Is Going Gluten Free Right for Your Family? (Recipe Ideas Included)

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Gluten free eating has gained attention and popularity in recent years. This is probably partly due to increased awareness of Celiac disease, which requires a gluten free diet for treatment. It is also likely due to increased awareness of wheat allergy and wheat intolerance, both in kids and adults. For more information about the differences between these conditions, as well as accompanying symptoms, see my previous blog, Is Gluten Bad for You?

Unless you fall into one of the above mentioned conditions, going gluten free will not necessarily improve health. In other words, eating wheat (which contains gluten) in moderation is perfectly healthy, especially if it is whole grain wheat. Some people wonder if going gluten free can help with weight loss. The answer is, not necessarily. If wheat represents a large part of your family’s caloric intake, then removing wheat without replacing it with other equally calorie-dense foods could result in weight loss. Or if your family’s diet contains a lot of high calorie processed foods made with wheat, and you remove these and replace them with lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and other whole grains, then you will definitely see health improvements. But removing wheat alone will not likely result in weight loss.

In any case, it is always good to eat a variety of foods in regular rotation of family meals. Since wheat is so prevalent in many of our households, it might take some thinking ‘outside the box’ to make gluten free meals. Read more

Help! My Infant is Refusing Solid Foods

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When it comes to feeding infants solids, it is often not a straight and narrow path to success. Sometimes you and baby will hit some bumps along the way, which may leave you feeling confused, anxious, and not sure how to make things better.  Below are several strategies to navigate this stressful time.

Tips to help navigate feeding your infant solids:

Be sure your infant is ready. As you may have heard, it is not as important to watch the calendar as it is to watch your baby. Signs of readiness include the following:

  • Baby is able to sit independently or with very minimal support.
  • Baby does not stick his tongue out as a reflex to putting the spoon in his mouth.
  • Baby seems eager to eat food, opening his mouth when you bring the spoon to him. Read more

Coconut Oil: Facts and Uses

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Coconut oil has become popular, especially for its uses in cooking. Coconut oil has some unique properties that coconut oil facts and usesdifferentiate it from other types of oil. Here are some interesting facts about coconut oil and ways to use this food.

Coconut Oil Facts and Uses:

  • It is one of the only plant sources of fat that is solid at room temperature.
  • Coconut oil is very high in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are absorbed from the stomach straight into the bloodstream. Other long chain fats require a more involved digestive process and are absorbed and transported via the lymphatic system. This is helpful for people with problems digesting fat. It can also be a good source of calories in some people with inflammatory digestive issues.
  • Medium chain triglycerides are “oxidized,” or metabolized, rapidly in the liver which means they have a low tendency to be stored as adipose tissue (fat) on the body.
  • It can be used in place of butter or margarine in many recipes, especially when baking sweets, since it has a slight coconut flavor.
  • Coconut oil can be used to grease baking pans instead of other hydrogenated products.
  • It can be used in place of other cooking oils when stir frying or pan frying various foods.
  • Because it is plant-derived, coconut oil is vegan and can replace animal-based fats in recipes. Read more

Infant Soy Formula: A Review of Recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics

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Parents often ask me about giving their infant a soy formula when their infant shows signs of difficulty tolerating breast soy formulamilk or cow’s milk based formulas. Soy seems to be a common go-to alternative; however, there are actually only a few scenarios where soy formula is recommended. The American Academy of Pediatrics published a journal article that reviewed the use of soy based infant formulas in 2008. Here is a summary of the main points.

A Review of Infant Soy Formula:

  • Soy formula is not indicated as an alternative for breast milk or for cow’s milk based formulas except in the case of Galactosemia and hereditary lactase deficiency (both are rare diagnoses). Soy formula may also be an option for parents who desire a vegetarian diet for their infant, if breastfeeding is not possible.
  • Soy formula is not indicated for children diagnosed with cow’s milk protein allergy. Instead, an extensively hydrolyzed formula should be considered, because 10-14% of these infants will also be allergic to soy protein. Read more

Creative Ways for Kids to Get Five-a-Day

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The general recommendation for fruit and vegetable intake is five servings per day. The serving size depends on age, but5 a Day a good rule of thumb is to get your family to consume 2-3 fruits and 2-3 vegetables each day. Does this sound difficult? With a little planning and some creativity, you can achieve this healthy goal.

Tips to Get Your Family to Eat 5 Servings of Fruits and Vegetables a Day:

  • Blend fruit, and even veggies, into smoothies or popsicles. Most kids like treats that come in smoothie, milkshake, or popsicle form. Use yogurt, frozen fruit, a banana, and a handful of spinach to make a smoothie that tastes so good your kids will never guess they’re getting several servings of fruits and vegetables. Freeze into popsicle molds for a healthy frozen dessert.
  • Make fruit and vegetable dippers. Some vegetables simply taste better with a little dip. You can make an easy, healthy, savory dip by mixing plain Greek yogurt with dry Italian or Ranch seasoning packets. Have fresh vegetables chopped and ready to go for snacks or meals ahead of time. Make it more fun by arranging several different colored veggies (such as carrots, celery, baby tomatoes and yellow bell peppers), and two dips (such as hummus and the yogurt Ranch dip) in a muffin tray with six cups. Kids love this fun presentation.  Fruit can be more appealing when dipped as well. Try a flavored yogurt, or mix plain Greek yogurt with a little peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon.
  • Create designs that appeal to kids. Take advantage of the variety of colors and shapes of fruits and vegetables to make your kids more interested in them. You can make rainbows skewers using fruits and vegetables from each shade of the rainbow.  For example you can create a fruit skewer using strawberries, mini orange slices, bananas, kiwis, blueberries, and blackberries. Or have your kids make funny faces using bananas, carrots, berries, kiwis, melons or peppers. Use broccoli, olives, pineapple, a banana, tomatoes, carrots, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and oranges to make Sesame Street characters! This is also a great option for a child’s party or barbecue.

Fruits and vegetables provide many essential vitamins and minerals, as well as phytonutrients that provide health benefits such as reducing inflammation and preventing cancer. These healthy foods also provide fiber, which promotes healthy digestion.

Feel like you have fruits and veggies covered?  Read here for ways to sneak more whole grains into your child’s diet.  If you have concerns about your family’s diet, click here to find out more about North Shore Pediatric Therapy’s Nutrition Counseling program.

Visit us anytime at www.NSPT4kids.com

The Scoop on Ice Cream and Nutrition for Kids

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When you think of summers as a kid, at least one memory probably includes licking a delicious, melting ice cream cone. ice creamIce cream is a popular summer treat for families, but some parents worry it doesn’t fit into a healthy diet plan.  Parents need not worry, though.  Ice cream can be included as a summer treat if you follow the guidelines below.

How can you preserve the ice cream ritual while keeping nutrition in mind?

  • Balance: The phrase “everything in moderation” is especially applicable to nutrition. Ice cream should be an occasional treat as opposed to a nightly routine. Refrain from keeping huge tubs of ice cream in the house, and instead buy small containers that can be divided among family members in proper portion sizes.
  • Portion size: The serving size for most ice cream is ½ a cup. If you imagine a baseball is about 1 cup, then half a baseball is about the amount of ice cream that  should be in a serving. One serving of regular ice cream can have 250 calories or more in it. Eating an extra 250 calories per day will result in a half a pound a week weight gain. This is two pounds per month or six pounds over the whole summer. Read more

A New Childhood Health Issue: Overweight but Undernourished

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If a child is overweight, it is easy to assume that he is getting more than enough of his daily recommended nutrients… right?  The answer is, not always.   Even if a child appears to be well-nourished or over-nourished, this does not mean that he actually has proper nutrient status from a physiological perspective.overweight kids

What nutrients might be lacking and why?

Calcium–Childhood and drinking milk are often thought to go hand-in-hand. But many kids avoid milk and instead drink juice or sweetened beverages with little nutritional value. Other food sources of calcium might not be at the top of most kids’ lists, such as dark leafy greens, beans, tofu, and quinoa.

Inadequate calcium intake can cause the following problems:

  • In combination with excess weight bearing on a child’s developing bones, a lack of calcium can put kids at risk for fractures and joint problems.
  • A lack of calcium in childhood can cause a diminished reserve of calcium in later life.  Calcium is used in the body for blood clotting, muscle contraction, and nerve signal conduction processes.  Calcium also works to buffer acid-base balance in the blood. It is stored in the bones, and pulled out from the bones for these functions. Your body stockpiles calcium from the diet into the bones much more effectively during childhood and the young adult years than after age 30. Read more

How to Get More Whole Grains into Your Kid’s Diet

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Whole grains are an important part of any diet.  Whole grains are more nutrient-dense than their refined counterparts. Whole GrainsRefined “white” starches have been stripped of fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals. Some of the vitamins and minerals are re-fortified into these processed grains, but refined grains remain nutritionally inferior to whole grains. The fiber in whole grains also helps create feelings of satiety, which in turn helps prevent overeating. Many typical kids’ foods are not made with whole grains. However, it’s easier than you think to sneak these healthy whole grains into your child’s daily diet.

Children’s Foods Made with Healthy Whole Grains:

  • Whole grain Goldfish
  • Whole grain bagels or English muffins
  • “White” whole grain bread, or 100% whole wheat
  • Oatmeal
  • Multigrain pancakes or waffles
  • Whole wheat pasta
  • Soft corn tortillas (made with corn, salt, and water)
  • Brown rice cakes
  • Whole grain cereals (look for those with less than 5 g of sugar per serving and 3+ grams of fiber per serving)
  • Cooked quinoa or uncooked oats in meatloaf, meatballs, stuffed peppers, muffins, pancakes, etc
  • Multigrain crackers

How to Spot Whole Grains at the Grocery Store:

When at the grocery store, labels can be a bit confusing. There are two ways to tell if a product is truly whole grain. First, look for whole grain as the first ingredient listed on the ingredient list. In other words, look for “whole wheat” or “brown rice.” Second, look for a gold and black, whole grains symbol on the box. Just be sure that your whole grain pick is an otherwise healthy choice; whole grains are only a part of the whole healthy food equation.

For other ways to clean-up your family’s diet, read here for ways to add more fruits and vegetables to your kid’s meals or simple ideas for cooking greens.   If you find your family has a hard time transitioning from refined to whole grains, contact a dietitian. They can help brainstorm recipes, come up with creative ways to help increase acceptance, and educate your family on the nutritional benefits of whole versus processed foods.

To learn more about nutrition services at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, call us at 877-486-4140.

Nutrition Implications of Pediatric Congenital Heart Defects

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Congenital heart defects in the pediatric population are a serious condition. Many defectscongenital heart defects require surgical intervention to correct or improve the problem. Often, there are nutrition-related implications associated with heart defects. Here is more information about how nutrition may be affected to help you understand this aspect of your child’s health.

The Link between Nutrition and Congenital Heart Defects:

  • Digestion and absorption of nutrients. The major job of the human heart is to pump blood throughout the body. The blood carries nutrients and oxygen to be used for energy and to support all body functions. With a heart defect, blood circulation may be suboptimal, since the heart may not be pumping strongly or efficiently. This can result in poor blood flow to the gut, which means that the gut is not getting the nutrients and energy it needs to perform digestive functions effectively. Nutrients may not be absorbed well, which can lead to poor weight gain and general intolerance of feeds (diarrhea, reflux, delayed gastric emptying). Read more

Fun, Free Father’s Day Activities

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With Father’s Day right around the corner, it’s time to think about how the kids can celebrate that great guy in their lives: Dad.  For those of you looking to honor Dad without breaking the bank, consider these  fun, free and meaningful activities that kids and dads can do together this Father’s Day.

Fun, Free Father’s Day Activities:

Create a family picture train.  Many fathers find themselves with a little train lover or two in the house.  Build on thisFun Free Father's Day Activities passion by creating a family picture train.  Cut out rectangles from paper and decorate as rail cars.  Cut smaller circles and add for wheels.  Then, find family pictures that are special and glue them onto each train car.  Connect the train cars with yarn or paper.

Bake.  Whether Dad dons the chef’s hat in the family regularly or not, Father’s Day is a great day to choose a recipe and dig in to creating something tasty to eat.  Kids can do the measuring, adding and tasting.

Take a nature walk.  Dad and the kids can take a walk down the street or around the backyard in search of interesting natural items.  Collect these to take home and create a collage or a terrarium.  If you’re in an urban area, head to an area park.

Create caricatures.  Put the family’s art skills to work and have each family member draw a funny picture of Dad or each other.

Do yoga. There are many resources for family yoga online such as rainbow kids yoga.  Take a look at fun poses that dads and kids can do together for fun and fitness.

Have a great Father’s Day and enjoy the special man in your life!