Nutritionally
Balanced
Do you know what your tweens are eating?
by Tara Ostrowe, MS, RD
PARENTGUIDE News September 2005
Many of today’s tween parents are alarmed at
their children’s eating habits. The tween years—
from ages 8 to 12— are when children begin to
make their own food choices. Often the day begins with
many children skipping breakfast, since they have overslept
or claim not to be hungry in the morning. Other tweens,
however, will stop at the corner store on their way
to school and choose either the popular bacon, egg and
cheese sandwiches or chocolate chip cookies coupled
with high-sugar beverages such as juice or regular soda.
Although some tweens purchase items from the school
cafeteria when they get to school, they often reach
for the nutritionally inadequate muffins and buttered
bagels.
Once at school, most tweens avoid the school cafeteria
lunches and instead opt for corn or potato chips, juice,
candy or other vending machine snacks. Lately, tweens
have not been bringing lunch prepared at home, and instead
must purchase food from the outside. Tweens claim that
school lunches are “nasty,” and decide to
save their money for snacks or fast-food meals that
they purchase after school. Although many school cafeterias
offer a wide variety of healthy lunch options, the common
food choices for those children who do eat the prepared
meals include high-fat and high calorie items such as
french fries, tater tots, pizza, chicken nuggets, ice
cream and hamburgers.
Since many children end up eating very little during
the day, they are extremely hungry by 3pm, and thus
succumb to buying food and drinks from outside on their
way home from school. Many of the older tweens “hang
out” at nearby pizza places or fast food restaurants
instead of playing sports or congregating on the playground.
Here, they eat large portions of fried and greasy foods
along with high sugar carbonated beverages. The younger
tweens come home from school and snack on easy to grab
cookies and chips while they watch television or play
video games.
These eating habits play a role in tween diets that
are often high in total fat, saturated fat and sugar,
and low in fiber and calcium. Studies have shown that
children of this age have an average intake of fruit,
vegetables and legumes far below USDA recommendations.
Research has indicated that such a diet is implicated
in the growing prevalence of obesity and may contribute
to many chronic diseases such as certain cancers, diabetes,
osteoporosis and heart disease.
The tween years are critical in developing healthful
diet and exercise habits and make positive lifestyle
changes that can impact their future health. It is the
role of the parent to support them in making these healthful
choices. Here are some ways to help your child obtain
a balanced and nutritionally dense diet for optimal
health:
·
Strongly encourage your children to eat a healthful
breakfast rich in whole grains, fiber, fruit and low
fat dairy before they leave for school. I recommend
whole grain and unsweetened dry cereal or oatmeal with
1 percent or skim milk and a piece of fruit. If they
are running late to school, make sure they eat a ready-made
item such as a cereal bar, banana or yogurt on the way
to class. Studies have shown that children who eat a
healthy breakfast have a superior nutritional profile
and are less likely to be overweight. Breakfast has
also been shown to positively impact school performance
and improve cognitive function.
·Have your tweens carry water or seltzer with
them to school and suggest that they choose low fat
milk with lunch and with their snacks after school.
This will lead to lower sugar consumption, higher calcium
intake and better hydration.
·Prepare home-packed lunches for your children
to bring to school with them most days a week. Include
a sandwich on whole wheat bread with a lean protein
such as turkey, tuna fish, low fat cheese or roast beef
with a piece of fruit.
·Provide healthy snacks for tweens to eat after
school. This is a time that they can increase their
fiber and calcium intake by eating foods rich in those
nutrients. The tween years are a critical time for bone
development and growth and therefore adequate calcium
intake is essential. I recommend having washed and cut
up raw vegetables and fruit for them in the fridge that
they can easily grab and snack on instead of chips and
other highly processed foods. Another healthy snack
is homemade trail mix consisting of pretzels, raisins,
nuts prepared by you and your tween. Your tween can
also make a smoothie with low fat milk or yogurt and
fruit, which can be fun to create and serves as a healthy
snack. Some other healthy snacks are fruit salad with
Cool Whip, string cheese, air-popped popcorn, yogurt,
graham crackers, low-fat granola bars, frozen fruit
bars, soy chips, non-fat pudding and almonds.
·
Physical activity has been shown to decline as kids
get older and overall energy expenditure has greatly
decreased over the past ten years. Therefore, encourage
your children to be more active by going to the park,
playing ball with their friends and riding their bike
after school instead of sitting in front of the television.
Also allow your tween to walk to or from school to help
enhance their daily exercise.
·
Strive to have family dinners as often as possible.
Family meals have been shown not only to foster healthier
eating habits, but may enhance the overall health and
well-being of your children. Make sure that your tween
has at least one serving of vegetables at this meal
every evening. A well-balanced dinner includes a lean
meat, a whole grain and a vegetable serving.
Parents’ eating habits influence childrens’
eating practices so it is important for parents to also
eat three regular and balanced meals a day, prepare
healthy foods for their children and keep healthy snacks
at home. Support your tween in developing healthier
eating behaviors that they can carry with them into
adolescence and adulthood.
Tara Ostrowe, MS, RD is the senior dietitian at
the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center where she does
individual and group nutrition counseling and nutrition
education. She also has a private nutrition counseling
practice in Manhattan. Her contact information is (212)423-2072
or Tara.Ostrowe@msnyuhealth.org.
