5 better choices for kids’ diets

News and Observer 6/29/2010
Amanda Chan

One in five kids between ages 6 and 11 is obese, according to federal estimates, and a lot of that can be attributed to poor eating habits. Nutritionists and doctors agree that eating too many foods with added sugar and sodium can lead to weight gain and diabetes and, down the road, to heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

Here are five common offenders and what children can eat instead:

Fruit juice and fruit drinks

Juice and juice drinks tend to be high in sugar and calories. Children 1 to 6 should have no more than 4 to 6 ounces of juice a day. Those 7 to 18 can have a serving double that, the American Academy of Pediatrics says.

Instead, try diluted juice. Give a 1- or 2-year-old an ounce of pure juice mixed with 3 ounces of water. Then, the child can drink that juice mixture four times a day. The best option, though, is to ditch juice and eat fruit.

Convenience meals

Parents often turn to ready-made frozen meals for a quick supper. But preservatives and sodium far outweigh the convenience, and the meals rarely contain vegetables.

Instead, cut back on the number of times a week you serve these convenience foods, and start cooking simple meals. Baked chicken, baked potatoes and steamed carrots aren't that hard to make and are much more healthful.

Breakfast bars and energy bars

Not all bars are created alike, but most are packed with sugar. Breakfast bars like Nutri-Grain cereal bars are occasionally OK because they do have some form of grain. But these shouldn't be eaten regularly nor as a stand-alone breakfast.

Instead, opt for granola, whole-grain toast or hot oatmeal.

Hot dogs and chicken nuggets

These well-loved choices are the saviors of busy parents with picky children. But hot dogs are made of processed parts with lots of sodium and additives. Chicken nuggets also have too much of the bad things and not enough of the good.

Instead, buy preservative-free, all-meat hot dogs, like chicken hot dogs. And for chicken nuggets, make your own by rolling chicken breasts in egg whites and bread crumbs and baking.

Whole milk

We know that milk is good for you, especially in promoting strong bones and teeth. But the saturated fat and cholesterol in whole milk is so high that the artery-clogging disadvantages outweigh nutritional benefits.

Instead, children older than 1 should drink 1-percent or skim milk. It may seem watered down, but it actually has more concentrated vitamins and minerals because of the removed fat. Other high-protein milk options include soy and almond milk.

Sources: Sheree Vodicka, American Dietetic Association spokeswoman and communications manager at N.C. Division of Public Health; Dr. Chris Magryt; Jenny Favret, nutritionist at Duke Children's Healthy Lifestyles program; Suzanne Hobbs, UNC-CH School of Public Health faculty member. photos: istock.com.