soda, chips, or cookies.

Some of my favorite go-to snacks for my kids are fruits and vegetables, as mentioned above, and also: dried fruit (mango, pineapple, apricots, apples, bananas, cranberries, raisins), dried coconut, coconut chips, veggie and kale chips, nutrition bars (Luna, Kind, Amazing Grass), almonds, pistachio nuts, trail mix, whole grain crackers, string cheese, baby carrots, and any type of fresh fruit.

Make Meal Time Enjoyable. I remember sitting at the table for at least 30 minutes after dinner was over, while my mom insisted I take a bite of green peas. Horrible! Please don't force your kids to eat certain things, don’t insist your child clean the plate, and never use food as a reward or bribe. Mom and dad decide what to feed the kids, and it's your child's responsibility to decide how much to eat.  

Keep in mind, children need to be offered a new food as many as 10-15 times before they will eat it! Please don't give up or say "he doesn't like that." He/she may surprise you!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

As a dietitian and a parent, it saddens me to know one in three children in the United States is overweight or obese. How did we get to this extreme point?! Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once only seen in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and it makes me contemplate what parents can do, including myself, to grow happy, healthy children.

What Can Parents Do?

The good news is childhood obesity can be prevented. It’s a life balance of eating healthier, becoming more active, and reducing screen time (TV, ipad, video games, etc.) As a national campaign, it’s important for communities, health professionals, and families to work together to create opportunities for kids to eat healthier and get more active.

Ideas for Taking Steps Toward Reducing Your Child’s Risk of Childhood Obesity:

Boost Fruits and Vegetable Intake

--Offer fruits and vegetables first. Don’t wait until dinner to offer vegetables. Kids will almost always go for the starch on their plate first, so by the time they get to the vegetables, they’re full.

--One trick that works for my 2 and 3 y.o. boys is to give them a carrot or celery stick first thing in the morning when they’re hungry but I’m still making breakfast. I also make a veggie plate as an “appetizer” before dinner when they’re hungry but it isn’t ready yet. The vegetables work great because it gives them something to eat, but doesn’t ruin their appetite. Even better, it gets them to eat their veggies!

--Keep fresh fruit and vegetables within reach. You decide what they eat, so place foods you want them to eat within their reach.

--When going out-and-about, I always pack dried fruit for my kids to snack on. They're not messy, tasty, and an easy way to sneak in fruit. Their favorites are dried pineapple, mango, banana, cherries and raisins.

Exercise as a Family

Go on a family walk or bike ride after dinner, go hiking on the week-ends, have a bowling night, take them roller skating, take them to a local outdoor track and let them run around while you walk/jog laps or run stadium stairs, play baseball or go to the batting cages, hit golf balls at the driving range,  or go to the swimming pool.

Gifting Physical Activity

For gift ideas, give things that promote being active, such as a soccer ball, bike, scooter, new running shoes, balloons to hit around, or a trampoline.

Involve Your Kids

Get your kids involved in planning and cooking meals. If your kids are old enough, let them pick the meal, and ensure they include a vegetable of their choice. Depending on their age, allow your child to chop the veggies, or you chop them and let your child put the salad together.

Activity in Extreme Temps

For the winter months or extremely hot months (depending on where you live), seek out indoor play areas, such as indoor bounce house facilities, gymnastic open gyms, climbing walls, indoor parks and climbing structures, indoor soccer field, and roller skating rinks.

Monitor Screen Time

My kids are only 2 and 3 years old, and at such a young age, I can see how excessive screen time could already become a concern. Kids love watching TV! But that doesn’t mean it’s good for them. 

Use this Screen Time Chart to start tracking how much time your family spends in front of a screen, including things like TV- and DVD-watching, playing video games, and using the computer for something other than school or work. Compare screen time to how much physical activity they get so you’ll get a sense of what changes need to be made. Keep one chart for each person.

This month, commit to making one change for your kids to reduce their risk of childhood obesity.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

No matter what your age, nutrition effects everyone. However, there is a vast difference in nutritional needs and interests depending on the population: children, adolescents, men, women, or the elderly. Children and adolescents are very influenced by their parents and opinions of peers, and adults are more likely to be influenced by their health needs. In June’s Health Buzz, I’ll cover a major nutrition topic in all the populations! Stay tuned!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Tell your kids you’re making them a “milkshake,” and they’re certain to be thrilled! My boys love “milkshakes” any time of the day, and mom and dad love making them—they’re easy, refreshing, filling, and you can pack them full of healthy ingredients. I love that you can practically make a different “milkshake” every time, which adds a lot of variety to their diet, and it goes down like a treat!

Whether your kids are choosy eaters or not, a “milkshake” is an effective way to fit in a variety of different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and protein which they might not get enough of in their meals. Here are some of the strategies I use when I make “milkshakes.” Often times, I don’t even use a recipe, so don't hesitate to experiment!

“Milkshake” Boosters: Fruits and Vegetables

I think it’s a given “milkshakes” are full of fruits and vegetables, but this is also an opportunity to add less typical fruits and veggies, such as: kiwi, pomegranate seeds, guava, melon, carrot, kale and cucumber.  Another trick: baby greens, such as spinach, have a very mild flavor and your kids will never even notice the cup of spinach in their “milkshake.”

I’ve also been known to add powdered forms of fruits and veggies, such as goji berry powder, which adds a nice sweet flavor and a ton of nutrition.

“Milkshake” Boosters: Healthy Fats

Depending on the “milkshake,” I've been known to add chia seeds, flax, hemp seeds or powder, avocado, coconut oil, coconut, nuts, and nut butter for healthy fat. The extra fat boosts the calories and that feeling of fullness (satiety), and slows down the rate of absorption to reduce a spike in blood sugar levels. Kids need fat. It's actually essential for neurological development and brain function. It also helps absorb all the important fat-soluble vitamins in the "milkshake," such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. 

“Milkshake” Boosters: Protein

For protein, great options include: Greek yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, hemp seeds, protein powder, nuts, nut butter

Protein in my kids’ “milkshake” is a must. High-protein breakfast foods can actually help a child’s behavior. Specifically, two types of proteins (tyrosine and tryptophan) have a major impact on neurotransmitters, which help your child’s brain make the right connections. Milk and yogurt are great additions for a creamy “milkshake” and contain both types of protein, along with bone-building nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus.

Just like fat, protein is very important for creating a “full and satisfied” feeling quicker than carbohydrates. Protein slows down rates of digestion and absorption, which makes your child feel fuller for longer. It’s also common for children to be picky about meat, chicken, and fish, so adding protein to a “milkshake” will ensure they come closer to their daily protein requirements.  

“Milkshake” Boosters: Flavor

I always add cinnamon to “milkshakes.” It’s a mild flavor, but offers a ton of health benefits, such as stabilizing blood sugar levels, potent antioxidants, and a fiber boost.

Vanilla bean powder is great flavor booster instead of vanilla extract, It adds a rich vanilla bean-flavor.

If I’m making a chocolate “milkshake,” I like to use cacao powder or nibs (depending on what I have in my pantry) for the chocolate flavor.

Blueberry Mango “Milkshake” (Serves 2)

1 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh)

1 cup mango chunks

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup milk, any variety (the liquid helps it blend easier)

Ice, if blueberries or mango aren’t frozen

Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and frothy. Pour into a glass, and drinking through a fun straw is a must! Feeling adventurous? Try adding a little spinach and cinnamon.

Paleo Peach Coconut “Milkshake” (Serves 2)

1 cup full fat coconut milk, chilled

2 large fresh peaches, pit removed. Frozen is ok too.

Fresh lemon zest, to taste

Ice, if peaches aren't frozen.

Add all ingredients to a blender. Using a microplane, add a few gratings of fresh lemon zest. Blend on high until smooth. Note: feel free to swap out the peaches for another fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, or oranges.

Summer is the time of year for smoothies, so have fun experimenting and enjoy the excitement your kids exude when you make their favorite “milkshake.”

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Live Superfoods

“Back-to-School” is an exciting time of year. You’ve shopped for your children’s new school supplies, new shoes, and new clothes, and they’re looking forward to seeing old friends, and meeting their new classmates and teacher.

In the midst of all this school delight, it’s easy to take your child’s health for granted, but we all know how a sick kid can bring life to a halt. Prevention is key when it comes to keeping your child’s immune system functioning full speed. It goes without saying, a healthy child is a more capable learner, and doesn’t miss school or their favorite sport’s practice or game.

To fight off those germ-filled classrooms, ensure your children wash their hands frequently, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and get enough sleep. Also, here are five immune boosting supplements to consider.

A Children’s Multi-Vitamin with Minerals

If you have a finicky eater, getting a child to eat desirable foods such as fruits and veggies may be a challenge. A multi-vitamin with minerals is a good option for filling in any nutritional gaps.

For example, zinc is found in yogurt, peas, beef, and shrimp, and it’s important for preventing infection, diarrhea, and pneumonia.

Vitamin D₃

The school year means more time indoors and less D-building sunshine. Studies show most children aren’t getting enough of this essential vitamin. Vitamin D helps ensure the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus, both critical for building bone. Children should be getting 600 IU per day, and there are several options for getting this in supplement form. For kids who are too young or don't like taking capsules, vitamin D is conveniently available in spray form and liquid drops. The spray and drops are flavorless, so easy to put directly into a child's mouth, or even drop onto any food or into liquid. 

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats you must get from food or a supplement. EPA and DHA are two fatty acids that work together to provide the most benefits to your health. Experts believe omega-3’s help your body fight illness. One small study found omega-3’s cut the number of respiratory infections in kids. Fish are the best source of omega-3’s. Walnuts are also a good source and are easy to sprinkle into a snack mix, or on cereal or yogurt.

Probiotics

There are hundreds of different probiotic strains. Various probiotics can be found in fermented and active culture foods, such as yogurt, kefir and Kombucha. These beneficial bacteria can help prevent stomachaches, diarrhea, food allergies, eczema, and respiratory problems.

Homeopathic Remedy

Hyland’s Complete Flu Care 4 Kids and Hyland’s Tiny Cold Tablets

These are great! They’re homeopathic, gentle on the system and all-natural. Have these on hand just in case your little one starts to come down with something. They’ll help head off the flu or a cold early and provide temporary relief of symptoms.

Here’s to Healthy and Happy School Kids!

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Live Superfoods

New data says Vitamin D can help with recurrent ear infections. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among children worldwide. A deficiency in vitamin D alters the immune response and increases the risk of infection. Ear infections, known as acute otitis media infections (AOM), can develop from upper respiratory infections and when the middle ear gets infected with bacteria. Children that get these ear infections often have what is called recurrent acute otitis media (aka: recurrent ear infections).

In one study, supplementing with vitamin D increases serum levels, and this increase is significantly associated with a reduction in the total number of AOM episodes. The study also noticed that the positive effect was significant in the group of children with recurrent AOM and lowered the risk of uncomplicated episodes of AOM.

In this study, the researchers randomized 116 children to receive either 1,000 IU/day of vitamin D or placebo for four months.

They found that the children who received the vitamin D experienced less ear infections than the placebo group. They also found those who took vitamin D were less likely to have ear infection associated complications.

Remember, there are many additional benefits of vitamin D beyond just preventing ear infections. Studies have shown it also helps protect against influenza.

The “optimal range” most vitamin D physicians recommend is a blood level of 40 to 70 ng/mL.

If your children or your friends’ children are getting recurrent ear infections, they should have their vitamin D level checked and corrected if it is low.

If you are interested in your child’s vitamin D level, be sure to talk to your health care provider.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

1. Esposito S. Abstract G-1249. Presented at: ICAAC 2013; Sept. 9-13, 2013; Denver.

2. Healio. Vitamin D supplementation decreased risk for recurrent AOM, 2013.

3. Thornton KA, et al. Vitamin D deficiency associated with increased incidence of gastrointestinal and ear infections in school-age children. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2013 Jun;32(6):585-93. 

Food preferences are formed early on. They tend to be fixed from early childhood and continue into adulthood, making it critical to establish a healthful diet at a very young age. Vegetable intake is generally low among children, especially during the preschool years.

Repeated Exposure Is Important

Children prefer foods high in calories and appear to accept sweet tastes more than bitter tastes from birth. Since vegetables are lower in calories and bitter tasting, this might hinder vegetable intake among children. At the same time, repeated exposure of a new vegetable in early life is known to enhance intake of it.

A new study just released sought to understand the factors which predict different responses to repeated exposure to a new vegetable. 

Who Was In This Study?

Three groups of children from Denmark, France and the UK, ages 4 months to 38 months.

The Essence of This Study

During the intervention period of the study, each child was given between 5 and 10 exposures to a new vegetable (artichoke puree) in one of three versions (basic, sweet or added energy). The child’s intake of basic artichoke puree was measured both before and after eating.

Overall, four distinct patterns of eating behavior during the exposure period were defined.

Most children were “learners” (40%) who increased vegetable intake over time.

21% consumed more than 75% of what was offered each time and were labelled “plate-clearers”.

16% were considered “non-eaters” eating less than 10 grams by the 5^th exposure.

The remainder were classified as “others” (23%) since their pattern was highly variable.

Who Liked Vegetables More?

Children in the added energy group showed the smallest change in intake over time, compared to those in the basic or sweetened artichoke group.

According to the study, younger children consumed more of the new vegetable than older children.

Breastfed babies are more likely to accept new foods, including vegetables, compared to those who were not breastfed.

To Summarize, Here Are Tips For Getting Kids To Eat More Vegetables:

• Be Patient. Learning to like vegetables takes time. Age was a significant predictor of eating pattern, with older pre-school children more likely to eat less vegetables.

• Repeat, Repeat, Repeat exposure is the simplest and most convenient way to increase and improve vegetable intake in children. Offering the same food many times familiarizes a child with a food. Mothers often give up after only 5 exposures, yet current recommendations suggest at least 8–10 exposures.

• New vegetables are best introduced when children are young—during a period when new foods are readily accepted and before the fear of trying anything new begins.

• For older pre-school children who are fussy eaters, alternative strategies that focus on encouraging initial tastes of the target food might be needed.

• Alternative techniques such as the use of dips and sauces might be an effective way of encouraging these fussy eaters to try the target food.

• Although children prefer energy dense foods, adding oil directly to a new vegetable changes both taste and texture and might reduce liking.

• Offering food as a reward is known to be negative and something to avoid. However, there is evidence to suggest non-food tangible rewards (e.g.: stickers), or non-tangible rewards (e.g.: praise) can be highly effective in encouraging children to taste new or less liked foods. They benefit from the 'mere exposure' effect.

• Lead by example. Caregivers are extremely influential when it comes to food preferences. Even if you don’t like a certain vegetable(s), please don’t assume your child won’t like it either and certainly don’t let your kids know you don’t like it.

• Breastfeed Your Baby. Food preferences have been shown to occur while mom is pregnant and breastfeeding. For example, flavors experienced in amniotic fluid or breast milk might be sufficient to promote the intake of those specific or associated flavors later in life. Breastfed babies are more likely to accept novel foods including vegetables compared to those who were not breastfed.

If you know a picky eater, check out this blog fmore useful tips, “Coping with food allergies and picky eaters, part 2.”

I know it’s easy to get frustrated when your child refuses to eat the vegetables you purchased and worked hard to prepare. Don’t give up and consider the repeated exposure a gift to your child. If your persistence eventually teaches your child to like vegetables, s/he will thank you later in life when s/he’s healthy.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods 

Reference:

1. Caton, Samantha et al. Learning to Eat Vegetables in Early Life: The Role of Timing, Age and Individual Eating Traits. May 30, 2014.

Obesity threatens the health of today’s children. While working as a dietitian for the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program, I saw a mindboggling number of overweight children. Luckily for parents, grandparents, and any other caretakers of children, there are things you can do.

13 Considerations for Reducing the Risk of Childhood Obesity:

Total Calorie Intake

Total calorie intake does not seem to have a strong association with obesity in children. However, it’s very difficult to accurately assess dietary intake via dietary assessment tools such as a dietary recall or food frequency questionnaire. People have a tendency to underreport the amount they eat.

Dietary Fat

Evidence supports an unclear association between dietary fat and obesity in children. Some studies have found dietary fat does lead to a higher body fat, some studies didn’t find any association, and some have found mixed results. Our bodies need some fat—just not too much, but not all fats are equal. As a mom with kids, I recommend offering healthy fats such as avocado oil, avocados, olives, olive oil, organic canola oil, coconut oil, coconut flakes, all types of nuts and nut butters, and fish.

Calcium and Dairy Products

Recent research suggests lower intakes of dairy products and/or calcium are associated with obesity in children. Take a look at the results from a couple studies:

1) In a study of 52 Caucasian children monitored from 2 months to 8 years of age, calcium intake from milk, cheese, and yogurt was associated with a lower percentage body fat at 8 years of age.

2) Girls 9 to 14 years of age who consumed diets rich in calcium weighed less and had less abdominal fat than did girls who consumed less calcium.

If your kids love dairy like mine do, I highly recommend feeding them organic milk, cheese, and yogurt, and if you really want to be a stickler, also buy organic cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream. Choosing organic ensures your children aren’t eating bovine growth hormones and antibiotics, among other things.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are promoted for preventing childhood obesity because they’re low in calories, high in fiber, and add bulk to your stomach, which makes you feel fuller faster (satiety). The evidence supports a modest effect of fruit and vegetable intake in protecting against increased adiposity in children.

If your child turns his nose up to most produce you offer, don’t give up! Check out these tips for navigating a “choosy” eater. Also, not only are organic fruits and vegetables healthier for kids, they also taste so much better, in my opinion. I know organic costs more, so consider purchasing organic for those foods on the Dirty Dozen list. Check out the 2014 Dirty Dozen Guide to Pesticides in Produce. 

Fruit Juice

Intake of 100% fruit juice is related to adiposity in children if it is consumed in large quantities, ≥ 12 fl oz/day.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends fruit juice consumption be limited to 4-6 oz. per day for children 1 to 6 years old. For children 7 to 18 years old, juice intake should be limited to 8 to 12 oz. per day.

Avoid Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Including Soft Drinks

Evidence strongly supports a positive association between the intake of calorically sweetened beverages and adiposity in children. This includes soda and sugar-sweetened fruit drinks. Regardless of your child’s weight now, reducing sweetened drink consumption is one strategy to manage the weight of preschool children. A concern with excessive consumption of sweetened beverages is that it takes the place of more nutrient-rich or lower calorie alternatives. Children should be encouraged to avoid high-calorie, nutrient-poor beverages.

Skipping Breakfast

Evidence supports the view that obese children and adolescents are more likely to skip breakfast than their leaner counterparts. Obese children also have been reported to eat smaller breakfasts than their non-obese peers. I know mornings can be hectic, so determine a quick, “go-to” breakfast that’s balanced with carbohydrates, protein, and some fat. This might be a piece of whole wheat toast with almond butter and a glass of milk. Simple.

Eating Out, Including Fast Food

Evidence supports the view that consumption of food away from home, particularly at fast food restaurants, may be associated with body fat, especially among adolescents.

Portion Sizes

Increased portion sizes may be associated with increased body fat in children. Parents, as you can imagine, appropriate portion sizes vary according to age. For information about age-specific portion sizes, go to USDA’s My Plate website. 

If your child is old enough, allow them to serve themselves. They have a better idea of how hungry they are and are less likely to over serve themselves.

Snacking

Snacking frequency or snack food intake is not likely associated with adiposity in children. Here is my favorite snack bar recipe. 

Family Meals

Evidence supports a positive association between frequency of family meals and dietary quality in adolescents. Increased frequency of family meals is associated with greater intakes of fruits, vegetables, and milk and lower consumption of fried food and soft drinks. It is also associated with higher nutrient intakes (including calcium, iron, vitamins, and fiber) and lower intakes of saturated and trans fats. I wrote a blog a while back about how dinner rituals correlate with a child’s weight.

Parental Influence

Parental control over children's dietary intake does not consistently seem to be related to obesity in children. One study found no association between parental control and adiposity among boys but demonstrated an inverse association between parental control and adiposity among girls. Another study found a positive significant association of parental control with adiposity among both boys and girls in the sample.

Physical Activity

The evidence is strong that daily moderate/vigorous physical activity helps reduce adiposity in overweight/obese youths. Daily moderate/vigorous physical activity of ≥60-minute cumulative duration is likely to have a beneficial effect for normal weight youths and is unlikely to harm them. 

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

Davis, Matthew et al. Recommendations for Prevention of Childhood Obesity. Pediatrics 2007;S229-S253.

Koplan JP, Liverman CT, Kraak VI, eds. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. Washington, DC: National Academies Press;2005.

American Dietetic Association.Childhood Overweight Evidence Analysis Project: updated 2006.

Gillman MW, Rifas-Shiman SL, Frazier AL, et al. Family dinner and diet quality among older children and adolescents. Arch Fam Med.2000;9:235– 240.

Videon TM, Manning CK. Influences on adolescent eating patterns: the importance of family meals. J Adolesc Health.2003;32 :365– 373.

Novotny R, Acharya S, Grove JS, Daida YG, Vogt TM. Higher dairy intake is associated with lower body fat during adolescence. FASEB J.2003;17:A453– A458.

Skinner JD, Bounds W, Carruth BR, Ziegler P. Longitudinal calcium intake is negatively related to children's body fat indexes. J Am Diet Assoc.2003;103 :1626–1631.

Robinson TN, Kiernan M, Matheson DM, Haydel KF. Is parental control over children's eating associated with childhood obesity? Results from a population-based sample of third graders. Obes Res.2001;9 :306– 312.

My Baby's Messy Eating Story

When my son turned 5½ months old, I was so excited to introduce him to solid food. I sat him in his highchair with everything prepared to give him his first taste, and to my disappointment, he wanted nothing to do with any of it—he pierced his lips and turned his head. I tried various foods—the yummiest pureed fruits I could make, and he ate very little, and just wouldn’t let me feed him with the spoon. I figured he wasn’t ready yet, but two weeks, three weeks, and one month later, he still refused the spoon. It’s funny how things happen…just as I was becoming very discouraged, I came across a type of feeding style called baby-led feeding.

Baby-Led Feeding

Baby-led feeding quite simply means letting your child feed themselves from the very start of introducing solid food. With my son, I started offering him sticks and strips of anything I could think of which was soft enough. I let him be in charge. In time, he learned to pick the food up and “gum” it. To make a long story short, my son flourished with this eating style and by 8 months old, he was shoveling food into his mouth. This was such a great solution to his refusal to eat from a spoon!

Benefits and More

This feeding style offers many benefits (ie: saved time, no purees, no blender, no potato masher, no baby rice cereal, no jarred baby food, no weird fruit and veg combos), and there were a couple downfalls. First, mealtime is slow, very slow, but that can be expected, and he has gotten faster with practice. Second, it’s a total mess! He’s a mess, the floor’s a mess, the highchair is filthy, and anything he can touch from his chair is a mess.

Messy Eating May Equal Faster Learning

I thought the messiness was a negative, but alas, a new study suggests in making all that mess, my child is learning. In fact, toddlers who messed with their food the most learned the names of them more quickly.

Babies brains usually pick up words for more permanent objects more easily, such as blocks or daddy, because they can prod and pinch them and they remain the same, more or less, while non-solid objects are a bit more confusing. Think about yogurt: sometimes it’s shaped like a bowl, sometimes a container, and sometimes it’s a big blob on the highchair tray. Or consider the similarities between glue and milk; if you didn’t touch them, they could seem pretty similar.

How the Toddlers Were Tested

To test how toddlers learned the names of gloppy, changeable substances, researchers introduced 14 oozy items, things the toddlers could safely put in their mouths, like applesauce, pudding, juice, or soup. As they offered the toddlers the items, they gave them made up names, such as “dax” or “kiv.” A short while later they asked the toddlers if they knew the name of one of the substances, presented in a different size or shape. Toddlers who could remember the name of the item were obviously relying on more than just what it looked like.

How the Toddlers Processed Everything

Not surprisingly, many toddlers gleefully dove into this task by poking, prodding, touching, feeling, eating—and yes, throwing—the nonsolids in order to understand what they were and make the correct association with the hypothetical names. The study determined, toddlers who interacted the most with the foods were more likely to correctly identify them by their texture and name them. For example, imagine you were a 16-month-old gazing at a cup of milk and a cup of glue. How would you tell the difference by simply looking?

The Outcome From Messy Eating

The toddlers who really got their hands, and sometimes the walls or floors dirty, seemed to be the ones who understood the differences in texture or viscosity better. All that fooling around was actually learning. It also helped if they were in a high chair. Per the researcher, it turns out that being in a high chair makes it more likely you’ll get messy, because kids know they can get messy there. Playing with these foods there actually helped these children, and they learned the names better.

Bottom Line: Eating is such a learning process and experience, considering the variety of textures, colors, smells, temperatures, and flavors. I hope all parents allow their children to explore the wonderful world of food, and just accept the fact that it's going to be messy, but the mess is benefiting their child.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

Perry LK, Samuelson LK, Burdinie JB. Highchair philosophers: the impact of seating context-dependent exploration on children's naming biases. Developmental Science.