New Juice Guidelines!

The American Academy of Pediatrics is releasing new guidelines for introducing and giving fruit juice today.

Juice that comes from fruit is not the same thing as eating fruit. It's missing the fiber and even the feeling of fullness that comes from eating foods rather than drinking. Too many kids drink excessive juice, which fills them with empty calories and can contribute to obesity and tooth decay.

How much juice should kids have?

• Juice is not recommended at all under 1 year of age in the new guidelines. 
• Toddlers from 1-3 years can have up to 4 ounces of 100% juice a day. 
• Children ages 4-6 years can have 4-6 ounces (half to three-quarters of a cup). 
• Children ages 7-18 years can have up to 8 ounces (1 cup) of 100% fruit juice as part of the recommended 2 to 2 ½ cups of fruit servings per day. 

General tips and tricks:

• Offer only 100% juice if you're giving juice at all. Fruit flavored drinks are not the same thing as juice.
• Water is always healthy! If your kids want it flavored, cut up fruit and put it in the water. There are many recipes online to get ideas, but kids don't need anything fancy - just put cut up pieces of their favorite fruit with water in a glass container. Put the container in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours and then pour the infused water into their cup without the fruit (which could pose a choking risk). The infused water will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Some kids like to start the day with a frozen water bottle. Simply put a 1/2 to 3/4 full water bottle in the freezer overnight - don't fill it too much because ice expands! Add a bit of water in the morning to help it start melting so it's drinkable when they want a sip. Adjust the amount of water to freeze as needed depending on how insulated your water bottle is.
• If your kids demand more than the recommended amount of juice for their age per day, water it down. By mixing water (or sparkling water for a bit of zip) with juice, you decrease the amount of sugar in every serving. You can give 1/2 the recommended daily maximum amount of juice with water twice and still stay within the daily limit. 
• Never let kids drink juice out of a bottle.
• Never put kids to bed with juice. They should brush teeth before bed and be allowed only water until morning.
• Offer only pasteurized juice. Unpasteurized juice can cause severe illness.
• Give kids real fruits and/or vegetables with every meal and snack.
• Make smoothies! Putting fruits and vegetables in a blender to make a smoothie is a great way to give the full fruit or vegetable instead of juice. Consider adding plain yogurt**, chia, flax, oats, nuts, and other healthy additions to increase the nutritional components of the smoothie! **Flavored yogurts often have added sugars. Look for just milk and cultures in your yogurt. 
• Most juice boxes have more than a day's supply of juice. Don't use juice boxes. Offer juice in cups so you can limit to the age appropriate amount. 
• Organic juice is not healthier than other juice. Many parents presume it has less sugar or more nutrients, but it doesn't.
• Vegetable juices may have less sugar and fewer calories than in the fruit juice, but are often mixed with fruit juices so you must read ingredients. They also lack the fiber of the actual vegetable, so eating the vegetable (or pureeing veggies into a smoothie) is healthier. 
• Beware of labels that look like juice but aren't 100% juice. The label might say "juice cocktail," "juice-flavored beverage" or "juice drink." Most of these have only small amounts of real juice. Their main ingredients are usually water, small amounts of juice, and some type of sweetener, such as high-fructose corn syrup. Nutritionally, these drinks are similar to most soft drinks: rich in sugar and calories, but low in nutrients. Avoid them.
• Sports drinks are not healthy substitutes for water. They are sugar-sweetened beverages that contain sodium and other electrolytes. Unless one is doing high intensity exercise for over an hour (such as running a marathon, not playing in a baseball tournament), water and a regular healthy diet provide all the calories and electrolytes we need.
• Water's the best drink for our bodies. Buy fun reusable water bottles and challenge your kids to empty them throughout the day. The old rule of "8 cups a day" is outdated, but we should get enough water (from the water content in foods + drinks) to keep our urine pale. We need more water when it's hot, when we exercise, when we're sick and when the air's really dry. Once we feel thirsty we're already mildly dehydrated, so drink water to prevent dehydration.

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Food Strike!

A recent facebook question: Any articles out there about what to do when your child goes on an eating strike? My son, who's five (soon), has these occasionally, and he's already thin as a rail to begin with :)

My answer became much too long, as this is a very common concern and there are so many aspects, so it turned into this blog.

This question (very common) always reminds me of the Judy Blume book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  (One of my favorite books growing up.)  The younger brother in the book, Fudge, refuses to eat.  After many failed trials of forcing food, and bribing, his Dad finally loses patience and says "eat it or wear it."  Needless to say, Fudge ends up with the bowl of cereal on his head and goes around for days saying "eat it or wear it!"

Food Strike!  This is a common concern of parents.  But kids are smart, they won't let themselves starve.

Of course there are some instances that are cause for concern.  Red Flags include kids who are sick, recurrently vomit or ruminate, seem dehydrated, have problems with food allergies, are very limited in foods over an extended time, experience swallowing problems or choking, or who are not following their growth curve.  Red flags are another topic entirely!  Work with your physician in these cases.

If hungry, he will eat.  Just don't let him fill up on things that aren't giving a nutritious balance. Even just milk all day can be harmful because it lacks many vitamins and minerals, so a little milk with other foods is better!

• Offer veggies, fruits, cheese, nuts, etc at scheduled snack times. 
• Limit pre-packaged foods and snacks.
• Limit drinks other than water and low calorie milks.  These fill kids up and don't offer balanced nutrition.
• Put only a small amount on his plate... it might be overwhelming to have a full plate.
• Turn off the tv.  Have a dinner conversation with the family.  This not only sets up healthy eating habits, but also healthy family dynamics. Teens who eat with their families are less likely to have risky behaviors!
• Set a good example!  Talk about how much you are enjoying the healthy foods at the table. (Not how healthy they are, but rather how good they taste.)
• Keep foods separate on the plate... they might eat one food if not touching another.
• Set a time for meals and stick to it.  If your child doesn't eat, still clear the table.  When they complain of being hungry, don't be condescending.  Simply say, "I know how you feel.  I'm hungry too when I don't eat.  Dinner is coming up soon. I'm sure you'll be ready!"  Don't offer filler foods. Don't yell.  Don't over-discuss.  Kids are smart, they'll pick up on the fact that they need to eat at meal time or be hungry.  (They won't starve to death!)
• Hide healthy foods in casseroles, sauces, etc.  I love my blender... the food processor was too much for me to clean, but my blender works just as well!  Many vegetables have little flavor, which makes it easy to "hide" them in things.

• I put a can of beets in with the spaghetti sauce --makes a cool color without changing the flavor.    

• I put carrots, spinach, or cabbage in my smoothies without changing the flavor.  Strawberries, bananas, kiwi, and other fruits are much more flavorful than many veggies and kids tend to like their tastes.  I just try to match color to hide the vegetable. 

•  Puree onions, carrots, zucchini, spinach, and other vegetables in recipes rather than chopping them... kids won't pick them out!  Chances are they won't even know they're there.

• Try foods in different forms: 

• frozen peas are crunchy-- maybe they don't like the squishy texture of cooked peas
• raw broccoli is much different in taste and texture than cooked broccoli
• many kids love cheese over vegetables or foods dunked in catsup or yogurt
• it is fun to eat with fingers for a change... let them get messy!
• try cutting things into pieces and serve with toothpicks
• make a kabob of fruit and cheese pieces... it's always more fun to eat off a stick! 
• cut sandwiches with a large cookie cutter for fun shapes
• use small cookie cutters for bite sized sandwiches or fruit pieces 

• Try not to use food as a reward. This can set up unhealthy eating habits.
• Don't reward for eating.  Most kids will get the intrinsic reward of satiety.  They don't need stickers or dessert for eating a meal.
• Praise small steps.  If kids try a new food (whether they like it or not) praise the fact that they tried!

Set your expectations realistically.  Don't expect kids to eat as much as infants/toddlers or teens/adults.  Calorie needs go down when not in growth spurts.  Just make the nutrition needs balance.  Don't worry as much about volume as variety of healthy foods!  Most kids don't need supplemental meals in a can (Pediasure and other brands) ~ they are getting the nutrition and calories they need, there is just an imbalance of perception of what they need.  I always prefer a healthy, active, thin child over a child who is overweight and not active (and often undernourished due to poor quality foods).

Vitamin supplement use and need is debated (except Vitamin D, which is recommended for all).  In general, I think it is a good idea to give a multivitamin with iron if kids aren't eating well.  Iron deficiency actually causes anorexia-- increasing the problem!   Just be sure to lock up vitamins as if they are medications, so kids don't accidentally ingest too much. 

Most kids grow well during their picky eating and food strike phases!  Just be patient and aware of any red flags that need to be evaluated.  If you are concerned, schedule an appointment to discuss foods, growth, nutrition, and concerns.  Bring a typical food log of foods and drinks (with approximate volumes) for at least one week.  We can either identify a concern and develop a plan of action, or reassure you that your child is normal!