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18.01.2010 | 12:12:59 pm | Posted by colleenh
By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
Chilly weather is here for a while, and so are coughs and colds. Children’s immune systems need extra special care for many reasons. For one, children’s exposure to bacteria is often significantly higher than that of adults, especially children in daycare or preschool. Also, at a young age, children have not been exposed to as many pathogens as adults have. Exposure to flu bugs and bacteria help your body create a specific way to get rid of those bugs, which children are often lacking.
To create a healthy immune system, it is important to provide the body with a whole foods diet full of variety. Get back to basics by eating foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean animal protein. Fruits and vegetables not only contain vitamins, but also are rich sources of antioxidants that help protect tissues from damage. To keep an immune system healthy, it is best to aim for nutrient dense foods, especially since infants and children eat smaller portions. Processed foods such as white sugar and flour, canned or fast foods have been shown in studies to actually weaken the immune system.
Healthy Foods
There are also many foods that naturally contain immune boosting nutrients such as vitamin C and zinc:
Vitamin C rich foods: bell peppers, dark leafy greens, kiwi, grapefruit, strawberries, tomatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, and broccoli
Zinc rich foods: oatmeal, yogurt, legumes, peas, lentils, potatoes, and brown rice
 Some foods actually good “bugs” or beneficial bacteria called probiotics. These good bugs can also help the immune system as immunity predominately resides in our digestive systems. Yogurt and kefir are excellent sources of beneficial bacteria that can help improve digestion as well fight the growth of illness-causing bacteria. Be sure to avoid yogurt brands that contain added sugar or food colorings.
Keep Moving
Our bodies tend to slow down in the winter, but a little movement goes a long way for child’s immune response. Be sure to make time to get your toddler’s body moving by spending less time in front of the TV. Physical activity increases white blood cells which help a body fight off infection.
Supplements
If your child is a picky eater, a good quality age appropriate multivitamin might be a good option. There are also many immune boosting supplements for infants and children on the market. Please be sure to consult your pediatrician before taking any supplements.
12.01.2010 | 9:27:23 pm | Posted by colleenh
 By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
As a health conscious parent you view the latest news on the internet, avidly read food labels, and are choosy about the restaurants you take your family to. Food labels are not just for people who want to loose weight, but are also for those simply trying to make good food choices- especially when feeding young children. What if those labels we have come to trust were incorrect? Unfortunately, as a new study found, that may be the case.
Researchers from Tufts University discovered that some commercially prepared foods contained more calories than the nutrition fact label indicated. The measured caloric (energy) value of 29 quick-serve and sit down restaurant foods was on average 18% higher than the label indicated. Ten common supermarket frozen meals were also found to be 8% higher in calories.
The goal of the study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, was to find the accuracy of the stated energy value of foods commonly chosen for weight control. Foods were chosen based on the following criterion: 1. represented typical American foods, 2. among those with the lowest stated calories on the menu, and 3. contained less than 500 calories per serving, as per the nutrition label. The frozen meal foods chosen for the study were complete meals that would be an alternative to dining out and the restaurants were chains with locations throughout the United States.
Further complications were found with restaurant meals; 5 restaurants provided side dishes at no extra cost providing an average of 471 additional calories to the 443 calorie entrees they came with. The discrepancies did not stop there as 3 supermarket purchased complete meals and 7 restaurant foods contained double the stated amount of calories. Authors note that the US Food and Drug Administration allows up to 20% excess energy content yet weight must be no less than 99% of the stated amount. This could potentially have lead to food manufacturers adding more food to the package thus increasing calorie content.
The results of the study have caused disappointment and doubt not only to those trying to watch what they eat but also healthcare professional who encouraged clients to read food labels. What can be done in the meantime? Of course cooking at home is ideal, but it is best to become familiar with what a serving size –especially for a child- is supposed to look like so if given an oversized portion, you will know to save some for later. As the saying goes, everything in moderation: if a frozen meal or dinner out is only occasional than the extra calories won’t be that detrimental. If it is a frequent occurrence, this only provides more incentive to switch to a diet based on fresh, whole, minimally processed foods.
| 7:53:18 pm | Posted by colleenh
By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
The tendency to reach for disinfectants, stringent cleaners, and hand sanitizers is high this time of year for cold and flu prevention. During pregnancy women tend to be extra careful to reduce exposure to bugs of any kind. It appears, however, that a little exposure can go a long way as a new study found it may help prevent allergies in utero for kids later in life.
The Phillips-University of Marburg, Germany researchers found via testing on pregnant mice that exposure to environmental bacteria resulted in allergy resistant offspring. According to the study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, expecting mice who inhaled barnyard microbes gave birth to pups that were protected from allergies.
Microbe exposure elicited a mild inflammatory response in the mothers characterized by an increased expression of “Toll-like” receptors (TRLs), which are microbe-sensing, as well as an increased production of the immune system cells cytokines. The maternal TRLs were necessary for the mother’s own protection but exactly how that translates to the next generation remains unknown.
The rate of childhood allergies have been on the rise for some time, along with new strands of illness causing bugs resulting in the propensity to keep kids too clean- the basis for the hygiene theory. According to the hygiene theory,  exposure to environmental microbes conditions kids’ immune systems to withstand allergens and microbes later in life.
In fact, previous studies have found that children raised in rural areas, particularly farms which are microbe laden, have fewer allergies than their city raised counterparts. Yet it appears it is not just the child’s exposure that matters because children of farming mothers also fare better when it comes to allergies regardless of their own exposure. It is still unknown if this protection can span a broad range of allergens, including food allergens, until then much more research is needed.
10.01.2010 | 2:05:47 pm | Posted by colleenh
By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
With the chilly weather still around, this month’s gluten free recipe features a warming comfort food that happens to be naturally gluten free- mashed potatoes. Not only will it warm up little ones on a chilly day, but this recipe is also super fun for kids to make. Who says you can’t play with your food?
It is not just those with celiac disease who favor potatoes as they are the number one world vegetable crop. Potatoes tend to get a bad rap nutrition wise but that is really because of how they are prepared which is typically fried or loaded with sour cream and butter. Potatoes are actually very nutritious as they provide a great source of vitamin C, B6, potassium, manganese, as well as a good source of fiber.
Carbohydrate conscious folks have long feared the potato, but when it comes to nutrient density the phytochemical and vitamin content rival broccoli and spinach. This recipe also calls for ‘trees’, or broccoli, making it even more nutritious but it does contain dairy so alter for your families needs. So bring your kids into the kitchen to have them help make this fun, delicious, and nutritious gluten free dish.
Potato Volcano
This recipe is a Mum Mum’s dietitian approved adaption from the book “Big Snacks, Little Meals” by Rose Dunnington, a great resource for busy moms of busy kids but note – not all recipes are food allergy friendly.
- 6 red potatoes with skin, chopped (about 3 cups)
- Water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- ¼ milk, plain soy or rice will substitute fine
- 2/3 grated cheddar cheese¼ whipping cream – try Rich’s non-dairy whipping cream if there’s an allergy
Preheat oven to 375◦, put potato chunks with salt in a pot with enough water to cover the potatoes by about 3 inches. Boil until their soft, about 12 minutes. Steam the broccoli while potatoes are boiling by putting ½ inch water in a small, covered pot over medium heat for 7 minutes. Drain the potatoes, put them back in the pot and have your kids mash away until all the lumps are out. Season the potatoes to your liking with salt and or pepper but keep in mind the ‘volcanic’ materials will also add flavor.
Lump potatoes onto an oven safe serving dish, individual custard cups work great. Now for the fun part! Mold potatoes into mountains; use a fork to make grooves or mountain ridges. Make a ‘crater’ indentation at the top.
Pour whipping cream in a bowl, and mix with an electric mixer until fluffy then stir in the cheese. Spoon the mixture into the craters of each potato mountain then bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese – or lava- is bubbling down the sides. Decorate the sides of the mountain with the broccoli trees, wait for lava to cool before eating.
Note: another option for eliminating diary altogether is to make a gluten free gravy instead. It will have the same erupting effect and does not require the baking.
Prep time: 40 minutes
Yield: 3-4 potato volcanoes
09.01.2010 | 8:31:11 pm | Posted by colleenh
By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
Pregnancy cravings can range from healthy to down right strange but if you have a hankering for country-style breakfasts while expecting you’re in luck. A new study found that a nutrient found in these foods may actuall y help the fetus develop the memory regions of the brain.
The University of North Carolina study found that dietary intake, particularly choline, in expectant mothers can alter the switches controlling brain development. Senior scientist Steven Zeisel explains: “Understanding more about how diet modifies our genes could be very important for assuring optimal development.”
The discovery was made when Zeisel and his team fed 2 groups of pregnant mice 2 different diets right at the time when a fetus develops the hippocampus; the part of the brain responsible for memory. The first group received 1.1 gram of choline per kilogram of body weight the other group received little to none. In the group that did not receive choline, the proteins in the brain responsible for neuronal cell creation and maturation were changed.
The nutrient choline is often associated with the B complex vitamins, although choline is not technically a vitamin but an essential nutrient. We can synthesize some choline, but we must consume it in our diet to maintain health. Choline is a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in muscle control and memory. It is also responsible for cell signaling, cell integrity, and lipid (fat) transport and metabolism.
It is a certainly a stretch to call bacon a health food, but it does go to show that a well balanced, varied diet can ensure a healthy pregnancy. This doesn’t mean women should consume excessive amounts of bacon, but its reassuring to know you are getting a vital nutrient if bacon is a pregnancy craving. Choline is found primarily in foods like meat, including pork, and eggs. Vegetarians need not despair as choline is also found in soy, nuts, and wheat germ. The Agricultural Research Services Nutrient Data Library is a great resource for finding food sources of all nutrients and their recommended daily intake per life stage. It is important to maintain regular checkups with a physician throughout pregnancy and be sure to ask about your diet to make sure you and your baby are getting adequate nutrients.
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