Child Nutrition Myths

Children are notoriously picky eaters. They gravitate towards sweeter or plain foods, such as candy or pasta, and this poses a threat in getting all the nutrients needed in their diets. Children require the same vitamins and minerals adults do, just in varying quantities; and supplementing with poorly bio-available gummy vitamins and supplements may just not be enough to give them the energy their cells need to optimally function.

This article is in no part meant to shame or scare parents but we live in a world that requires us to be our own (and child’s own) advocate. Parents and caregivers undeniably have a lot on their plates (no pun intended) so it is up to the whole community to get educated on food choices. Everything in life is a learning opportunity, a chance for us to better ourselves, and it is never too late to learn and incorporate in healthier behaviors.

That being said, we all want to do right by our youth, keep them safe, warm, and well- fed. I don’t pretend to know the desperation felt when your child goes on a hunger strike and I am sure it can feel like anything is better than nothing. Although this is true to a certain extent, there are hacks and swaps that are invaluable and easy to do to ensure your child is eating healthfully. And as with everything, the goal is not perfection (some candy, on occasion is understandable) but overall we should be providing our children with mainly plant based, natural foods.

As a former nanny to a handful of families, an aunt to six beautiful little ones, and hopefully a future momma myself, I have been invested in this research for many years now. I feel like there is nothing more important than giving our youth the tools to leading their best and most fulfilling lives. Unfortunately, there are a plethora of insidious children snacks on the market and even more insidious beliefs circulating on child nutrition that make it difficult to differentiate between a healthy and harmful diet. I feel we can all take the step in further educating ourselves when we have young ones in our lives.

The following are six myths of childhood nutrition:

“Sugar Sugar Sugar…. “

Myth #1: The “Better them than us” + “They can burn it off” mentality when it comes to sweets

I have seen it more often than I can count: a parent loading their kid’s plate with huge pieces of cake, cookies, and candy but refraining from it themselves. I have even heard some adults go so far as saying “they are kids! They deserve to/ need to/ should eat sugar!” We have the power to determine a lot of our child’s diet and without a doubt, if it is unhealthy for adults, it is even worse for little humans.

Sugar is a huge part of many kids’ lives. What used to be a sugar- on- occasion mindset, is now a sugar- in- every- meal mindset. It is the main ingredient in most packaged breakfasts, it is in the snacks packed in lunch boxes, and it is in the daily desserts we feed our youth, as well. From this, our children’s diets consists more of sugar than it does of nutrients.

Furthermore, it is recommended that adults should not eat more than 25 grams of artificial sugar per day. Considering that on average a child is less than a fifth of our body weight, artificial sugar consumption should be minimal to none. In reality, the average child consumes more than double the recommended maximum for ADULTS.

Just a few examples of some popular sugar- filled foods being:

• A single frosted cherry poptart has 34g of sugar.
• A cup of cocoa puffs has 12g of sugar
• An average slice of cake can be anywhere from 50g to a whopping week’s worth of sugar at 135g in a single slice of Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake

Yes, children have a higher metabolism than adults but weight is not the only measure of health. A fast metabolism does not guard against sugar getting into the bloodstream and wreaking havoc in the cells of our children.

Some studies show that sugar can be linked to virtually all of our health concerns. In the short term: cavities, inflammation, spastic energy-to- crash cycles, and lack of focus. In the long term: obesity, diabetes, accelerated aging and stress, and leeching of our body’s vital nutrients, just to name a few risks. The simple fact is artificial sugar is an addictive drug and should be used sparingly in our diets.

Bottom Line: Humans do not need artificial sugar. Children do not need artificial sugar.

SO, what can we do?

First, I think it is important to change our mindset on sugar. The less artificial sugar a kid can consume, the better. Candy and chocolate should not be an everyday thing. Take a look at the ingredients and steer clear of most “nothing but sugar” foods.

Breakfast

Get out of the sugary breakfast cycle. Instead, try a peanut butter sandwich, plain yogurt with fruit, or eggs.

That being said, if you do chose to make pancakes or waffles, swap the artificial syrup for real maple syrup. Syrup in any form has a lot of sugar but real maple is more natural with less chemicals and dyes. Then, monitor how much they add to their breakfasts. A tablespoon, rather than a puddle, should be added to pancakes.

Desserts

Every meal is an opportunity to pack in some extra nutrients that are lacking in our highly processed, western diets. Instead, swap a sugary dessert for a banana with peanut butter or a cacao nib smoothie. These foods, in comparison to traditional desserts, will have way less sugar content + way more nutritional density. Also, these snacks will amp up satiation and spare none of the deliciousness.

Drinks

Don’t let sugary drinks be an option. Kids need lots of good ‘ole water to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, many kids’ liquids are bogged down with sugar in the form of juice and soda pop. Instead, try adding slices of fruit or mint to a large pitcher of water overnight. This will add tons of vitamin C and minimal sugar content in their hydration.

Myth #2: Children need treats as positive reinforcement

There is a common conditioned response in interacting with the youth in the world: the need to give congratulations, usually in the form of candy, every time they do something positive.

Relying on this type of conditioning can be extremely detrimental- causing the child to focus more on the reward than on intuition and learning. As above, we know that sugar is doing our bodies a world of bad. So this combination of constant positive reinforcement and unhealthy treats is a recipe for disaster.

Regardless, if you prefer some positive reinforcement, we are the only reason our kids believe candy is the answer. It is this mentality that keeps our junk drawers filled and the guardians in a constant struggle to keep their children’s hands from reaching in there. In addition, more candy in the house, usually means more candy for the adults, too. If we do not have a constant stock, our kids (and grown-ups) will not rely on it.

SO, what can we do?

Fruit can be a treat if you chose that mentality. Get really excited about fruit and vegetables and your kids will mirror this mentality.

“Finish every last bite…. “

Myth #3: The “stuff their face” mentality

I have seen some parents force feed their kids until they almost burst. One parent told me it helps her kid sleep soundly so she does this before every nap and before putting them to sleep for the night. We all need food to survive, this much is true. But in our rapidly developing world, especially in the United States, obesity is way more probable than starving. A representative, prospective sample of over 50,000 United States children projected that the majority of children will be obese by the time they are 35 years old, estimated at around 60%.⁴ And astonishingly, only 2% of United States children meet their nutritional requirements.¹ The problem is not how much food our children are eating, it is how much vitamins and minerals they are getting. We are creating life-long complexes that eating more is always better, when the focus should be more on intuitive eating. A child’s stomach is small thus needs smaller portions than adults.

SO, what can we do?

The focus should be on nutrient density rather than large, empty calories. Calories should not actually be much of a concern. You can calculate your child’s caloric requirements, but it is smaller than you think: for toddlers around 1,000 calories per day. Rather, focus on their vitamin, mineral, water and protein requirements. If you feel your kid is not getting enough of these, then you need to get a little creative. Dive into what your child likes and try to reinvent the recipes.

Does your kid love pancakes?

Make protein pancakes- add in more eggs, nuts/ nut butter, whole fat yogurt, and skip the sugar completely. You can even make blue or green pancakes [with a ton of added trace nutrients, vitamin B, and protein] by adding in a tablespoon of spirulina.

How about pasta?

For a power- packed nutrient dense meal- go for whole and ancient grain pasta. Add in tons of fresh herbs and shredded vegetables into the sauce.

How about muffins, cake or cupcakes?

You can easily shred carrots or zucchini to any mix. When combined with banana and some fresh vanilla- the vegetables are virtually tasteless. Instead, the veggies just add tons of nutrients and moistness.

“But they have a smiling kid on the box, so it must be good…”

Myth#4: The “common” kid’s foods are healthy

Don’t. go. for. the. marketing. ploys.

The snack market knows what it is doing. Kids’ snacks are often cut into Disney Characters and unnaturally bright colors. It tries its best to scream “FUN” and “CHILD-FRIENDLY,” while masking a myriad of harmful ingredients.

One Nutella commercial says it is “Part of a complete breakfast!” And I beg the question, what part is anywhere near complete? The spread is comprised of 21g of sugar and 11g of fat, over a third being in saturated fat, per two tablespoons. Possibly, albeit laughable, the “complete” comes from the 6% of iron, which is equivalent to the iron in a half a bite of tofu.

My face when I see ads like this:

Dyes have been linked with ADHD and behavioral disorders since the 1970’s but usage is increasing.³ These dyes are everywhere: in pickles, canned fruit, kids’ cereal, candy, etc. In 2008, the Center for Science in the Public Interest sent out a report- Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks, that claimed these dyes are not only linked with behavioral deficits but cancer, too.² The risks are not new by any means so why are they still around? The simple reason: there is a demand for eye- catching food. Sadly, there is an easy swap for these companies: bright colors exist in nature, such as beets and paprika, but these cost more money to make than synthetic, chemically manufactured dyes.

Feeling a little enraged by the dyes and sugar content companies hide in your child’s food? Use this as inspiration: write to the company and explain how disheartened you were to discover the ingredients. With enough knowledgeable and enraged shoppers, they will clean up their act if it means keeping customers.

SO, what can we do?

The best trick is to read the label of any packaged foods. There are so many options for everything now, so we as consumers have the upper hand. Simply pick the option that does not use dyes (and there absolutely is that option).

Also, make eating even more fun than the packaged foods:

• Try healthy dips, such as hummus, or cutting food into artful arrangements to pump up the fun.
• Make wonderfully colorful and tasty smoothies. Kids love smoothies and this is a great time to pack in the nutrients. For a bright red smoothie, consider adding in a few tablespoons of beet. For a green smoothie and a TON of nutrients, add in a handful, or two, of spinach.

I can’t speak high enough of how awesome smoothies are- they are quick, easy, fun, tasty, and packed with nutrients

Hack: smoothie ingredients can be chopped up and frozen together, beforehand, so all that needs to be done to make a smoothie is 30 seconds of grinding.

Inspiration:

• “Ants on a log” stalk of celery with peanut butter and raisins on top.
• Challenge: Make a different color smoothie every day of the week. Red (Beets + Strawberries) for Sunday, Orange (Orange + Papaya + Carrot) for Monday, Yellow (Pineapple + Yogurt) for Tuesday, Green (Spinach + Kiwi) for Wednesday, Blue (Blueberries + Blue Spirulina) for Thursday, Purple (Blackberry + Plum) for Friday, and Brown (Cacao Nibs + Banana + Peanut Butter) for Saturday.

• 

Myth #5: We need specific “children- food”

A typical child’s meal from most any restaurant is along the lines of chicken nuggets and fries, grilled cheese, and a small pizza. While a typical adult menu is filled with options and healthy swaps. Our children are taught to like the bland and nutrition-less, and this is further propagated by the options when we are out and about.

Take a look at these “typical” kids’ menus:

These meals are heavily concentrated on white , nutrition-less breads, dairy, and meat products. Astonishingly, there is not one vegetable or fruit on either of these menus.

There was a recent update to the food pyramid. It stated that both adults and children should be eating mostly fruits and vegetables (five servings at least). We should be getting our protein from nuts, seeds, and legumes aka eating mainly plant-based. So the traditional mindset of large quantities of grains and animal products with the occasional plant is completely and utterly backwards.

SO, what can we do?

The best thing you can do is have your kids eat similarly to the adults in the family- at restaurants, at home, for snacks, etc. Introduce new vegetables and healthy dishes often and get creative with making it delicious + healthy + fun for the whole family.

Myth #6: The food fight is not worth it

There is an overarching theory in public health that is called the Health-Wealth-Education cycle. That means that each component is dependent on the next. Promoting good health can, in turn, ensure a life of knowledge and abundance for your child.

Proper nutrition is essential to a child’s health and well-being. A lack of nutrition hinders the child’s ability to learn, focus, and perform academically by over a four fold.¹

It can be tough sometimes but this is arguably one of the most important fights to have. The youth of this world are our future leaders and the best way to ensure their well-being, besides providing a loving and nurturing relationship with them, is to feed them properly.

In Conclusion:

• Minimize your child’s sugar intake
• Try your best to have mainly plant- based, nutritious foods and less packaged, unnatural foods
• Educate yourself as much as possible on your child’s nutritional needs and the ingredients in the foods they eat
• Be a good role model and eat nutritiously yourself.
• Be consistent in vegetable and fruit stocks.
• Ask for help, when needed. Reach out to a dietitian if you have questions.

Thanks for reading!! Xoxo

References:

1. “Children’s Nutrition Fact Sheet.” Children’s Defense, Children’s Defense Fund, 2010, www.childrensdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/child-nutrition-factsheet.pdf.

2. “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks.” Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks | Center for Science in the Public Interest, cspinet.org/resource/food-dyes-rainbow-risks.

3. Kanarek, Robin Bennett. “Artificial Food Dyes and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. – Semantic Scholar.” Undefined, 1 Jan. 1970, www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Artificial-food-dyes-and-attention-deficit-Kanarek/2fff2cbde3d845b5467f5666267f340f50055faa.

4. Ward, Zachary J., et al. “Simulation of Growth Trajectories of Childhood Obesity into Adulthood: NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine, 7 Nov. 2019, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1703860.