Children's Nutrition

For parents and caretakers of young children:

How important is it to pay attention to our children's diet?

By Claudia Castillo, CNE

One of the best, if not the most important legacy parents can leave for their children and for future generations, is to provide the foundation for a healthy body - physically, mentally and emotionally. Just as parents look into securing their children’s education through a College Fund, the responsibility of caring for their health – creating a Health Fund, is in actuality much more profound, in terms of the quality of life it will provide our kids and everyone around them, in their present and future lives.

Starting as early as possible, providing a strong nutritional foundation will dramatically diminish the risk of developing health issues later in life. According to Marilu Henner in her book “Healthy Kids”, at the age of 8 kids have most of their habits set, for life. For food industries, this age is crucial: if they get them as a regular customer then, they will most likely have them for life.

Up until the age of 8, children will generally follow the dietary habits of parents and/or caretakers. This is precious information! However, what we see in most American kitchens nowadays is a variety of foods that require little or no preparation, highly refined and processed, high in sugars, trans-fats/hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors and colors, preservatives and so forth. Generally, these foods are full of tasty but empty calories. Unfortunately, healthier options such as whole foods, fresh fruits and veggies are hardly available. This happens for a reason, as families in our current times face many challenges:

-Time is short, therefore it is more convenient to eat out, or to have at hand already prepared or packaged foods, such as frozen dinners;

-The impact of the Media: ads say it is so good for you! or “why pay more?” or it’ll make your kids so happy! Completely misinformed, the tendency is to think it must be true, besides the fact that it is an easy and convenient alternative;

-Children are delighted with these "easy, tasty and conveniet" meals, so for the parents there is no fuss around a miso soup or salad or a simple serving of brown rice. No conflict, children will eat, problem solved…

Most Americans are not aware that these highly processed foods that are being available to our children create a great imbalance in their bodies. Professionals in the Holistic Nutrition field agree that this type of diet increases the risks of cancer and disease down the road. I truly believe that no parent would provide unhealthy food options to their families if they knew the negative impact this has in their children’s well being. This is a problem of misinformation and, as mentioned above, rampant marketing tricks most of the population is exposed to.

1.- “Convenience”-foods diet: the majority of foods being refined, overcooked, high in unhealthy fats and sugars, predictable, kids will make no fuss, generally love it, inexpensive, is readily available, although in return we have lower resistance to disease, more visits to the doctor, children missing school, parents missing work (and most likely missing pay), more money towards medication which further depletes our children’s bodies, and the cycle just continues, and stress levels get higher and higher.

2.- Healthy-foods diet: majority of organic, unrefined, whole grains and legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, booster foods, raw dairy, which build a strong and healthy foundation, therefore higher resistance to disease, more vitality and steady energy, less visits to the doctor, daily routine is less likely to be disrupted, less chances of kids missing school and parents missing work, minimum or no need to administer medication, higher chances of stress levels being normal, more peace of mind.

After looking at these two patterns, doesn’t it sound like a better deal to dedicate a few more minutes a day, precious moments, strengthening our well-being through healthy eating and creating a nourishing meal environment in our family setting, which not only impacts our health positively but also reinforces family ties and remains in our memory for a lifetime?

The time and energy will be spent, either way. I strongly believe that we have the power to choose: to either spend it in dis-ease, or in health.

If you'd like more information, contact Claudia to schedule your free 30-minute teleconsultation.