|
|
|
Nutrition Guidelines
Watch Portion Sizes: Experts say that a growing dependence on restaurant food is helping to cause America's weight crisis. Many restaurants serve portions up to five times the size needed, and this is causing a skewed view of how large portion sizes should be. So don't be afraid to order half-sizes, share meals with someone else, take leftovers in a doggy bag (split the meal before you start eating), or decide to eat at home. And watch the kids' meals -- these also tend to be much more than your child can eat. See the National Network for Child Care for information on portion sizes. The No-Thank-You Bite: Having trouble getting your toddler to eat the proper foods? Make it a rule that your child must eat at least one bite of everything. Gradually, he/she may discover that some of them aren't so bad. See the Safer Child Food Tips page for more suggestions. Vitamins: Some babies and teen-age girls need an iron supplement, and some children need a multivitamin. Even a small iron deficiency is said to cause difficulties with learning. (If you live in an area without fluoridated water, your child also may require a fluoride supplement). Check with your pediatrician and/or dentist about fluoride, iron and vitamin supplements. Remember that vitamin supplements aren't a good substitute for a well-balanced diet, and children who consistently eat well may not require a vitamin. Be aware that vitamins and supplements don't always contain what they say they do, and they also might exceed healthy limits. See the Institute of Medicine for more information (do a search of the site, or look under Recent Reports). Rickets is Staging a Comeback: Rickets, a vitamin D deficiency that causes bones to soften and eventually deform, is making a comeback because of changes in milk drinking and outside play. Additionally, according to the National Institutes of Health, because American children are drinking more soft drinks and juice -- and less milk -- many are suffering from calcium deficiencies. Among the problems caused by calcium deficiencies are bone fractures (and later -- osteoporosis). Toxic fish: In January, 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised that pregnant women, women who might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. These types of fish could contain sufficient mercury to cause harm. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers guidance on which states have a mercury advisory on freshwater fish. The Environmental Working Group offers a startling suggestion that several other commonly sold fish should be avoided entirely if pregnant, and that you should eat still others on a limited basis only. This list includes tuna, halibut, sea bass, cod, Pollock, and mahi mahi. See a 2002 CNN report on possible effects of too much tuna on developing fetuses. Additionally, the Center for Science in the Public Interest says that raw oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico are contaminated with a bacterium that could kill anyone with a compromised immune system. Soft Cheeses and Cold Cuts Can Harbor Listeria Bacteria: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also administered a warning for pregnant women and small children to avoid cold cuts, soft cheeses, and raw hot dogs -- because of the danger of listeria bacteria.
|
|
Safer Child, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with federal tax-exempt status. Please note: 1) External organizations listed herein do not necessarily endorse Safer Child positions, nor do we necessarily endorse theirs. We list them as a courtesy and aren't responsible for their accuracy, completeness or content. 2) We recommend you maintain a healthy skepticism when reviewing information on the Internet; it might appear to be reliable -- yet actually be false, misleading, incomplete, out-of-date and/or intentionally harmful. 3) There might be material on the Internet that you disagree with or find objectionable; preview all sites before viewing them with your child. 4) We are not responsible for external addresses/phone numbers changing without our knowledge. 5) The information and commentary on this site are not substitutes for professional advice from your doctor, lawyer, or mental health professional. 6) Requests for permission to republish, copy and/or distribute any material found on this Web site should be directed to Safer Child, Inc.
Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Safer Child, Inc. All rights reserved. |
- by
Selene Yeager, Prevention Health
Books - This is an incredibly informative book on nutrition. It goes A-Z on
various foods, medical conditions and necessary nutrients. If you know you
should eat apples and spinach but you don't know why, this book is a great
place to begin.