Three E's For Optimal Child Nutrition - Educate, Expose & Empower

My children, almost 3 and 6 years of age, are at an age where they are curious, but cautious about the foods they eat. This is a natural and normal state for their ages and I am reminded to utilize my education to train my children to choose healthy foods on their own. Just like anything else in life, we would all agree that we want to train our children to eventually be able to do life on their own and it is no different with food choices. But how do we go about doing that? This is the challenge, and I fully realize it's a challenge, because I am living it out myself. But stay encouraged. we can do this together!

Educate. This requires us to be tapping into accurate and reliable informational resources. If you have inacurrate or undeveloped nutrition knowledge, then your children will naturally have the same. There are so many governmental, reputable origanizational and university websites that you can count on to bring you unbiased, reliable information. A great portal of information can be found starting on the U.S. Government's Nutrition landing site that connects to other governmental nutrition sites. The American Dietetic Association, which is the national association for Registered Dietitian and Dietetic Technicians, has a wealth of information as well. Start there. Obviously I am biased to say you should consider getting individualized guidance from a Registered Dietitian in your area as this is the best way to get off to the right start. But actively become educated so you can educate your children.

Educate, Expose & Empower Your Children!

Expose. Let's be honest. We all come to the food table with certain likes and dislikes. Are you a picky eater yourself? Do you dislike most vegetables? Do you eliminate certain food groups altogether? These things can directly impact your children's exposure to foods. Even if we would categorize ourselves as "healthy eaters," we all have a tendency to gravitate toward our favorite foods. This can also limit our children's food exposure because even healthy repetition is limiting. Head to a new grocer or even visit your local farmers market to investigate new foods.

The biggest thing I want to say about exposure is that we all need to remember to serve our children foods that they have already rejected. I know, I know - food wastage comes to mind - but if we remember that children are curiously cautious to new foods, we will gain patience. I have seen this many times with my daughter and continued exposure has lead to eventual acceptance much of the time. My son is at an age where he is rejecting most vegetables, and that's OK! I still serve them to him knowing that most likely he will accept some of them. Exposure is a big topic when it comes to child nutrition because we like to make the foods that we already know our children like because we want them to eat! Let's take the school lunch, for instance. Many of us commonly think that sending a school lunch with your child is the healthier option. I would challenge you by saying that is not always the case. The typical "healthy" brown bagged lunch has maybe a sandwich (primarily peanut butter and jelly, but also lean lunch meat), baked chips and a fruit cup or a fruit snack along with a juice or maybe even a milk. Where is the vegetable? Most children either do not have a vegetable or they get the same baby carrots everyday. Maybe your child will get the lettuce and tomato on the sandwich and that is good. But what about the next day? Is the lunch something different, or will it be more of the same? You see, the typical school lunch always provides the option of a vegetable and in most cases, provides variety from the home food. That is why I feel comfortable allowing my daughter to purchase school lunch mulitple times per week. This way I know my daughter will have the opportunity to take in a variety of nutrients by eating a variety of foods. But will she choose the vegetable, you say? That's where empowerment comes in.

Empower. This is another big one. It is essential that we teach the "why's" behind good nutrition. Let's not stop by saying "because it is good for you." And certainly, I do not encourage any talk, particularly with young children, about eating certain foods to avoid being "fat". This is sure to cause poor relationships with food, so please refrain from talking about your own fad diets and dieting practices around your children if at all possible. We all need to be healthy. And kids want to be strong and smart. I teach my children that healthy foods such as whole grains, lean meats, fruits, vegetables and milk provide "super powers" that will give them all they need to run fast, read better and can even make their skin nice. My daughter loves that eating vegetables makes her skin look like a princess. See, she gets that and it encourages her to make that healthy choice much of the time. I tell her that eating candy is fine when it is eaten sometimes, but when you eat it all the time, it does not give you the fuel her body needs to be all that she can be. So, right now she thinks she is carrying around the "secret" that healthy foods have "super powers." The other day, she asked if it was OK that she tell her best friend the secret. I told her it was OK. You can go ahead and share the "secret" with your kids, too. :)

Calling ALL With a Pulse...Please Get Involved!

Regardless of your political view or affiliation, you have got to be happy that First Lady Michelle Obama has gotten actively involved in the childhood obesity epdiemic. Obesity statistics are staggering, and it frightens me to think of our healthcare system 20 years from now if things do not change. What type of society will my children's children be living in? The passion to do what I do is rooted in the individuals and their families, but for others to become motivated to action they must realize the economics of this crisis. When I worked at a pediatric facility here in Dallas, I saw children as young as 6 years old with Type 2 Diabetes due to obesity. I saw children the same age coming down with fatty liver because of their abdominal fat. These children will have serious health issues going into their early adulthood and the healthcare system will become overwhelmed. Can you imagine the individual healthcare cost of these people as adutls? Even if you are not a parent, you must get involved and do something because you will be affected in some way.

Let's Move! is a new initiative headed up by First Lady Michelle Obama that was unveiled during last month's National Nutrition Month. The program's 4 goals are to: 1) provide valuable resources for parents to encourage healthier food choices in the home; 2) improve the food quality in schools; 3) improve access to healthier food; and finally, 4) to increase physical activity.

Let's Move! PSA entitled, "It's Breakfast Time!"

How do I get involved, you ask? Start by joining their Call To Action. You will start receiving more information on what you can do in your area. Start thinking about how you can provide a healthier environment for you and the children around you by reading more information about the 4 goals on the Let's Move! website. Get involved for the sake of you and your loved ones of future generations. I love some of the PSA's the Let's Move! Campaign has out, including the It's Breakfast Time! piece that airs on Nickelodeon. The research shows that people that eat breakfast daily have a lower body weight and children do better academically in school. Make sure you are modeling healthy behaviors for our future generations to follow.

Happy & Healthy Easter!

I love how holidays allow provide opportunities for children and their families to spend quality and creative time together. There are so many fun physical activities you can do at Easter time to offset any extra calories that may have been eaten. Easter egg hunts using hollow eggs filled with trinket toys or even a "clue" to where the next Easter egg might be is a great way to have fun. You can even have an Easter egg race by dividing into 2 teams or even bunny hop races using potato sacks and bunny ears could be lots of fun. Use your creativity to get the family and neighbors out to celebrate this great holiday. I found a great selection on the Little Kids' Games Online. Do a Google search to find even more ideas to get pumped up about being outside this Easter for some family exercise and fun.

Many parents ask me about ideas on putting healthy Easter baskets together. Easter, much like Halloween and Valentine's Day, is one of those holidays that is vulnerable to exposing your children to excessive amounts of candy. It doesn't help that Easter candy portion sizes have increased with the rest of food portions. While it is fine to have some candy in your child's Easter basket, it really would be a better idea to mix it up with fun toys, brain teazers and games. SuperKids Nutrition has an awesome article out on creating healthy easter baskets. I happen to be one of the contributing editors for SuperKids Nutrition, but I truly believe that the SuperKids website resource is one of the best ones out there on pediatric nutrition! All the articles are free for your reading pleasure and are written by dietitians specializing in pediatrics and wellness. Melissa Halas-Liang, dietitian and creator of SuperKids Nutrition, has written a series of children's books with "Super Crew" characters that serve as healthy role models for your children on healthy eating. My daughter absolutely loves her books!
So if you were wondering, yes. At our house, we do allow our children some Easter treats. However, as a Christian family we choose to emphasize the true meaning of Easter with friends and extended family. Enjoy your holiday within moderate limits and Easter will remain a much-anticipated and unintimidating thing for you and your family.

New Blog Name: MOMMY DIETITIAN

Texas dietitians from across the state gathered at the Texas Dietetic Association's Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas March 18-20. I happened to be the co-chair for planning this year's event and I must say, it went very well! It was important that we make it extra special because TDA was celebrating 75 years. Even as tiring as it was to plan this event, the speakers left all of us energized and more passionate about the profession of nutrition education.

One of the sessions I attended was on social media, and I was reminded of the main drive for my profession. It is to encourage families on how to live out healthy lifestyles. My original blog name was "Life of a Dietitian" because I wanted to show people that as a nutritional professional, I don't always get it perfect. Life gets in the way at times for all of us! What this session reminded me was that I have specific insight to offer when it comes to being not only a dietitian, but a mother of small children. So, I have decided to change my blog name to Mommy Dietitian. Knowledge is one thing and being able to translate that knowledge into real living is another. Trust me, I don't always get it right but my knowledge is the constant reminder to focus and re-focus. If I can help one mom or one family, I have done my job here. Please encourage your friends, family and fellow bloggers to follow along with me. I would love to hear from you. What would you like to see in this blog? How can I help your family? What do you think families everywhere need when it comes to raising healthy children?

Oh, I have also updated my professional website so check me out - new practice locations for pediatric patients.

Special thanks to Teresa Pangan, PhD, RD and Mandi Wong, RD, co-owners of Feed Your Career for great inspiration on social media!

Happy GREEN Day!

I mean, Happy St. Patrick's Day! We certainly should honor what St. Patrick has done in Ireland for the Christian faith on this day, the day of his death. But I can't help but think about taking this "going green" thing we do on March 17th to remind ourselves of everything green. Let's all go a little greener in our lives, not just by wearing the color.

"Going green" generally means to pursue knowledge and practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, which can help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for current and future generations. In nutrition, there are a couple easy things you can do. One major thing we can do is to support local farmers by purchasing their produce, meat/poultry and other food resources. You can search for Farmers Markets in our area on the USDA website. Better yet, you can even start your own produce garden and eat your own! When you do either of these, you decrease a food's carbon footprint (a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide) because that food did not require excessive amounts of fossil fuel in order to transport it to your home. At our house, we recently started a berry garden. My daughter absolutely loves strawberries and she now has her very own strawberry plant. In the process of learning how to grow the fruit, she has actively invested and taken part in the process of sustaining its life.

Another major thing you can do when it comes to nutrition is eat less processed foods. I still stand on my position that all foods fit, but when able, try and eat more foods in their natural form. Some ingredients found on a food label take entire manufacturing plants to produce. As a mom, I know the temptation of going to the canned sauces and boxed dinners, and there's nothing wrong with that when life gets crazy sometimes. However, try and reduce those types of dinners depending on how many of them you are doing right now. I see many people flocking to the boxed potatoes for the sake of ease, but did you know that boiling your own potatoes takes almost the same amount of time it takes to boil the water to make those boxed ones? And the taste of fresh mashed potatoes is no comparion to its processed counterpart.

On this St. Paddy's Day, commit to going greener and eating more unprocessed green. At the Lemond house, we need those types of reminders as well.

Power Up With Healthy Fats

I remember so well back in 1990's when fat was something to be avoided at all cost. It was before my dietitian days and I jumped on that bandwagon. I would look at a label and if there was any fat in the product, I would stay away. Many of us believed that fat in our food equated to fat on our thighs. All the magazines promoted the fat-free lifestyle so I assumed it was good advice. Wrong! Flash forward to when I finally got up the nerve to go to school to pursue my dream of being a dietitian - which consisted of mostly science classes - and the veil of misinformation was lifted. I learned the importance of fat in the body. Fat forms the cell membrane of every cell in our bodies. It is part of hormone molecules. It assists us in feeling satisfied when eating a meal. There are many benefits to the body. When fat is taken in, it is broken down into glucose for energy just like everything else. And yes, if that energy is not needed, it will be converted to fat storage. But fat in your food does not always equal fat on your thighs. Fat is more dense in calories - 9 calories per gram versus 4 calories in one gram of protein or carbohydrate - so you do need to keep your intake moderate in order to have energy balance. But some fat is very good, especially certain types of fats.

As a dietitian, I encourage a diet with 30-40% of calories coming predominantely from healthy fats - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are high in vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil and sesame oil. Other sources include avocados, peanut butter, and many nuts and seeds. Polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3, are found in soybean oil, corn oil and safflower oil, as well as fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and trout. Other sources include some nuts and seeds such as walnuts and sunflower seeds. There are also some food products with therapeutic amounts of omega-3 added [A therapeutic amount of omega-3 is 1-4 grams (1000-4000 mg) per day]. Therapeutic amounts of omega-3 can decrease LDL or "bad" cholesterol, lower triglycerides, decrease inflammation and can have positive effects on overall mood. One food product that I love is Kroger brand, "Private Selection" omega-3 eggs. They contain 600mg per egg! Check them out at your local Kroger. Before you start a regular therapeutic dose of omega-3, check in with your doctor. High levels of omega-3 do have blood thinning effects and could impact other medications you may already be taking. Also, all blood thinning medications must be stopped before going under anethesia. It's always good to check with your doctor first!

Have Your Girl Scout Cookies, and Eat Them, Too!

It's Girl Scout cookie time here in North Texas. And yes, I am a Cookie Mom! By media's standards, you would think that this is an oxymoron. How can Angela be a dietitian, with pediatric expertise nonetheless, also promote Girl Scout cookies? This is a really good example of what I believe is the problem with society's obsession with weight. More on that in a moment....

Girl Scouts in an amazing organization that teaches young girls core values, self- confidence to withstand peer pressure and solid work ethic, all which have a lifelong impact. Girl Scout cookie sales is one tool they use to assist in their teaching. Cookie sales builds confidence, responsibility and develops great social skills. I am seeing this firsthand with my daughter! It saddens me that I am seeing a lot of Facebook posts of people commenting about how "bad" they have been with their Girl Scout cookies. It is not the intention of Girl Scouts to make people feel bad. On the contrary, we want to make people feel proud that they have donated to a great cause! Our troop is donating part of our cookie profits to Haitian relief, although all troops are raising money for a good cause. If you really feel out of control around Girl Scout cookies or other similar sweets, consider donating your cookies to a local food pantry or even sending it overseas to our military troops.

But this brings me back to my bigger point than Girl Scout cookies. Many people see things as black and white, and food habits are no exception. Being a healthy eater is defined differently on an individual basis. I have found that many people define it as an unrealistic standard that is difficult to attain by anyone. This has caused people to become very uneasy around high calorie foods, including Girl Scout cookies. We need to stop this belief! Food has been put on this earth to enjoy and nourish. In order for any person to get in command of their eating habits, they must make friends with all types of food. Stop thinking that eating certain foods makes you unhealthy or even worse, a bad person. What are we teaching our children with this mentality? Now, on the other hand, you must also teach your children healthy eating habits by eating high nutrient, lower calorie foods most of the time. I firmly believe that it is our attitude around food that has caused much of our problems. Let's get back to enjoying traditional, homecooked meals with lots of vegetables and appropriate portions. Let's enjoy tasty treats like Girl Scout cookies every once in awhile and let's get off the couch and play with our children more. Eating high nutrient foods make us "strong and smart" whereas too many high calorie, low nutrient foods do not give our bodies what it needs to excel in all areas of life. It's not about weight, it's about quality of life. If you believe that in your heart, your children will as well. Invest in them here and you will not regret it! Model any behavior you want to see in your children and they will follow suit.

All food fits into a healthy diet. And Girl Scouts does publicize the cookie nutritional information in order for you to plan them into your healthy lifestyle. Instead of being uneasy to view this information, look at it as information that provides power and confidence.

Have your Girl Scouts cookies, and eat them, too. :)