Help! My Kids Won't Eat Their Fruits & Veggies!

Around 70% of our Canadian children between the ages of 4-8 do not meet the daily recommended intake of 5 servings of vegetables and fruit (http://www.dietitians.ca/Media/News-Releases/2013/Childrens-vegetable-and-fruit-consumption.aspx).  There could be many reasons for why our Canadian children are not making the mark with this particular food group.  As a parent, I can empathize with picky eating and overall disinterest in the vegetable and fruit food group. We have to remember that our role as parents is to provide the healthiest environment for our children to let them thrive and that includes daily exposure to healthy foods. Here are some strategies that I implement in my house to ensure my daughter is getting in 5+ servings of fruits and veggies per day:

  1.  Start your day off right with fruit as part of a healthy breakfast.  We strategically place a fruit bowl in the middle of our counter for easy access. My daughter decides on what fruit she would like to eat--it could be half or a whole banana, oranges or even a kiwi. Chopped up fruit is delicious and easy in cold or hot cereal. Sliced banana is always flavorful with toast and nut butter. A breakfast parfait with berries, Greek yogurt and high fiber cereal  is rich in anti-oxidants, crunch and taste. 
  2. Take your child grocery shopping and have him or her decide what vegetables and fruit they would like to eat or try. Lunch usually tends to be a point of contention with many parents. You pack a lunch and often, a substantial portion of it comes home. If your child has a say as to what goes in their lunch bag, the likelihood of that food being consumed increases.  Mini bell peppers, baby carrots, cucumbers are all a hit in our household. I know some children love hummus or yogurt as a dip to go along with their veggies. Sliced apples with cinnamon or chopped pears mixed in vanilla Greek yogurt are a delicious sweet ending to a lunch meal or part of an afternoon snack.
  3. As a parent, model regular vegetable and fruit consumption.  If you do not eat vegetables and fruit, chances are your kids will not either. Positive peer pressure can be a great tool when it comes to eating that broccoli at supper. Avoid forcing your child to eat their veggies—this will cause a negative association with that food. Instead, make sure vegetables and fruits are present at meal times. When children see you enjoying vegetables and fruit they want to be a part of that! I always ensure two different vegetables at our supper meal; this provides greater exposure to varying vitamins and minerals, breaks up the monotony of consuming simply one vegetable (as we should be aiming to have half a plate of vegetables at our meals), and it allows family preferences to be taken into consideration. For example, we may have some raw, crunchy carrots along with some roasted asparagus—I love the latter whereas my daughter loves the carrots!
  4. Aim to have fruits and vegetables as healthy snacks. My daughter and I absolutely love fruit and/or vegetable smoothies as an after school or post-activity snack.  Smoothies are a great way to increase exposure to a variety of nutrients and they can pack a lot of flavor! Have cut-up vegetables ready to grab from the fridge to go along with cheese or hummus. The more accessible the better.
  5. Last but not least, as parents we control the foods that come into the house. Children are not responsible for going grocery shopping and purchasing food—we are. I’m often sad when I hear parents throwing up their hands and exclaiming they have no control over what their child is eating—yes, we do. We may not be able to control how much or how little our child is eating, but we can provide a nourishing healthy food environment for them that will hopefully foster a lifetime of healthy eating.

Here is a link to some other helpful tips for healthy eating geared towards children ages 4-11 courtesy of Dietitians of Canada: http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Toddlers/Healthy-Eating-for-Children-Aged-4-11.aspx

This afternoon I garnered quite a few “cool” points from my daughter and her classmates for making and sharing this delicious smoothie in her grade two class today. I feel so blessed to be able to share my passion and love for nutrition. Here is the delicious “Green Lizard” Smoothie and recipe:

Green Lizard Smoothie     Copyright © 2016 LALITHA TAYLOR. 

Ingredients (Makes 4-6 servings):

  • 2 cups of raw spinach
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 cup of frozen mango
  • 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
  • *1 ½ to 2 cups of cow’s milk or soy milk
  • 1 tsp of vanilla
  • Honey (if desired)

Directions: Mix all ingredients well in a blender.

*Add less milk if wanting a thicker smoothie

 

 

Now go and enjoy those fruits and vegetables :)

Lalitha

Copyright © 2016 LALITHA TAYLOR

Savvy Grocery Shopping Tips

A great way to incorporate pulses is in salads! Here is one of my favorites--a tasty quinoa chickpea salad. 

A great way to incorporate pulses is in salads! Here is one of my favorites--a tasty quinoa chickpea salad. 

With our dropping loonie, expenses are on the rise--including the cost of food. Many people are starting to "penny pinch" and being more selective about their food choices. At the grocery store this week, I had to forego the asparagus that was being sold for $7.49/lb. I love asparagus but I’m not willing to pay that much for it. So, how do we continue to eat healthy on a tighter budget? Follow these 5 important tips:

1.     Spend 15 minutes at the beginning of each week and meal plan. Meal planning can help create balanced nutritious meals, prevent food wastage, and alleviate the stress of not knowing what to eat. A meal plan allows you to easily create a grocery list which can keep you on task for your food purchases. Before you head to the grocery store, take inventory of your fridge and cupboards to avoid buying items you already have. By having a meal plan based grocery list, every item you buy will have a role in your food consumption which means less food wasted. Food wastage is a huge problem in our country. In fact, Canadians throw out the equivalent of approximately 31 billion dollars each year in food waste.  

2.     Opt for more *frozen vegetables and fruit. Most people think that frozen produce is an inferior choice in comparison to fresh--not true. In reality, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables have the same nutritional value. Furthermore, they keep well and are ready (whenever you are) to be added to your meals. Items such as frozen green beans, carrots, green peas, spinach can pack a lot of nutritional value without a big economic hit! Choose plain frozen vegetables and fruit without any salt, sauces, or additives.

Ways to include some of my favorite frozen vegetables and fruit:

  • Frozen spinach--great addition to most pasta dishes, such as lasagna or spaghetti
  • Frozen green peas--delicious in soups, rice, quinoa, and whole grain macaroni
  • Frozen berries--add to help create a healthy smoothie or consume with Greek yogurt for a snack
  • Frozen green beans--makes a wonderful side dish with a drizzle of olive oil and sliced almonds or can be added to casseroles and soups  

*No Name or in-house brands will be less expensive

3.     Choose "no salt added" canned vegetables or "no sugar added" canned fruit. In a pinch, these products are great to have on hand especially at the end of the week when you are running low on groceries. From a nutritional perspective, I prefer fresh or frozen produce as most canned fruits and vegetables have salt or sugar added to them. Try and choose no salt added canned vegetables or no sugar added canned fruit whenever possible. If these products are unavailable, rinse your canned vegetables to reduce the sodium or salt content. BPA-free cans are also becoming more widely available. 

4.     Avoid buying the "pre" vegetables...yep, "pre-washed", "pre-cleaned", and "pre-cut". People gravitate towards these products because they are convenient and prep time is reduced. However, these items are significantly more expensive than what you would purchase without all the "pre"!   Try to prepare your fresh vegetables right after a visit to the grocery store. Cut up your carrots, celery, peppers, etc. and store them in containers in the fridge that make it easy for you to grab and go. Do the same thing with lettuce; wash, rinse and dry your lettuce and store it in a container in the fridge for easy access to make a delicious salad. 

5.     Fall in love with pulses---nope, not your heart beat---beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils! Pulses are such a fabulous and economical source of protein, fiber and iron. Black bean burritos, chickpea hummus with pita, Spanish rice and pinto beans are all delicious main entrees that are easy to make and keep your budget in check. If you're not keen on the idea of having pulses as your sole source of protein, consider adding them to meat-based dishes to stretch your dollar. For example, adding beans to chili will provide extra fiber, more interesting flavors and textures. Try adding black beans or lentils to your lean ground meat the next time you make burgers. Aim to include pulses at least 2 times per week. In need of some inspiration? Pulses Canada has some great recipes. 

Here’s a quick video from last winter that give a few other helpful hints:  http://globalnews.ca/video/1901743/nutrition-on-a-budget  

Happy (affordable) grocery shopping!

Lalitha

My 2016 Resolution: Making Sleep a Priority

I love sleep. Unfortunately, I rarely get enough of this somewhat prized commodity. I am a very light sleeper and as a result I wake easily. I wake from our dog’s pitter-patter of footsteps, my husband’s mild snoring, the uneasy gurgle of our humidifier...any little noise and I am awake.  I am also my worst enemy when it comes to going to sleep. Distractions like Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, or a good book all prevent me from going to bed early—it's not my fault really!

When I am sleep deprived, I am my worst self. I am grumpy, lack motivation, crave sugar (and will often consume it in the form of chocolate), and will often skip my work-out.  It’s no wonder that one of the first questions I ask my patients in clinic is, “How are you sleeping?” Sleep has such a tremendous impact on our quality of life and health.

According to a study conducted at the Université Laval, sleep disorders affect 40% of our Canadian population. Lack of sleep prevents our body’s restoration process as per the Canadian Sleep Society. This increases our risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, anxiety, depression and poor immune function. Our brain literally starts to function at a lower level as we start to exhibit lack of coordination, poor memory and slowed reaction time.

So how much sleep do we need? Most adults need ~7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.  Another way to determine if you are getting sufficient sleep is how rested and energized you feel. If you are hitting the snooze button, guzzling cups of caffeinated coffee in the morning (and afternoon), dozing in your chair in the afternoon—chances are you are not getting enough sleep OR good quality sleep. Discuss your sleep issues with your family physician or health professional. A sleep study may be warranted to rule out or treat sleep apnea.

Tips for Getting more ZZZZZZ’s:

  1. Your bed is for the 2 S’s—sleep and sex. Try avoid watching TV, playing on your Smart Phone or Ipad, eating and even reading in bed.
  2. Remember at summer camp, your counselor would scream “Lights out!”—well, same idea. Have a designated time to start winding down—this means limiting the stimuli in your environment—and then literally LIGHTS OUT. Try and make your bedroom as dark and cool as possible.
  3. In the evening, avoid foods and beverages that may contain stimulants. This could include caffeinated beverages or chocolate.
  4. If you have a small bladder (like myself) avoid having too much fluid in the evening. Frequent bathroom visits in the middle of the night are SO annoying.
  5. Limit or avoid alcohol at night. Many people have told me that alcohol helps them fall asleep; but, we also know that alcohol will disturb one’s Rapid Eye Movement (REM) cycle which will prevent a good quality sleep. Alcohol is also a diuretic and therefore may increase those nightly bathroom visits.

More useful tips on how to improve your sleep can be found on the Canadian Sleep Society website: http://css-scs.ca/

As for me, I am going to bed. More sleep is one health goal that I am striving to make a priority. Goodnight and sweet dreams.

Lalitha