Real Food for Healthy Kids or 21 Pounds in 21 Days

Real Food for Healthy Kids: 200+ Easy, Wholesome Recipes

Author: Tracey Seaman

Real Food for Healthy Kids
200+ Easy, Wholesome Recipes

Chapter One

What to Feed Your Kids and Why

Scaling the Food Pyramid

There's a reason why kids have to be in their late teens to vote, drink, or drive. It isn't until then that they've gained some measure of maturity or self-discipline. That need for good judgment also applies to their nutritional choices. Just as we would never leave a six-year-old unsupervised with a kitchen knife, nor should we leave him with a cupboard packed with candy. Kids of all ages need some healthy eating guidance to ensure that they are getting a nutritious diet. This book will help you help them, providing you with wholesome recipes. Yes, there are also some delicious treats and desserts included, but even the vast majority of these we gave a nutritional make over so you'll feel better about making them (plus, we feel strongly that kids need to learn moderation, not deprivation). But first, in order to determine what your kids should eat on a daily basis, you need to learn about the basic food groups they should have each day and what constitutes an appropriate portion for their age.

How much kids eat is almost as important as what they eat, and learning about portion control is crucial, even at an early age. The concept of teaching young children about portion control is a relatively new one. Parents used to insist kids clean their plates (some still do) and now we are told that we should allow young children to regulate themselves, eating what they need and leaving the rest on the plate. However, even that modern theory is in dispute. A study of preschoolers published in a 2005 issue ofAppetite magazine found that how much the kids ate correlated strongly with the amount of food placed on their plates. So, whether you have toddlers or teenagers, it's best to give them the appropriate portions for their ages and sizes. Kids who tend to leave food on the plate should be allowed to do so, unless you feel they are not getting enough protein, calcium, vitamins, and the like. For kids who are natural clean-plate clubbers, give them appropriate portions, and if they ask for seconds, offer them more fruit and veggies first.

It's also never too early for children to learn about healthy and unhealthy foods. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute sponsored a study tracking almost six hundred kids aged eight to thirteen. They found that kids who attended nutrition classes ate a significantly healthier diet, even years later, than those who did not. In response, the institute introduced the idea of "Go Foods," which were healthy everyday foods; "Slow Foods," which you could indulge in a couple of times a week; and "Whoa Foods," which you would have only occasionally. (For more information on this and other health and nutrition information for kids, go to www​.realfoodforhealthykids​.com​.)

What follows is a brief synopsis of the latest government guidelines on what and how much children should eat, broken down by age. It's important to follow these basic tenets for good nutrition, modifying them slightly for your particular child's needs. Obviously, a healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand, something our video-game-playing, computer-glued kids should be reminded of daily. It bears remembering that doctors have concluded that this is the first generation who may not outlive their parents, due to unhealthy weight and its resulting problems such as diabetes and heart disease: Childhood obesity is up 45 percent in the last decade, and at this printing, 16 percent of our children aged six to nineteen are overweight or obese, and another 20 percent are at risk of becoming overweight or obese. There has been a sharp increase in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes and there is a direct correlation between a diet high in sugar and fat and little physical activity.

Daily Nutritional Guidelines

The United States Department of Agriculture created a food pyramid of daily guidelines for kids. (It's available online at www.mypyramid​.gov, although the guidelines are only applicable for children aged two and up.) Some nutritionists feel the government should have been more strict, for instance, requiring all, not just some, of the grains to be whole grains, insisting on reduced fat when recommending milk and dairy products, and completely restricting sodas and sports drinks, rather than labeling them as drinks to be used occasionally. Essentially, a child's daily diet should be composed mostly of calories from complex carbohydrates and lean proteins and no more than 20 percent of calories from fat. Here are particulars about each category of food and the specific daily nutritional breakdown for preschoolers, elementary school children, and teenagers, all derived from the U.S.D.A. and the Institute of Medicine.

Daily Foods

Vegetables: Opt for bright and dark veggies: spinach, sweet potatoes, and carrots are great choices. Starchy, whiter foods, such as baking potatoes and corn, are less nutritious.

Fruits: Choose vitamin-rich fresh fruits, such as strawberries, peaches, mangoes, and apples. Fruit juices should be consumed as little as possible. When offering juice, make sure it is 100 percent real fruit juice with no sugar added.

Grains: Use whole or multigrain flours, whole-grain breads, oatmeal, whole-grain low-sugar cereals, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta. Ban white bread and white rice from your house as much as possible.

Meats and Beans: Serve lean proteins, such as beef, pork, chicken, fish, beans, tofu, or eggs. When preparing any protein-rich food, opt to serve it steamed, baked, or grilled, not fried.

Dairy: Serve lean sources of dairy, such as low-fat milk (check with your doctor to determine whether your child should have whole or reduced-fat milk), low-fat yogurt, ricotta, or cheese.

Oils: Use monounsaturated oil, such as olive—preferably extra-virgin—safflower, and canola oils. They provide vitamin E for healthy skin and the development of cells.

Fats and Sweets: Limit intake of butter, cream, sugary cereals, soda, candy, and the like as much as possible.

Real Food for Healthy Kids
200+ Easy, Wholesome Recipes. Copyright © by Tanya Steel. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox

Author: Roni Deluz

Detox diets are making news as the quickest, easiest way to shed pounds, boost your energy, and get yourself on a wellness track. Popular in the 1970s, cleansing fasts are again all the rage among celebrities like Gisele Bundchen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stella McCartney, and Madonna.

One of the key advocates of the health benefits of cleansing detoxes is Roni DeLuz, ND, a licensed naturopathic and health practitioner at Martha's Vineyard Holistic Retreat, part of the renowned Martha's Vineyard Inn. The idea behind DeLuz's new detox plan is the belief that the foods we eat (along with the coffee, tea, and alcohol we drink and the air we breathe) contain harmful and toxic substances that accumulate in our bodies and need to be removed in some way. In 21 Pounds in 21 Days, DeLuz offers three different detox programs, including the original and most effective 21-day "MasterFast," which promises a 21-pound weight loss in just three weeks and focuses on detoxification through antioxidants, fasting, stress reduction, and lifestyle changes. Also included in the book are:

• Maintenance plans
• Dozens of easy, delicious recipes
• Real-life tips
• An extensive glossary of terms
• A guide to supplements

Meals consist of supplement-laden drinks, herbal teas, thick, delicious vegetable purees, and "live" juices, along with nutritional supplements, vitamins, and enzymes designed to keep the body's systems stable and its cells nourished while harmful toxins are flushed out. 21 Pounds in 21 Days isn't just for those looking to lose weight; everyone can benefit from this revolutionary detoxdiet that results in a clean, refreshed system that functions at its best.