Topics:

• What’s in Your Child’s Glass?
• Is My Tween Overweight?

What’s in Your Child’s Glass?

The average 12-19 year old who drinks soda pop, drinks more than 2 cans a day which can add up to about 900 cans (12 oz.) of soda pop in a year. In addition, the market for non-carbonated, sweetened drinks like sports drinks, fruit-ades, and flavored iced teas is on the rise.

These sweet beverages provide calories and sugar to the body, but do not offer other essential vitamins and minerals. There has been an association made with soda pop (non-diet) consumption and overweight and obesity because it has a fair amount of calories, without many nutrients, and is often offered in very large sizes (think of “supersizing” at fast food restaurants). Consuming more calories than your body needs, in addition to decreasing physical activity, may lead to gradual weight gain over years. More importantly, by choosing these beverages, young people are not selecting milk, which does provide an important nutrient to the body--calcium.

Maintain adequate calcium intake:
1,300 mg ages 9-18
1,000 mg ages 19-50
1,200 mg over age 50

Whenever possible, offer calcium-rich food and beverages at each meal and snack. Aim to serve your child high calcium food and beverages at least 4 times a day. Not all calcium comes in a glass. Though milk (any flavor) is a concentrated source of calcium, most dairy products will also meet the body’s craving for calcium. Foods such as low-fat yogurt, cheeses, custards, ice cream, puddings, powdered milk, and foods made with these items will be good sources of calcium. Those who do not like milk or dairy products can find calcium in foods/drinks such as calcium-fortified orange juice and other foods with calcium added such as cereals and cereal bars. Other natural sources of calcium are soybeans, tofu (if preserved in calcium salts), some beans, salmon (canned with bones), greens, spinach, broccoli, and almonds. Look at the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label and search for the amount of calcium in that product. It is listed as a percent. Select a food or drink with at least 10% of the recommended amount of calcium per serving. This would be a good source of calcium.

Calcium Counts!

Youngsters and adults alike need to eat foods that provide calcium. Here’s one that has proven to be very popular:

Yogurt Pudding
1 cup (8 oz.) plain yogurt
1 cup low-fat milk
1 small package instant vanilla pudding

Mix all ingredients together. Beat until smooth and thickened. Refrigerate until ready to serve (1 hour or more).

Serve with any kind of fresh or canned fruit. May be topped with granola or crushed graham crackers. Serves 4.

Is My Tween Overweight?

Recent reports indicate that children and teens are getting heavier and heavier with about 25% to 30% of school-age children in the U.S. being overweight or obese. This is of great concern because along with this increase in weight we are seeing an increase in “adult type” disease markers for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure in our children. As a parent you may be asking yourself, do I need to be concerned with my child’s weight?

If you are concerned, the first step is to consult your family doctor. Assessing overweight in children is difficult because of unpredictable growth rates. Your doctor will look at the child’s growth history as well as your overall family history in determining whether your child will “grow into” a normal weight. If it is determined that your child is overweight your doctor may then ask you to begin making changes in your family’s eating and activity habits.

• Be a role model. Take a look at your own eating and physical activity habits and set a good example.
  
  
• Become physically active as a family.
  
  
• Limit TV and computer time and work with your child to replace it with a physical activity they can enjoy.
  
  
• Cut down on the amount of fat in your family’s diet. This includes what is used in food preparation as well as high fat snack foods and high fat food choices when eating out.
  
  
• Don’t overly restrict sweets or treats; moderation is key.
  
  
• Guide your family’s food choices rather than dictate foods.
  
  
• Eat meals together as a family. Research shows that children who eat meals with their family have a healthier diet.
  
  
• Get the kids involved in food shopping and meal preparation.
  
  
• Keep healthy snacks readily available for your child to eat when hungry.
  
  
• Support your child by helping him/her create healthy habits.

Remember changing habits is never easy, especially at this point in a child’s life, so don’t try to change everything at once. Select one or two goals and make small changes over time.