4 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - November 2017
The brightest young brains require good nutrition
re our children getting the
right kinds of food for maxi-
mum brain development
and health? Most parents believe
their children are getting adequate
nutrition but data shows otherwise.
Peeking into a few lunch boxes
gives some indications and insight
into the issue.
Recent research is showing that
high levels of fructose contribute
to obesity and Type 2 diabetes in
children. High blood sugar levels
adversely affect the function of the
hippocampus, the part of the brain
that helps organize memory.
Children need a diet of complex
carbohydrates versus a diet of sugar
and foods that have a high glycemic
index such as potatoes, white rice,
white flour, and white sugar. Data
shows that 25 percent of children
under the age of six eat French
fried potatoes every day. One nu-
tritionist recommends avoiding any
food that’s white because those
foods act like sugar to the brain.
Current research is showing that
certain diseases and conditions
have their roots in poor childhood
nutrition. For example, the low
intake of calcium-rich foods—milk,
cheese, broccoli, spinach and other
green leafy vegetables—during the
first eighteen years of life may pre-
A
dispose women to osteoporosis.
Fresh fruit and vegetables, and
whole grains, take longer to digest
but offer important nutrition that
may not be found in the empty
calories from the refined carbohy-
drates in soda and processed foods.
For the young child
under age six, cer-
tain foods should be
avoided, and perhaps
we all should avoid
them. Two big two
no-nos seem to be
sodas and foods that
list sugar in the first
five ingredients.
For sodas, their
sugar content is too
high and the active
ingredients in soda
work against bone
development. Soda
drink consumption
has risen to over sixty gallons per
person annually in the United
States. In a study of teenage boys,
ages 13 to 18, about 60 percent
reported drinking two sodas or
more per day, with over 95 percent
reported that they drank soda regu-
larly. In teenagers, over 25 percent
of daily calories may be from sodas.
The teenage habits begin before
the age of six.
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Water is the best liquid for our
children to drink as effective brain
growth and functioning is depen-
dent on the brain being well hy-
drated, since the brain is over 90
percent water.
The second no-no: foods that list
sugar as one of the
first five ingredients
include breakfast ce-
reals, breakfast toast-
er pastries, and more.
High sugar consump-
tion is linked to tooth
decay, obesity, diabe-
tes, heart disease, and
other ailments. Serve
fresh fruit, vegetables
and whole grains to
satisfy a sweet tooth.
Make sure that a
child’s diet provides
adequate protein. Too
much protein can be
as bad as too little but inadequate
protein affects brain development
and overall health. Children from
one to three years need about 1300
calories per day with 16 grams
of protein. Four-to six-year-olds
need about 1800 calories per day
with 24 grams of protein. Seven-to
ten-year-olds require around 2000
calories with 28 grams of protein.
Common protein-rich foods
Maren
Schmidt
_______________
Kids Talk™
include milk, soy milk, eggs, cheese,
yogurt, peanut butter, lean meats,
fish, poultry, beans, tofu, lentils,
grains, nuts and seeds.
Another nutritionist recom-
mends only shopping the perimeter
of your grocery store, as all the
nutritious and fresh food is there,
and you won’t be tempted by all
the fancy packaged processed food
in the center aisles.
As my Granddad used to say, pay
the grocer or pay the doctor. Yes, I’d
much rather spend my money on
blueberries than meeting my medi-
cal insurance deductible. It tastes so
much better, and my brain loves it.
________
Kids Talk™ is an award-winning
column dealing with childhood de-
velopment issues written by Maren
Stark Schmidt, M.Ed. She has more
than 25 years experience working
with young children and is the au-
thor of Understanding Montessori:
A Guide for Parents. Contact her via
e-mail at maren@kidstalknews.
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