![]() When you are traveling with your family, it may seem easy to fall back on takeout food and processed snacks. But snacking on unhealthy foods during a long fly or drive can reduce your energy levels and leave you feeling tired once you reach your destination. Nutritious treats will help keep your family energized, happy, and healthy on your journey. Always try to create health and tasty snacks for you and your kids to snack on. Here are some ideas for healthy snacks while traveling:
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Eating foods high in added sugars throughout childhood is linked to the development of risk factors for heart disease, such as an increase risk of obesity and blood pressure in children. Overweight children who continue to take in more added sugars are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Researches found that children who eat foods loaded with added sugars tend to eat fewer healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products that are good for their health. Children should consume less than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugars a day, and drink no more than 8 ounces of sugary beverages a week, according to the American Heart Association. Some foods and drinks contain sugar naturally, but added sugars are introduced during processing and preparation, that's why you as a parent should be aware of what you are feeding your kid! How to prevent added sugars from your kids diet?
A short informative video about added sugars: ![]() Water makes more than half of our body weight. Without water, our bodies would stop working properly, and a person can't survive more than a few days without it, because of dehydration. Your body has a lot of important jobs and it needs water to do many of them. For example, your blood, which contains a lot of water, carries oxygen to all the cells of your body. Without oxygen, those cells would die and your body would stop working. Water is also in lymph, a fluid that is part of your immune system, which helps fight off illness. You need water to digest your food and get rid of waste, too. You will lose water by many ways, such as sweating, and urine. But how can you replace water?
This is a good video to show your kids about the importance of water: Iron is an essential nutrient for making hemoglobin, a key component of red cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. When our bodies don't get enough iron, red blood cells be produced adequately, and out tissues and organs will not get enough oxygen; which is necessary for growth and development. If a baby has a deficient in iron, he/she may experience cognitive and behavioral development deficiency. Starting with babies, breastfeeding is great to make sure that babies have enough iron. For the first six months, breastfeeding babies are able to absorb iron from breast milk. Once babies reach 6 months, and they start having solids, their first foods should be iron-fortified. A diet full of iron-rich foods will help to prevent anemia in baby. The recommended dietary allowance of iron for babies between 7 and 12 months is 11 mg per day. Foods that are rich in iron will be: iron-fortifies cereal, dark leafy greens (spinach, kale), apricots, raisins, peas, legumes, lentils, and beans, as well as, red meat. It's that time of year. It's getting cold, and where ever you go, you see sick people. You watch your kids participating in their activities, along side other kids who are being sick. You can totally shield your kids from getting sick. You can build up your children's immune systems with nutrient-dense foods. Certain foods have exact nutrients that can help your kids' immune systems be as strong as possible, so when they are exposed to the inevitable germs, they are ready to fight.
These are the foods and recipes you want to serve your kids so they are building their immune systems.
![]() Eating well can help kids with cancer to feel better and help with their treatments. To keep up their strength, kids should be hydrated, and eat as well as possible. For some kids undergoing treatment, they might not be getting enough food, or they are not able to eat. Every kid with cancer has specific nutritional needs, so it's important to have a balanced diet. They should increase their protein need, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Protein helps the body grow, repair tissues, build blood cells, and replenish the immune system. Getting enough protein can help your child heal faster. Foods like cheese, eggs, milk, yogurt, fish, beans, meat, poultry, peanut butter, and nuts are all good sources of protein Carbohydrates are the fuel for the body, it providing energy for cells and helping to maintain organ function. Good sources of carbs will be breads, pasta, potatoes, rice, cereal, and fruits. Fats help the body store energy, insulate body tissues, and carry certain vitamins throughout the bloodstream. Fats are also dense in calories, which is important to a child who might be losing weight during treatment. Try to feed your child unsaturated fats that are found in fish, nuts, olive oil, and vegetables like avocados than saturated fats and trans fats that are found in fried foods. Keep your kid hydrated, offer smaller; more frequent meals, and make foods easier to swallow by offering soups, pureed foods, shakes, and smoothies. ![]() Calcium-rich foods are a must have in kids diets. It is a key building block for strong, healthy bones. But most kids ages 9 to 18 don't get the recommended 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day. Kids now days drink soda and sweet beverages than milk, which is considered to be the best source of calcium. And teens who smoke or drink caffeine or alcohol may get even less calcium because those substances interfere with the way the body absorbs and uses calcium. Kids who don't get enough calcium and vitamin D, which aids in calcium absorption, are at increased risk for rickets and osteoporosis. On the other hand, kids who get enough calcium and physically active during childhood years, can start out their adult lives with strongest bones possible. Some foods that are high in calcium will be: milk, cheese, yogurt, kale, sardines, and almonds. High levels of cholesterol are a major risk contributing to heart disease and stroke, and cardiovascular diseases. And with the dramatic increase in childhood obesity, more kids are at risk to have high cholesterol.
Foods that are from animals are high in cholesterol, such as meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products. On the other hand, vegetables, fruits, and grains don't have any cholesterol. What are ways to lower and prevent your kid from having cholesterol?
![]() Consuming vitamin C is important for kids. It plays a number of important roles in the body, acting as antioxidant and immune supporter, helping build the protein collagen and enhancing the absorption of iron in the body. Antioxidant effects & Iron absorption: in the body, vitamin C acts as an antioxidant helping to protect cells from damage. It also helps to regenerate the antioxidant vitamin E. Vitamin C also improves the absorption of iron from the food your kids will be eating. Immune support: Vitamin C is required for normal immune function. It helps maintain immune responses and may play a role in the management of upper respiratory tract infections. Vitamin C help relieve cold symptoms. Collagen and wound healing: Vitamin C is required to form and strengthen collagen in bones, cartilage, muscles and blood vessels. It also helps with healing wounds and helps your kids teeth and gums to stay healthy. The recommended daily intake of vitamin C for kids is 35 mg/day for ages 1-8, and 40 mg/day for ages 9-18. Citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi fruits, and broccoli are some types of fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C. ![]() Despite having obesity children in our country nowadays, about 4% of children and teens are underweight. Some children have a naturally slight build and maintain it with a well-balanced diet and exercise. However, being underweight may be a sign of dietary or health problems. If your kid is underweight, it might be tempting to give them high-calorie but unhealthy foods, such as sweets, cakes, sugary drinks and fatty fast foods. However, it's important that your child gain weight in a healthy way, by eating balanced diet. A balanced diet for your child includes:
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AuthorTina Mousa. A Dietetic Student at the University of Kentucky. Archives
November 2016
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