Although I’d love an endless summer (sadly, summer ends, even in LA), lots of kids have either already gone back to school or are seeing that day fast approaching. So as parents once again grapple with what to put into the lunch box or bag or bento box…I thought it might be time to review some recent stuff in the news on what to feed kids of all ages. And since my background is in reproductive nutrition, I’ll start with the youngest young. If you’re not currently feeding kids or grandkids, please share this blog with someone who is: And if you have questions, comments, or ideas to share, please post to my site or my Nutritionskinny Facebook page!
Eat your veggies, ASAP. Much, if not most, of what you read on the internet about what women should or should not eat during pregnancy is entirely baseless, or based more on emotion than any evidence. But an article earlier this summer in the NY Times reviewed what we know about whether it’s ok to adhere to a vegetarian diet during pregnancy. A review of some 20 studies that followed healthy pregnant women suggests that a vegetarian diet, that is, a diet that includes mostly plant foods but also contains some animal products like eggs and dairy foods, can be safe, but only if it’s carefully planned to ensure adequate intake of crucial nutrients. Folks contemplating going vegetarian seem most focused, usually unnecessarily, on getting enough protein. But the bigger concern is with vitamin B12 and the mineral, iron, both of which can be in very short supply in vegetarian diets. Although prenatal supplements contain both nutrients, it’s best to get some of the daily requirements from foods (iron from supplements can cause major stomach upset). Iron can be supplied by legumes and dark leafy greens like spinach, but iron from these plant sources is not as easily absorbed as iron from meat, a challenge that can be overcome somewhat by cooking beans or greens with an acidic food like tomatoes or lemon. Eggs, milk, and nutritional yeast provide vitamin B12. Vegan diets present greater challenges to a healthy pregnancy. Vegans, who avoid all animal products, also risk missing vitally important calcium unless they choose calcium-fortified versions of foods like orange juice and tofu…or juniper ash: Yes, a recent study found that burnt juniper bark is the source of calcium in the diets of Navajos, who have lactose intolerance and therefore don’t consume dairy products. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan woman who is pregnant or could get pregnant, I strongly advise you to schedule a visit with a reproductive nutritionist who can help you plan a diet that will give your baby the healthiest start possible.
Fighting deadly bugs with…bugs?!? Not many nutrition stories make a big enough splash that they land in the venerated weekly science journal, Nature. But last week, as related by NPR, they featured a study by an international group of scientists and doctors showing that a probiotic organism has been shown to prevent infant sepsis (infection), which is responsible for the high rates of infant sickness and death worldwide, but mainly in developing countries. Sepsis, which results in severe diarrhea, malnutrition, and dehydration, is typically caused by particular toxic bacteria but can also be fungal or viral. Low birth weight (due to prenatal malnutrition) increases newborns’ risk for infection. The successful study, which was conducted in a rural Indian city with some of the highest infant sepsis rates in the world, used an oral “synbiotic” preparation, combining the benign probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum with a “prebiotic,” a source of dietary fiber (like bran cereal!) that serves as food for the bacteria. Studies are underway to test the symbiotic mixture in other areas around the globe.
Toxic macaroni and cheese? In case you haven’t noticed, social media thrive on scaring us about the food we’re eating…especially about the foods we feed our children. Sadly, with increasing frequency, the NY Times can’t seem to keep itself from doing the same, whether it’s baselessly condemning modern plant breeding methods (GMOs) or calling an important nutrient (sugar) a toxin. Totally failing to put small scientific “findings” into any kind of perspective, they recently reported that boxed macaroni and cheese mixes are full of, gasp, chemicals: not just any chemicals but a class of chemicals called phthalates, which have been dubbed “endocrine modulators,” and have been identified in the powdered cheese mix. Endocrine modulators are chemicals that appear to have the potential to mimic—or block—the effects of certain human hormones. The hormones our bodies synthesize, and their careful regulation, are vital for our health. So the idea of a food or food contaminant that can masquerade as a hormone is indeed disturbing. Yet the amounts of these substances we would need to ingest vastly exceed anything that has ever been identified in any food, so the chance that consuming even large amounts of these foods would expose anyone, even children, to potentially concerning amounts of the chemicals is miniscule, even if they can accumulate in the body over time. As it turned out, the “study” the Times cited as the source of the disturbing revelation was not even published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, but rather on the website of a little-known advocacy group. Of course, no one should subsist on—or limit their family’s diet to—boxed mac and cheese, but in moderation, the stuff presents no risk. And the source of the phthalates in the mac and cheese is…the package! Next?!?
Breakfast wars? To eat breakfast or not to eat breakfast? Or in this case, to force feed your school-age child breakfast…or back off? The breakfast question seems to generate an incredible amount of controversy. One reason is that we tend to confuse the role of breakfast eating/skipping in losing or managing our weight with its role in children’s school performance and growth. The other reason is that the effects of breakfast eating have been tested in very few actual trials (that is, studies that randomly assigned kids to eat or not eat breakfast and then tested the effects, and even when they have, participants can’t be blinded to whether they’re eating breakfast!). The American Academy of Pediatrics, which sets guidelines promoting children’s health, based on research evidence, urges parents to ensure their children eat a good breakfast, the operative word here being “good.” And a study just released by a group of British researchers finds that children who skip breakfast are deficient in some key nutrients compared with breakfast eaters, and that the difference can’t be explained by the breakfast skippers eating more poorly throughout the day. So…what is a good breakfast, and how do you overcome the typical morning time crunch challenges? A good breakfast is one that is high in protein and low in processed carbs; to avoid having to slave over a hot stove before you’ve had your first cup of coffee, try Greek yogurt (preferably plain) or string cheese with cut-up fresh fruit, a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter and a banana, or overnight steel-cut oatmeal with milk. Any of these can be packed easily for eating on the way. And sorry: toaster pastries, protein bars, and store-bought smoothies don’t cut it!
And now for something completely different: Doctor Yum! Nimali Fernando is a pediatrician in Fredericksburg VA who has designed a web-based “tool” to help parents or any of us who are feeling food idea-challenged to create nutritious meals and snacks our families will love. The Doctor Yum website is part of the Doctor Yum Project, which includes cooking and nutrition workshops, a food garden program, and other community outreach activities. In addition to directing the Doctor Yum Project, Fernando runs a pediatric practice, Yum Pediatrics, that focuses on prevention and wellness through nutrition, and she has authored a cookbook and co-produced a video focused on down-to-earth evidence-based nutrition.