Kim Dart Elsing , For USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Published 8:30 a.m. CT Aug. 22, 2019
CONNECTCOMMENTEMAILMORE
Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the elephant in the room. He’s over there, large and smelly, minding his business. I know you see him, even though you might not admit it.
This elephant is part of our future. His presence will dictate the quality of life for this generation and those to come — number and severity of illnesses, body image issues, depression/psychological health. With that kind of impact, why don’t we acknowledge this 10,000-pound animal in our homes?
The elephant I am referring to is our children’s nutrition. Nutrition is challenging to talk about when it pertains to adults. But bring children into the conversation and it may be met with anything from avoidance to disgust or even anger. It is one of the more important aspects of health, yet it’s one that is often hard to broach.
I won’t go into reasons why it’s so hard to talk about nutrition for kids except to say many times it’s really about the adults. I suggest that when we begin to deal with kids’ nutrition, we first deal with our own nutritional habits, or at least keep them in perspective. We can also use three simple principles to make that elephant look like a cute little kitten:
- the basics of nutrition
- good nutritional practices
- implementation of nutrition habits
The basics of nutrition: Macronutrients
The basics of nutrition should be applied similarly to kids as it is to adults. Considering the three important macronutrients of protein, carbohydrates and fats will ensure kids are eating nutritionally sound. Protein should come from lean meats, legumes and nuts. Carbs should come from fruits, vegetables and grains. Fats should come from nuts, fruits like olives and avocados, and some dairy.
The brain and body of kids is growing, so it is important to make sure that they are getting all these macronutrients. Processed foods will leave them feeling empty and irritated as their bodies try to deal with being nutritionally deficient. Nutrient-dense whole foods will give them exactly what they need without a lot of worry about reading labels for hidden ingredients or food allergy triggers. Remember their brains are developing and need omega fatty acids from dairy foods, healthy nuts and oils. So while you may be purchasing fat-free versions of food for you, it might not be the best idea for your kids.
Good nutritional practices
When considering good nutritional practices for kids, again, it is similar to adults. Kids need three complete meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a few snacks throughout the day. Meals should be planned with food groups in mind. A plate should have a section with protein and an equally filled section of veggies. I tend to leave fruits for a “treat,” snack or dessert. It’s easy to give kids naturally sweet fruits all day. But aim for giving them twice as many vegetables as fruit. Planning the bigger meals with vegetables offers an easy way to achieve that. Also, minimize eating habits that include reward-based eating, emotional eating or boredom/mindless eating. Implement rules to avoid eating practices that lead to overindulgence or situational eating rather than a basic need to fuel the body, such as:
- no eating in front of the TV
- no eating while on technology
- no eating in the car (we can fight about this one another time)
This will help set your kids up for less negative food issues and more nutritional eating habits as they grow.
Implementation of nutrition habits
All of that being said, the thought might be, “Where in the world do I go from here?” There are so many places to go. So just start by choosing one place at a time. Try implementing good nutritional habits in your kids the way I help a client change their nutritional habits: Look at the biggest offenders of good nutrition and create a strategy to replace it.
Example: I had a client ask how she could change her children’s habit of having a granola bar, applesauce cup or kids version yogurt as a snack. I told her to take the easiest step and stop buying it. Then, when the kids ask for a snack, don’t tell them what they cannot have, but offer them a list of what they can have. She texted me after a weekend and exclaimed that her kids had not had one negative thing to say about the options she gave them. They were happy to choose a cut-up apple with peanut butter or a banana they could quickly eat while heading out to play with friends. And she was equally excited that they stopped asking for as many snacks because the foods they were now eating filled them and sustained them longer. The same happened with dinner time. They were happy with the variety and quantity of foods that they were given, rarely asking for seconds or overeating, and instead being satisfied to have an extra helping of vegetables or a piece of fruit. Plus, they happily walked away from the table without asking for food again in a short time.
There you go. The elephant has been addressed. We can now move freely about feeling good and comfortable with the idea of tackling kids nutrition. Good nutritional habits can be made easier with the basics of nutrition and fulfilling macronutrient needs, good nutrition practices of eating three square meals and healthy snacks throughout the day, as well as implementation of those habits to support good nutrition.
Kim Dart Elsing is a Greater Green Bay YMCA personal trainer, ACE certified, fitness nutritional specialist, non-diet weight management certified and holistic life coach under the instruction of the Global Association of Holistic Practitioners. Reach her at 920-436-9570 or kim.dart@greenbayymca.org.
CONNECTCOMMENTEMAILMORE
Read or Share this story: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/life/2019/08/22/stick-basics-when-comes-nutrition-and-kids-greater-green-bay-ymca/2077678001/