Archive for the ‘Tween Nutrition’ Category

Kid’s Afterschool Snacks can follow the NEW 2010 Dietary Guidelines!

Posted on: February 7th, 2011 by Emma Fogt 2 Comments

Healthy After School Snacks

Last week, The 2010 Dietary Guidelines were launched  by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services to prevent diet related disease and obesity as well as increase activity among the American population . Unlike previous Dietary Guidelines, these new guidelines are focused on research – lots of research!

The statistics now show that over 33 % of children and now 66% of adults are overweight or obese. As a result, the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus on balancing calories with physical activity, and encourages Americans to consume more vegetables, fruits, whole grains (fiber) , fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and seafood, and eat less salt, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains (white flour, white rice).

Five Healthy after school  snacks for kids:

THINK :         1. GRAIN       2. FRUIT /VEG     3. PROT/DAIRY

  • 1/4C Salsa, 1 serving Baked Tortilla Chips & 1C OJ with calcium
  • 1C Cereal (containing 4gm or more of fiber) , 1 C skim milk and 1C whole strawberries
  • 2 slices whole grain bread, 1 Tbsp peanut butter, 1/2 large sliced banana
  • 1 C low fat yogurt, 1/4C low fat granola, 1C blueberries
  • 1C  reduced sodium soup, 7 reduced reduced fat /reduced sodium Triscuits , 1C skim milk
  • 2 corn tortilla’s, 1/4 C refried beans, low fat mexican mix cheese- heated in oven or microwave, 1C water
  • 1C carrots/celery, 1/4C hummus, 1/2C no salt pretzels, 1c skim milk
  • 1 whole wheat tortilla, 1/2C baby spinach, 2-3 slices tomato , 2 oz lean Dietz & Watson Lite Gourmet Breast of Turkey, 1 tsp Dietz & Watson Honey Mustard. 1C OJ with calcium
  • 1 C chili, 1 slice whole wheat toast, 1 C skim milk

GO FOR THE GREENS! In Lower Merion Elementary Schools

Posted on: March 1st, 2010 by Emma Fogt 1 Comment

The Lower Merion Elementary School System outside of Philadelphia is getting ready for GO FOR THE GREENS! week from Monday, March 15 through Thursday, March 18th. Everyone is invited to taste the surprise free green veggie of the day at lunch time and vote on it. Try this in your school!

DAY 1: Our first GO FOR THE GREENS surprise tasting is
1. kind’a creepy
2. From the squash family and
3. Begins with the last letter of the alphabet-
That’s right you guessed it! It’s delicate and tender- perfect for grilling or with a little minced garlic…ZUCCHINI!!! Come taste some free zucchini at lunch today and vote on it-everyone is invited.

DAY 2: Today’s surprise “GO FOR THE GREENS“ veggie is
1. made up of crunchy florettes
2. packed with vitamin C and iron
3. and is known to own stalks.
Yup! BROCCOLI! Try broccoli steamed or raw, add lemon or parmesan cheese or dip it! Have it today at lunch –free and tally it up on the GO FOR THE GREENS Poster!

DAY 3: Today is a green day. It’s St Patrick’s Day, spring is around the corner and The “GO FOR THE GREENS “ surprise veggie sample featured today is
1. yup you guessed it-green
2. can be broad, flat or wax
3. and stringy…
can you guess it! STRING BEANS! Come and taste a yummy free string beans at lunch today- Tally up your taste on the GO FOR THE GREENS poster- everyone is invited!

DAY 4: Today at lunch is the last day to try “GO FOR THE GREENS”.
Can you guess if the following statements are True or False?
The darker the green the more nutritious – true or false?
The USDA recommends 3 cups of dark green leafy vegetables/week -true or false?
Dark greens contain calcium and iron -true or false?
If you said true to all of the above . You are right!
Come try some a SUPER VEGGIE today at lunch- dark green baby SPINACH!- Everyone is invited to this free event.

The SHAC Nutrition Committee hopes YOU have fun GOING FOR THE GREENS!

Can a 4th Grader Have An Eating Disorder?

Posted on: June 22nd, 2009 by Emma Fogt No Comments

A large part of my practice deals with kids needing to gain weight. This may include 2 year old sensitive to food textures to  18 year old whose energy for growth spurts and sport exceed their level of energy intake. Over the last few years I have also seen children who are dieting… to the point where they feel they cannot stop. This “disordered eating” can lead to an eating disorder.  Children within normal weight parameters should be gaining weight each year through their school years and many even through their high school years depending on stages of development. So when I see weight loss or even weight plateau in children of normal weight I see a red flag.

This month Parenting Magazine (July 2009) wrote an excellent article on “Starving for acceptance, why younger children are dieting themselves sick-warning signs all moms need to know,” by Magaret Renkl. She states that the average age for onset of anorexia used to be ages 13 to 17 and now it is 9-12 years.

I not only recommend this article if you are concerned about a child losing weight but also recommend seeing your pediatrician and a pediatric dietitian to assess signs of trouble and your child’s nutrition status and risk.