by Toju Chike-Obi MD on September 24, 2013
Overheard in a supermarket aisle, a child in a whinny voice “Mummy I want Cheez doodles, I want Cheez doodles”. Mother replied “But I just bought Cheez doodles the other day! You and your brother will be the death of me with these doodles!”. She then adds 4 packets of Cheez doodles to her shopping basket.
Do you regularly cruise the snack aisle in your local supermarket? Cheez doodles, Cheese Balls, Pringles, potato crisps – do these describe the kind of snacks your kids eat? Forget about Cookie Monster, you’re creating your very own Snack Fiend!! Do you know that one small packet of Cheez doodles contains about a quarter of the total amount of fat your child should consume in one day?
Does this seem more like your situation – your child refuses to eat fruits but loves juice? Juice is made from fruits and is healthy isn’t it? The fact is that fruit juice is healthy when consumed in small quantities and is certainly much healthier than soft drinks. There are two main problems with fruit juice:
a) Most “fruit juices” are less than 50% juice and mostly added sugar, water and flavors and b) Many children consume large amounts of juice daily – greater than 8 ounces. Some children consume more than half of their daily calorie requirement in the form of juice, which is mostly simple carbohydrates without the benefits of fiber necessary for good digestive health.
Providing healthy nutrition for your children can be daunting and even confusing. Here is a very simple formula to help you remember what is best for your children as they return to school.
5 – 2 – 1 – 0 Every Day!
5 or more servings of fruits & vegetables
2 hours or less television screen time
1 hour or more of exercise or physical activity
0 sugary drinks, more water & low fat milk
Check the blog next month for Eating Healthy and Fit – Part 2
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