by Christina Swigart, M,S., L.N.

Adults are not the only people in our nation in a health crisis; children are, too.  The statistics tell the story: 30% of children ages 6-11 are overweight; an estimated 32% of boys and 36% of girls born in 2000 will develop diabetes, and approximately 2 million children in the United States have ADHD.  What is causing all of these health problems? 

Unfortunately, many people feel that kids are not really affected by food and that childhood is a time of life when kids can eat what they want.  Some parents have the mindset that their kids will “outgrow their baby fat.”  What parents need to know is that nutrition matters—even before conception. What toddlers eat affects their health and well-being in the present and the future.  More and more, research is showing that what we eat influences us at the deepest levels of our body, even in how our DNA is expressed.

The toddler years can be a challenging time for feeding your children because it can seem like their preferences change every day.  I encourage parents to take advantage of this time when you have control over the foods your children consume and continue to offer them healthy choices.  Most children will eat what they are given when they are really hungry.  Admittedly, it can take diligence on the part of the parents to get toddlers to develop a taste for new foods. In fact, research shows it can take trying a food 10-12 times before a child will like it.

We have experienced some of this with our daughter.  From the start, she was very sensitive to texture and never liked things mixed together.  In her early toddler years, she did not have much variety, but I made sure that what she ate was healthy and not processed.  As she reached about 3 ½,  we started telling her that she had to eat dinner the way it was prepared and  that we were not going to separate things anymore.  There were definitely some emotional dinners!  However, as we consistently had her try things, she slowly began to like things she never would have eaten before.  Now she eats most anything I cook. Our daughter knows that even with the foods she still does not like, she always has to take a couple of bites.

All the convenience foods that are marketed for children make feeding toddlers even more challenging. Next time you are at the grocery store, take a moment and really look at the labels on these foods.  I am sure you will find corn syrup, food colorings, artificial flavors, and often times, hydrogenated oils (which are trans fats, even when the nutrition facts say zero trans fats).  These things are not really food, and your toddler should not be eating them! 

Some of the products that contain these harmful ingredients are pop-tarts, cold cereal, many crackers (including teething biscuits, teddy grahams, graham crackers, saltines) and cookies, frozen items (dinners, chicken nuggets, etc.), breakfast and granola bars, and many yogurts.  The ingredients in these foods are addicting and have a negative impact on your child’s health.  They will weaken the immune system, cause cravings, trigger behavior and focus problems, and result in weight gain.  Your family may need to clean the cupboards out and start replenishing your kitchen with real, whole food.

Just like adults, kids need to eat a balance of real proteins, real carbohydrates, and real fats to keep their blood sugar stable and nourish their bodies.  Eating balanced meals and snacks whenever possible is critical. A child’s digestive system also handles real foods much better than processed foods.

Here are some healthy meal and snack ideas to try for your toddler:

• Instead of cereal or waffles for breakfast, have scrambled eggs and a piece of whole grain toast with real butter or nut butter.
• A great morning snack is organic plain, whole-milk yogurt topped with frozen berries and sunflower seeds (as long as they can chew them).
• Try having homemade soups or chili on hand for lunches or make a sandwich with one slice of whole grain bread and turkey, cheese and tomato slices  instead of PB&J. Use  real mayo and serve with a piece of fruit.
• For an afternoon snack, serve a piece of string cheese or a hard-boiled egg with fruit and olives.
• For dinner, cook meat with vegetables and rice or sweet potato, with cold-pressed olive oil or butter on your vegetables.

Sometimes toddlers are very picky and will only eat bread and noodles.  Often times, this is caused by an imbalanced digestive system.  This is most common for children who have been on multiple rounds of antibiotics, especially in their first year.  While antibiotics do kill off harmful bacteria, they also wipe out the good bacteria necessary for proper digestion.  Without sufficient good bacteria, it can be harder for a child to digest meats and vegetables.  If this is the case with your child, you need to replenish the good bacteria called bifidobacteria, most likely with a supplement. This bacteria is present in breast milk, so it is safe even for newborns.

If eating this way is new for you, pick one thing to start with, such as removing all hydrogenated oils from your home.  After that has become routine for your family, move on to the next thing.  Making changes looks different for everyone, and every step makes a difference.  It is never too late to start.  Feeding your children well is a legacy you can leave for generations to come.

Unfortunately, many people feel that kids are not really affected by food and that childhood is a time of life when kids can eat what they want.  Some parents have the mindset that their kids will “outgrow their baby fat.”  What parents need to know is that nutrition matters—even before conception. What toddlers eat affects their health and well-being in the present and the future.  More and more, research is showing that what we eat influences us at the deepest levels of our body, even in how our DNA is expressed.

The toddler years can be a challenging time for feeding your children because it can seem like their preferences change every day.  I encourage parents to take advantage of this time when you have control over the foods your children consume and continue to offer them healthy choices.  Most children will eat what they are given when they are really hungry.  Admittedly, it can take diligence on the part of the parents to get toddlers to develop a taste for new foods. In fact, research shows it can take trying a food 10-12 times before a child will like it.

We have experienced some of this with our daughter.  From the start, she was very sensitive to texture and never liked things mixed together.  In her early toddler years, she did not have much variety, but I made sure that what she ate was healthy and not processed.  As she reached about 3 ½,  we started telling her that she had to eat dinner the way it was prepared and  that we were not going to separate things anymore.  There were definitely some emotional dinners!  However, as we consistently had her try things, she slowly began to like things she never would have eaten before.  Now she eats most anything I cook. Our daughter knows that even with the foods she still does not like, she always has to take a couple of bites.

All the convenience foods that are marketed for children make feeding toddlers even more challenging. Next time you are at the grocery store, take a moment and really look at the labels on these foods.  I am sure you will find corn syrup, food colorings, artificial flavors, and often times, hydrogenated oils (which are trans fats, even when the nutrition facts say zero trans fats).  These things are not really food, and your toddler should not be eating them! 

Some of the products that contain these harmful ingredients are pop-tarts, cold cereal, many crackers (including teething biscuits, teddy grahams, graham crackers, saltines) and cookies, frozen items (dinners, chicken nuggets, etc.), breakfast and granola bars, and many yogurts.  The ingredients in these foods are addicting and have a negative impact on your child’s health.  They will weaken the immune system, cause cravings, trigger behavior and focus problems, and result in weight gain.  Your family may need to clean the cupboards out and start replenishing your kitchen with real, whole food.

Just like adults, kids need to eat a balance of real proteins, real carbohydrates, and real fats to keep their blood sugar stable and nourish their bodies.  Eating balanced meals and snacks whenever possible is critical. A child’s digestive system also handles real foods much better than processed foods.

Here are some healthy meal and snack ideas to try for your toddler:

• Instead of cereal or waffles for breakfast, have scrambled eggs and a piece of whole grain toast with real butter or nut butter.
• A great morning snack is organic plain, whole-milk yogurt topped with frozen berries and sunflower seeds (as long as they can chew them).
• Try having homemade soups or chili on hand for lunches or make a sandwich with one slice of whole grain bread and turkey, cheese and tomato slices  instead of PB&J. Use  real mayo and serve with a piece of fruit.
• For an afternoon snack, serve a piece of string cheese or a hard-boiled egg with fruit and olives.
• For dinner, cook meat with vegetables and rice or sweet potato, with cold-pressed olive oil or butter on your vegetables.

Sometimes toddlers are very picky and will only eat bread and noodles.  Often times, this is caused by an imbalanced digestive system.  This is most common for children who have been on multiple rounds of antibiotics, especially in their first year.  While antibiotics do kill off harmful bacteria, they also wipe out the good bacteria necessary for proper digestion.  Without sufficient good bacteria, it can be harder for a child to digest meats and vegetables.  If this is the case with your child, you need to replenish the good bacteria called bifidobacteria, most likely with a supplement. This bacteria is present in breast milk, so it is safe even for newborns.

If eating this way is new for you, pick one thing to start with, such as removing all hydrogenated oils from your home.  After that has become routine for your family, move on to the next thing.  Making changes looks different for everyone, and every step makes a difference.  It is never too late to start.  Feeding your children well is a legacy you can leave for generations to come.