|
August
24, 2000
News this month
Toddler diet lacking in nutrition, fat
National enthusiasm for
eating fat-free and low-fat foods has trickled down to the youngest
diners–with toddlers at risk of not eating enough fat and other
essential nutrients. This and other information about children’s
nutrition is contained in a new Pennsylvania State University study
published in July in Pediatrics. The researchers, led by
Mary Frances Picciano, PhD, concluded that new government guidelines
written for the unique nutrition needs of children age two and younger
may be necessary to help parents choose the proper foods during
these important growing years.
Many parents lack good information about what foods
their children should eat…
Making the transition to table foods
Around their first birthday, children adopt new eating habits. In
infancy, formula or breast milk is the primary source of nutrition
and calories. At 12 months, though, children drink less milk and gradually
eat more baby foods and then table foods. During this transition to
a more adult-like diet, nutritional needs remain extremely high. But
many parents lack good information about what foods their children
should eat and few guidelines exist for the toddler diet. The only
guideline currently in existence warns parents to make sure children
age two and younger receive enough fat in their diet.
Areas of concern
Despite improvements in many areas of early childhood nutrition in
recent years, there remain areas of concern. The researchers began
their study knowing that:
- About 10 percent
of these children do not receive enough iron.
- The numbers of overweight
preschoolers is increasing.
- Other children consume
diets that have too little fat and too few micronutrients (such
as zinc).
- There is a lack of
research about children’s nutritional patterns during the
second year of life.
What are children eating?
For this study, 55 children from 12 to 18 months old and their parents
were studied over six months. The children were primarily white (89%)
from middle to higher ranked socioeconomic households. Dietary intake
and growth (weight, length and arm circumference) were measured monthly.
Three-day dietary journals were collected monthly and tabulated using
software that contains over 16,000 foods and 4,000 brand names.
Interesting findings
The researchers found that children began eating more calories from
12 to 18 months of age, around the time they start walking. However,
the additional calories were often "empty" calories having
little nutritional value at a time when the child’s nutritional
needs were increasing. Throughout the study, fat intake was below
the recommended 30 percent of energy needs for 22 to 33 percent of
the children. Children got enough of vitamins A, C, B6,
B12, folate, D and calcium, but not enough zinc, vitamin
E and iron. Sufficient iron intake is important for proper
growth and motor and mental development. Recent studies suggest the
problems caused by early iron deficiency might not be reversible.
…too often parents ignored the current recommendation
on fat intake and chose to have their children consume low-fat diets.
Call for new guidelines
The researchers were concerned about the fat intake, noting that too
often parents ignored the current recommendation on fat intake and
chose to have their children consume low-fat diets. The researchers
suggest that parents should be encouraged to give children whole milk,
which supplies not only the fat they require, but also zinc. Caretakers
should make sure that fortified ready-to-eat cereals, which are a
good source of iron, zinc and vitamin E, are served.
"These findings argue strongly for the development of dietary
guidance that not only addresses fat restriction, but also assists
parents in selecting diets that support optimum growth and development
in young children," they concluded.
Physician Referral Online
A free and confidential service
of Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Physician Referral Online
Using your own criteria, you can request information from a database of 900
area physicians who have registered to participate.
Request an appointment
We would be happy to assist you in scheduling an appointment with a member
of the hospital's medical staff. Use the link above or call:
203-688-2000
or toll-free
1-888-700-6543
to talk with a referral coordinator.
|
|
Helping your
young children eat right
Getting toddlers
to eat right starts with parents offering the right type of foods.
Sometimes parents rely on children to make smart food choices, but
this can only be done if healthy, nutritious foods are available.
"Until age two, fat is very important for brain cell development
and overall growth."
The need for guidelines
The study points out the real need for dietary guidelines for this
age group. Nutritional guidelines were redone but were only written
for children age two and older. In fact, the "food guide pyramid,"
which many parents and children are familiar with, is specifically
for ages two and older. At that age, parents can cut back on fat intake
to less than 30 percent of total calories. But until age two, fat
is very important for brain cell development and overall growth. That’s
why formula and breast milk are 50 percent fat. For some reason, when
babies go off formula, parents can be very hesitant to give their
child whole milk. That’s a big mistake.
Iron deficiency worrisome
The lack of iron is a common problem, but one that is usually easily
correctable. Breastfeeding supplies very little iron so any woman
who is breastfeeding should talk to her pediatrician about supplementing
iron. Children on high-iron formula then switch to milk, which has
no iron. To correct the problem, we focus on improving the toddler’s
diet, rather than using supplements.
"A lack of iron can cause serious development problems that
aren’t correctable later on."
High-iron foods include chicken, red meat, eggs (introduce after 12
months old) and iron-fortified cereals. A lot of kids this age aren’t
big meat eaters, but they do like cereals. It’s up to the parents
to continue to offer meats periodically. As this study notes, a lack
of iron can cause serious development problems that aren’t correctable
later on.
Stress small servings
We recommend children ages one to three eat four servings a day of
milk/dairy, two or three of meat, four or more of breads/grains and
four of vegetables/fruit. Serving size is very important. A serving
that is appropriate for a two-year-old is much different than an adult-sized
serving. For an adult, six to eight servings of bread or grains each
day could mean six to eight pieces of bread. Imagine trying to feed
that to your finicky toddler! Instead we are talking small servings:
four ounces of milk, a tablespoon of peanut butter, an ounce of meat,
a half slice of bread or a quarter cup of fruit.
"Children really don’t need more than eight ounces of
juice a day and never need soda, ice tea or other sweetened beverages."
Formula to milk
Switching from formula to milk is a good time to make the transition
to a cup. If the child still wants the bottle, try to serve the bottle
as a snack rather than with the meal. Otherwise, the child fills up
on milk at the beginning of the meal and does not eat anything else.
As for drinking juice, that should always go in a cup, never a bottle
because of tooth decay. Children really don’t need more than
eight ounces of juice a day and never need soda, ice tea or other
sweetened beverages.
Meal time fun
Children this age love routine and do better when main meals are served
at the table instead of on the go. Serve a variety of foods and don’t
fuss too much about what your child eats or does not eat.
Don't force him to eat new foods but rather serve something new
along with old favorites. And set a good example yourself. Don’t
expect your toddler to eat chicken and carrots if you are munching
on nachos and soda.
If you still have serious concerns, talk to your pediatrician or consider
a consultation with a nutritionist who specializes in working with
children.
Kathleen French is a pediatric nutrition specialist on staff at the Yale-New Haven
Children’s Hospital.
|
Daily recommended toddler's diet
- 4 servings* of milk/dairy
- 2-3 servings of meat
- 4 or more servings of breads/grains
- 4 servings of vegetables/fruit
*toddler-sized servings
Nutrition InfoLine
(203) 688-2422
|
|
