Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (33 page)

By the same token, unfortunately, bad habits tend to start young, too. Many kids, if they had their way, would eat the same foods all the time, a habit they usually learn from mom and dad. To get all the nutrients kids need for optimum growth and good health, both now and in the years to come, they need variety, just like you.

Grains,
including whole grains, brown rice, oats, rye bread, and quinoa (my kids’ favorite) should all be on the menu. These foods are high in complex carbohydrates, which are the body’s preferred fuel. They give your child the energy to play, pay attention in school, and do many other activities. Grains also provide other important nutrients such as vitamin B complex, which helps your child’s body to use the protein needed to build muscle. Whole grains contain dietary fiber that can assist in the protection against heart disease and diabetes, and also help control your child’s weight and keep their poos moving. I am shocked at how many children suffer from constipation, because they just don’t get enough fiber. Always choose whole grains, rather than refined. Refined grains, such as those in white bread and white rice, which have been processed, should be avoided because many of the naturally occurring nutrients have been lost.

Vegetables
provide many of the essential vitamins and minerals and fiber your child needs for good health. Include a variety of veggies in your child’s diet. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli, are a good source of calcium, which helps to build strong bones and teeth and is essential during this stage of rapid growth. Tantalize their taste buds early on with more unusual (but now widely available) vegetables such as bok choy, fennel, and butternut squash. Fruits are also wonderful sources of essential vitamins and minerals and give children a natural sweet treat that is also healthy. I notice that my own kids prefer raw veggies over cooked ones.

White meats, fish, beans, and nuts
provide children with protein to maintain and repair body tissue and build muscle. The proteins from lean meats such as chicken, turkey, and fish, as well as eggs and beans, supply essential amino acids that make up our bodies’ “building blocks.” For growth, vitamin A helps to build healthy eyes, skin, and hair. Vitamin B aids metabolism. Vitamin D helps your child’s body to absorb calcium and use it to maintain healthy bones and teeth, along with muscle and nerve functions. Iron also helps to build strong bones, teeth, and muscles. Iron is especially important for kids during periods of rapid growth, stress, injury, or illness.

Fats and oils
contain essential nutrients to maintain brain function, healthy skin, and development in children, but trans fats, found in fries, chips, pastries, and processed foods, have been linked with heart disease and obesity, so limit these foods. Foods naturally high in essential fats (particularly omega-6 and omega-3) include nuts (nut and seed butters are great for children), olives, oily fish, soy products, and avocados. Omega-3, found in oily fish as well as hemp and flax seeds, has been shown to be particularly important for brain development.

Water
is the most important drink, and should be encouraged whenever kids are thirsty. Children need water for healthy skin and cell function as much as adults need it when they get older.

Juicing:
this is far better for your kids than processed fruit juice or soda. Sugary beverages have been linked not just to obesity, but to a host of health problems as well as poor concentration at school. Kids love the juicing and smoothie-making process, so I say let them have a go themselves. This kind of play will build a fabulous foundation for a lifetime love of healthy food.

Sprouting:
children will eat food they have grown themselves, so buy a sprouter and encourage the kids to sprout their own. Chickpeas when sprouted or soaked overnight are a chewy, sweet snack for kiddies. My kids adore these little chewy balls.

Children need regular nibbles to keep their blood-sugar levels steady and to prevent cravings and binging on unhealthy food. Temper tantrums are often a direct result of blood-sugar swings. Junk food will obviously send their levels on a roller-coaster ride and have your kids climbing the walls in no time. Good snack ideas are seeds, sugarless cereal, fruit, raw veggies, hummus sandwiches, and natural sugar/sweetener-free yogurts (yogurts are only a healthy option when they are free of chemical sweeteners and colorings). My kids love to snack on chestnuts. You can easily find them in the health-food store or supermarket in the winter months for roasting. Replace chips and snacks with seaweed and nuts. You will be amazed how much children love them. Soak almonds overnight and kids will find them chewy and easy to digest.

What to avoid

Limit the amount of added sugar you feed your child from cookies, sweets, sugary cereals, and other foods. The body stores this extra sugar it doesn’t immediately need as fat and this can lead to weight gain and other health problems. You end up addicting your kids to sugar from an early age and that addiction continues into adulthood. It is a vicious cycle, and it’s up to parents to take action.

You can help your kids to break the association between sweets and treats. Fruit is sweet and a good treat. Yams, sweet potatoes, and squash are sweet and make perfect snacks. Brown rice has a lovely nutty, sweet flavor. Be a good role model and make the healthy choice the norm. You can still include favorite or “treat” foods now and again. Make them special, not everyday. Learn how to prepare all kinds of good healthy options. I make a super-healthy carob fudge brownie that is delicious, too. See page
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for my raw cacao bean smoothie.

Persistence is key

Fussy eaters are a parent’s nightmare. I understand just how busy and stressful life can be, and how frustrating it is when you’ve slaved over a meal only to have it rejected. But please, please, be patient and persevere. Some kids may turn their noses up at new foods and this is entirely normal. Repeated exposure to new foods in an upbeat environment will encourage them to experiment, trust me. As always, lead by example, and make sure you are eating the healthy food you want your child to eat. After all, you can’t expect your child to snack on seeds while you’re scoffing an iced cupcake, can you?

In my experience, children who help prepare food are more likely to eat it. I have found that most children are very open to trying new things and are eager to get into the kitchen and get involved. So let them! This can be a great time to communicate with your child and discuss healthy eating. Encourage your kids to set the table and eat with a knife and fork. Take them shopping to the local greengrocer; say that as a special treat they can pick the most unusual fruit or vegetable they can find and you’ll try it at home together.

As you try to modify your child’s diet for the better, remember that children are natural grazers. They prefer to have several meals and snacks throughout the day rather than big meals. Children have small tummies, so they’re not always being fussy when they say they don’t want to finish something. Try not to make a big issue of food and eating. Instead, let them stay in tune with their appetite and eat according to it. Just make sure that the meals and snacks you offer them are nutritious and that they sit down to eat and chew slowly rather than snack on the run (as I happen to know many adults who do!).