Good Eaters

(The information below was supplied by Dr. Sears’ Eat Lean Program)

Kid Meals Good Enough for Adults

You may think your child knows how to eat all too well, but the truth is that in today’s modern society nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, most of us (even our young children) have lost some or all of our original wisdom of the body that guided us naturally to eat in a healthful way. Here are some practical guidelines for re-learning how, when, and where to eat.

BEGIN THE DAY WITH A BRAINY BREAKFAST

As mom said, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many kids don’t have an appetite for food when they first wake up, and many of us are in such a rush to get our families up and out for the day that we don’t have time for breakfast. Yet, once you understand everything breakfast can do for your child, you’ll never skip it again.

5 QUICK BRAINY BREAKFAST SUGGESTIONS:

1. High-fiber, high-protein, low sugar-added cereal with milk; fruit
2. Peanut butter and banana slices on a whole wheat English muffin, milk
3. Low-fat cheese melted on toast, a piece of fruit, yogurt
4. Low-fat cream cheese on a whole-grain bagel, orange juice
5. Fruit smoothie – your kids may even get up early for this one! Go to Dr. Bill’s special Schoolade™

A POWER PACKED LUNCH

A high calorie, high carbohydrate meal, such as pasta with a fat-laden sauce, is likely to diminish your child’s academic performance after lunch. A high fat meal diminishes mental alertness by diverting blood from the brain to the stomach to help with digestion. Fewer carbohydrates and calories with more protein, on the other hand, make the eater more alert after lunch. Also, Encourage your child to skip dessert after lunch and to save his daily dessert treat for after dinner. Try a few of these healthy lunch ideas:

1.Tuna or turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, and a low fat mayonnaise made with canola oil
2.Peanut butter and spreadable fruit on a small whole grain tortilla or wrap – just roll it up for small hands to grasp easily.
3.Lunch bites – 2 to 3 slices of turkey cut into 4 pieces each, 3 to 4 small slices of low fat cheese, 4 to 8 whole grain crackers. The kids can “build” their own mini-sandwiches.
4.Chicken burrito – low fat mayonnaise made with canola oil, shredded chicken (from dinner last night), lettuce, tomato, low fat shredded cheese, put everything in the center of a whole grain tortilla and roll it up, folding in the ends.
Note: Try to always include a fresh fruit or naturally sweetened applesauce, a glass of milk or water, and some type of veggie they can eat with their hands (i.e. carrot or celery slices, jicama, cucumber slices, or bell pepper slices) and dipped in low fat ranch dressing (or other favorite low fat dressing).
DR BILL’S SCHOOLADE™

If your home is like ours during morning rush hour, busy parents and sleepy kids, are not a recipe for a sit-down breakfast. Our solution is to let our kids drink their breakfast. Here’s a smoothie recipe we’ve been enjoying every school day for over six years. We call it “Schoolade.”

+ 3 cups low fat milk or soy beverage
+ 1½ cups yogurt
+ 1 banana
+ 1 cup frozen blueberries
+ ½ cup of several of your favorite frozen fruits (e.g. mango, pineapple, organic strawberries)
+ 4 tbsp. ground flaxseeds (for a grainy texture) or 2 tbsp. flax oil (for a silky texture)
+ 4 ounces tofu
+ 2 tbsp. peanut butter
+ 2 tbsp. wheat germ (optional)
+ cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
+ 2 servings of a chocolate or vanilla-flavored multi-nutrient supplement.

Serving suggestions: Combine all the ingredients, blend until smooth, serve immediately when it has a bubbly, milkshake consistency.

Nutritional breakdown: One average serving size for a child from age six to twelve would be 2½ cups (20 ounces). One serving would provide a perfect nutritional balance for a brainy breakfast: 500 calories, 30 percent fat (mostly healthy omega 3’s and monounsaturated fats), 20 percent protein, 50 percent complex carbohydrates, 8 grams of fiber, and 25 grams of protein. The above recipe makes around eight cups, just right for three school-age children or a family of three.

To introduce your child to smoothies and Schoolade breakfasts, start with a simple smoothie, like “Schoolade Quick.” Gradually add the other ingredients, such as flax oil or flaxseed meal (ground flax seeds), tofu, peanut butter, wheatgerm, and any other nutrient your child needs but won’t otherwise eat. Children usually love smoothies, and you can camouflage foods, like tofu, in a smoothie and your child won’t even know it’s there. Gradually add the other nutrients to shape your child’s tastes toward the full recipe. Experiment with the flax oil or flaxseed meal. Flax oil gives the smoothie a more silky consistency; flax seed meal a more grainy texture. (Flax seed meal is actually more nutritious since it contains not only the oil but fiber, protein, and other nutrients.) Gradually building the brainy breakfast Schoolade smoothie introduces the child to the concept of “drinking meals,” in addition to the contents of the smoothie.

Posted on November 8th, 2007 by admin
Filed under: Nutrition