COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT FOOD

Sandra Ryan R.D.
Nutritionist
Iowa Department of Public Health

Elisabeth Schafer Ph.D.
Associate Professor - Extension Nutrition and Health Specialist
Iowa State University

Copyright/Access Information

Table of Contents

Common Questions
Special Diets
Foods that are good for Babies)
Child and Adult Food Program Infant Meal Pattern

COMMON QUESTIONS

IS SUGAR OK?

Sugar has little nutritional value. Americans eat far too much sugar and pay the price in tooth decay and weight problems. Even very young children can be affected. The following suggestions can help you avoid some of these problems.

• Reduce added sugar. Substitute fruit, vegetables, cheese, or unsugared cereals as snacks.
  
• Buy fruit juices carefully. Buy only pure, 100 percent fruit juice. The fruit punches, ades and cocktails, or juice drinks often advertised as breakfast beverages are high in sugar and may have unneeded artificial flavorings and colors as well. These products do NOT fulfill nutritional requirements for fruit and do not count in the Child and Adult Care Food
  Program (CACFP).
  
• Sweeten cereals and drinks yourself, and make your own gelatin desserts and puddings. Packaged foods contain lots of sugar. You have more control over the amount of sugar a child gets if you make your own.
  
• Limit candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, and soft drinks. These foods should be served only occasionally.
  
• Use plain yogurt and add your own fruit instead of buying sweetened, flavored yogurt.
  
• Limit foods sweetened with honey, molasses, syrup, or other added sugars. Added sugars do not provide nutrients but do increase a child's risk of tooth decay. They also can contribute to a child being overweight.

HOW MUCH FAT?

The North American diet is full of fat. Health care organizations recommend limiting the fat in our diet to 30 percent of the calories we eat to prevent heart disease, some cancers, and weight problems.

Fats should not be limited in the diets of children under 2. Infants and young toddlers grow very quickly. Their bodies need fat and cholesterol to build new cells. Studies show no reason to limit eggs in the diet of preschool children.

After age 2, children need only about 30 percent of their calories from fat, but fat and cholesterol intake should not be severely limited. Follow the guidelines of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid to provide the necessary fat to children.

Small amounts of butter or margarine, and small portions of other foods from the Fats, Oils, and Sweets Group, may be served once a child's nutrient needs have been met. Serve the recommended number of servings from the other Food Guide Pyramid groups first. Children do not need foods cooked with large amounts of butter, margarine, oil or shortening, breaded foods, oily snacks, or rich desserts to meet their need for fat. Serve these foods infrequently.

Too much fat consumption at any age is linked with development of heart disease and some cancers. Obesity can occur even in very young children.

WHAT ABOUT THE "OVERWEIGHT" CHILD?

It is important to remember that children come in all sizes. Children who are large or small for their age may be teased by their playmates. It is important for them to know they are loved and accepted, whatever their size.

You can help children feel good about themselves and reach and maintain a weight that is right for them. Here are a few ideas.

• Weight loss diets are not appropriate for children, even if they are "overweight." Many plump children grow up to be normal weight adults.
  
• Offer children a variety of nutritious foods at planned meal and snack times. Join children in eating a variety of foods, and look for opportunities to discuss the different food groups and the importance of eating foods from all of them.
  
• Plan meals and snacks at regular times. Planned times for eating help children develop good eating patterns and teach them good food behaviors in social situations. Children who are fed regularly do not worry about not being fed and have regular sources of energy.
  
• Teach children to recognize and pay attention to feelings of hunger and fullness. Feed infants when they are hungry, not simply because they cry. Allow toddlers to leave food on their plates, even if you believe they have not eaten enough. If a child asks for a second helping, serve a small portion, even if you believe the child has eaten enough. Include some low-calorie foods in meals and snacks, and offer these foods when children ask for more.
  
• Show children a healthy lifestyle. Children like to imitate adults. Be enthusiastic about many foods. Help children find physical activities they enjoy.
  
• Introduce new foods slowly. Children are more comfortable with foods that are familiar, so offer new foods along with old favorites. Serve a small portion of the new food, and do not force a child to eat it. Offer new foods more than once for the child to increase familiarity.
  
• Serve portions that children can eat comfortably. Large portions may be overwhelming and may discourage a child from eating anything at all. It is better to offer seconds than to serve large portions. Remember that children differ from one another as well as from one day to the next in the way they eat.
  
• Buy plenty of nutritious foods and few high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Involve children in the process of shopping for and preparing meals. Let them choose from several nutritious foods rather than between a nutritious and a high-calorie food.
  
• Decrease fat in recipes.
  
• Avoid making comments about a child's weight, and do not allow other children to tease a child who is a different size. Teach children to respect each other's feelings.

SHOULD CHILDREN SHAKE THE SALT HABIT?

Americans eat too much salt. We shake it on at the table, add it to food as it cooks, put it in canned foods in large amounts, and cure and pickle foods with it. Salt is everywhere.

Children learn to like salty foods. They are generally given little salt during the first year of life but gradually increase salt intake as they learn to eat new foods. Children who are given foods with no added salt do not miss it.

The body needs sodium (from salt), but children need only a small amount of salt. Sodium is present naturally in some vegetables, milk, and meats. Adding salt to foods regularly can cause problems later in life. Some adults are "sensitive" to sodium, and eating salty foods raises their blood pressure. These people also may have kidney problems. While not all adults have this problem, there is no way to know which people will be "sodium-sensitive." It is easier to teach children to eat foods without added salt than to teach adults to give up the salt they have learned to
need.

Here's how to help children avoid the salt habit:

• Keep the salt shaker off the table. If salt is not easily available, children will not learn to shake it on their food.
  
• Salt foods lightly when cooking, or reduce or omit the salt altogether.
  
• Limit salty foods-pickles and cured meats (ham, bacon, sausage), salty snacks (potato chips, pretzels), and condiments (catsup, mustard, and steak sauce). Many canned and frozen prepared foods are also high in salt. Read labels, and choose foods with less salt.

WHAT ABOUT FIBER?

Adults are reminded often that today's refined and processed foods give us too little dietary fiber. Fiber helps to prevent constipation and may also prevent some cancers.

Children also need some dietary fiber but not as much as adults. Foods high in fiber cause the stomach to feel full. Children who eat too much dietary fiber may not be able to eat enough food to get the nutrients they need.

Child-sized servings of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and dried beans and peas provide enough fiber for children. Very high-fiber foods (pumpkin or sunflower seeds) can cause upset stomach or diarrhea in young children.

Children who are served an appropriate amount of high-fiber foods have fewer problems with constipation. Serving a balanced diet based on the Food Guide Pyramid will ensure that children get enough fiber to prevent constipation, but not so much that they don't get the nutrients they need.

SPECIAL DIETS

ALLERGIES

You should discuss food plans and eating habits with families when you first enroll each child. Some children are allergic to certain foods or may not be able to tolerate even the smallest amount used as an ingredient in other foods.

Cow's milk is a problem for some infants and young children. Other common sources of allergic reactions are wheat products, chocolate, and fruits such as tomatoes, and many other foods can be troublesome to a few. Some young children have trouble with high fiber foods. There are health
conditions such as anemia or diabetes that may be treated with a special diet or dietary supplements. You need to know about these problems and follow a medically recommended regime. Rely on parents to explain the routines and food needs, but be sure you can call the physician or dietitian when you have questions.

VEGETARIAN DIETS

Families who follow a vegetarian diet may request that you alter meal patterns for their children. These requests will vary, however, as some families may eat dairy products, eggs, some poultry, or fish while others avoid these products altogether.

Vegetarians must eat more food at times to get proper nutrients. Since small children cannot eat large amounts of food, milk, cheese, and eggs must be added to their vegetarian diets.

A vegetarian child care menu that follows the guidelines of the Food Guide Pyramid and the Child and Adult Care Food Program might include:

BREAKFAST:
Oatmeal
Milk
Toast
Orange juice

MORNING SNACK:
Applesauce
Graham cracker

LUNCH:
Cheese omelet
Peas
Milk
Banana slices

AFTERNOON SNACK:
Peanut butter on whole wheat bread
Apricot

This menu could be served to vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND FOOD

Occasionally, a family's religious beliefs will prohibit or demand certain foods or foods at certain times. You should be informed about these special practices and be prepared for them.

Ask parents about food needs and family eating patterns when you enroll their child. Enrollment is the time to decide whether or not you can fulfill a particular child's needs.


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FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR BABIES (AND FOODS TO AVOID) BY AGE GROUP

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0 TO 4 MONTHS: breast milk, infant formula

(AVOID cow's milk, solid foods)

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4 TO 6 MONTHS: breast milk, infant formula, water, iron-fortified cereals

(AVOID cow's milk, sugar or honey, meat, eggs, powdered soft drink mix)

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6 TO 9 MONTHS: breast milk, infant formula, water, cereal, unsalted mashed
vegetables, unsweetened fruits and juices, soft finger foods

(AVOID cow's milk, honey or sugar, sweets, eggs, meat, powdered soft drink
mixes, soft drinks, salt, spinach and beets)

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9 TO 12 MONTHS: breast milk, infant formula, water, unsweetened cereal,
unsalted vegetables, unsweetened fruits and juices, cheese and yogurt, soft
finger foods, breads and crackers, lean meats, egg yolks

(AVOID cow's milk, 2% or skim milk, honey or sugar, candy or sweet
desserts, sugar-coated cereals, powdered soft drink mixes, soft drinks,
popcorn, whole peanuts, coffee or tea, whole eggs or whites, salt)

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CHILD AND ADULT FOOD PROGRAM INFANT MEAL PATTERN (MENUS BY AGE OF BABY)

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BIRTH THROUGH 3 MONTHS

BREAKFAST:
4-6 fluid ounces breast milk1 or formula2

LUNCH AND SUPPER:
4 to 6 fluid ounces breast milk1 or formula2

SNACK:
4-6 fluid ounces breast milk1 or formula2

4 MONTHS THROUGH 7 MONTHS

BREAKFAST:
4-8 fluid ounces breast milk1 or formula2
0-3 tablespoons infant cereal3 (optional)

LUNCH AND SUPPER:
4-8 fluid ounces breast milk1 or formula2
0-3 tablespoons infant cereal3 (optional)
0-3 tablespoons fruit and/or vegetable (optional)

SNACK:
4-6 fluid ounces breast milk1 or formula2

8 MONTHS THROUGH 11 MONTHS

BREAKFAST:
6-8 fluid ounces breast milk, formula2, or whole milk
2-4 tablespoons infant cereal
1-4 tablespoons fruit and/or vegetable

LUNCH AND SUPPER:
6-8 fluid ounces breast milk, formula2, or whole milk
2-4 tablespoons infant cereal3 and/or 1-4 tbsp. meat, fish, poultry, egg
yolk, or cooked dry beans or peas, or 1/2-2 oz. cheese, or 1-4 oz. cottage
cheese, cheese food, or cheese spread
1-4 tablespoons fruit and/or vegetable

SNACK
2-4 fluid ounces breast milk, formula2, whole milk, or fruit juice4
0-1/2 slice bread or 0-2 crackers5 (optional)

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1Meals containing only breast milk are not reimbursable
2Iron-fortified infant formula
3Iron-fortified dry infant formula
4Full-strength fruit juice
5Made from whole-grain or enriched meal or flour

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