THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 2, 1995 TAG: 9503010057
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Special Nutrition Series
Part 1: KIDS
SOURCE: STORIES BY ELIZABETH SIMPSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 147 lines
CAROLANNE GUIDO remembers the day she tried to fool her family out of a fatty dessert.
She served Jell-O instead of an ice-cream sundae. Nice try, Mom.
``They all just laughed at me,'' remembers Guido, of Virginia Beach.
But she didn't give up. Guido came back another night with the same Jell-O - layered with whipped cream and big chunks of fruit.
Her husband and five children still laughed, but this time they dug in.
Mom scores again in the great American battle to get kids to eat healthy. Or at least healthier.
If you think good eating takes as much sleight-of-hand as it does nutritional know-how, you're not alone.
Even though parents know more today about nutrition than they ever have, there's also more working against them: Most have less time than their parents did to drum up family meals. Tempting convenience foods often are loaded with preservatives, sodium and fat. And, less-active children constantly are bombarded by commercials for hot dogs, sugary snack cakes and the latest fast-food combo meal.
All the more reason to make the effort.
A recent study by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that obesity among children is increasing at an even faster rate than among adults. Another study, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says one in five teenagers is overweight. And that their eating habits often put them on a collision course with cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure when they're adults.
The best time to put the brakes on unhealthy eating is when children are young. Habits - not the occasional fast-food burger - derail a healthy lifestyle.
Here are some tips for getting kids to eat healthier, from nutritionists and parents:
Don't turn the dinner table into a battlefield. Offer healthy alternatives, but don't force-feed your kids. Mealtime should be a pleasant experience, not a shouting match.
Always serve at least one or two foods your child will like, especially when you're introducing a food.
``I try to make them at least taste something they don't think they'll like,'' said Helen Ryan, a Virginia Beach mother of three, ages 9, 8 and 3. ``And if they don't like it, I give them a very small portion.''
If your kids won't eat, don't sweat it. They'll eat when they get hungry. Have nutritious snacks ready when they decide to give up the fast. But don't turn into a short-order cook at the dinner table.
``If you give in all the time, it's going to become a power play,'' said Eileen Coffman, a clinical dietitian at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk. ``They'll think, `Let me see what I can make Mom do tonight,' and then it's less about food and more about power.''
If at first you don't succeed, don't toss in the vegetable peeler. Don't force the issue that night, but come back again with a new spin on the food. Kids might not like a fruit or vegetable one way, but they will try them with a sauce or low-fat topping.
Virginia Beach mom Guido, for example, keeps a container of brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkles the mixture on apples and other fruits, then microwaves them. ``They get some sugar, but at least they're eating the fruit,'' she says.
Don't worry if kids get on a one-food craze. If green beans are the only vegetable they'll eat for weeks on end, stock up on green beans. But make sure you keep trying other vegetables once in a while. Kids' appetite levels and tastes in foods change over time.
If your kids like dipping broccoli in ketchup, or cauliflower in mustard, don't freak out.
``If it grosses you out, look the other way,'' said Jac Lynn Dunkle, director of Vanderbilt University's child-care center and author of ``The (No Leftovers!) Child Care Cookbook.'' ``You've got to choose your battles.''
Don't label food as good and bad. It's OK to have the occasional Big Mac or Twinkie or bowl of Froot Loops; just don't make those foods a daily indulgence. If you prohibit certain foods, you make them that much more enticing to children. Dunkle likes to call them ``once-in-a-blue-moon-foods.''
Thea Byker, a Virginia Beach mother of six, buys her kids their favorite sugary breakfast food for birthday and holiday treats. Instead of a staple, the sugar cereals are a treat. ``They don't feel so deprived then,'' she says.
At the same time, you don't have to have those ``once-in-a-blue-moon-foods'' sitting out on the counter all the time.
If children have a choice between grabbing a handful of crackers vs. getting a carrot, cleaning it and chopping it, they're going to go for the grab. Have vegetables cut up and ready to eat, and find a low-fat dressing for dipping. Or try peanut butter on celery for after-school snacks.
Don't go overboard, especially with very young children. Your low-fat diet, for instance, may not be suitable for a young child. Most studies show children under 2 need more fat in their diets for brain development. Serving them whole milk instead of 2 percent milk is the best way to make sure they get the fat they need. Also, don't push adult-sized portions at kid-sized stomachs.
``They look overwhelming to kids,'' Dunkle said. ``It's like, `There's no way I`m gonna eat that.' ''
Don't pull out the old ``clean-your-plate'' line your parents wore out on you. Left alone, kids are more likely to eat the amount that's good for them. Cleaning their plates can start the habit of eating past the point of being hungry. ``Kids are very good at eating until they're not hungry,'' dietitian Coffman said. ``They don't need someone telling them when that is.''
Get the kids involved in making dinner. Let them help prepare some of the simple dishes if they're old enough. Even 3- or 4-year-olds can help set the table or add ingredients, with help from Mom or Dad. As children get older, add cooking duties - such as cutting up vegetables - with more responsibility. Also, give them a choice of what you're cooking for dinner.
Avoid the open-ended question of ``What do you want for dinner?'' unless you want to serve chicken nuggets every night. But a choice between two items gives them some say-so at mealtime.
Keep food at the table. Once kids start eating meals in front of the television or on the run, they don't concentrate on the food as much. They lose track of how much they're eating, which can lead to overeating.
Snacks are fine, especially if they're nutritious, but don't let kids feed continuously all day. Set snack times and adjust them according to when the ``I'm hungry'' cries reach their peak.
Set a good example. Don't expect your kids to eat baked potatoes if you're chowing down on potato chips. Try to eat at the same time as your children. The best way kids learn good eating habits is to watch their parents.
Seek balance. You're going to have to fill in with microwave dinners on nights you're pressed for time. You're going to stop at fast-food restaurants once in a while. And you're going to cave in and serve an entire dinner that comes out of cans, when the refrigerator is bare.
``It's OK to make compromises on occasion and not feel bad. Just don't do it when a child is whining or crying,'' Vanderbilt's Dunkle said. ``Compromise on your own terms.''
When you buy convenience foods, look at the label. Some are better than others. Look for products with a low percentage of fat and sodium. Children should not get more than 30 percent of their calories from fat.
And finally, don't use food as a comforter. ``Teach kids to eat when they're hungry, not when they're watching TV, or when they're bored, or when they're sad or mad,'' Coffman said. Doing so can lead to a lifetime of poor nutritional habits and weight problems.
Following are some healthful kids' snacks. [For copies of recipes, see microfilm for this date on page F4.] ILLUSTRATION: SAM HUNDLEY/Staff
SMART SNACK
Ice cream cones filled with raisins
Whole-wheat waffles with peanut butter and jelly or bananas
Rice cakes covered with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins
Fruit-juice bars
by CNB