Healthy Eating For Young People

We are living in a time when there are more overweight children than ever before, yet many are malnourished. How can that be? The average family is very busy, working two jobs just to pay the bills or maybe there is only one parent assuming the responsibility for the family.  We are always on the go with many things to do, then when we get home, we are needed for assistance with homework, lunch prep for the next day, a load of laundry needs to get done so everyone has clean clothes the next day, etc. We are tired! It is so easy to stop and get fast food for dinner or pop a frozen pizza in the oven. There are so many yummy, however sugar-filled snacks that the kids see advertised on tv and they beg you to buy them. Water has been replaced with soft drinks.

You might ask, why is fast food and sugary food/drinks so unhealthy? Fast food is filled with a much higher amount of fat, calories, sugar, and a poor amount of nutrients. It is not only the content that needs to be considered, but also the portion size that is being consumed. When ordering fast food, many times the amount of food being served is too much and that is without the “super-size it “option! Food like breakfast cereals are full of sugar, and chips are empty calories with no nutritional value. Soft drinks are not only full of sugar and calories which contribute to obesity, but they also cause tooth decay and impact the health of their bones.

Not only does obesity lead to a number of health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, it can also affect mental health. Obesity due to poor nutrition and refined sugar is linked to increased risk of psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Poor nutrition, food additives, and refined sugar have been shown to contribute to psychiatric symptoms and malnutrition has been associated with behavioral problems.

How do I know what food to buy? Look for foods that have nutritional value. Fruit and veggies can make excellent snacks. Try substituting snacks like potato chips for carrots and ranch dressing, or an apple. If buying something packaged, look at the nutritional label and try to avoid things that are high in fat and calories, and low in protein. Prioritize food that is high in fiber, protein, and other essential nutrients. Look at how much sugar are in the items you are buying. Believe it or not, things like tomato sauce or milk can have a high amount of sugar so select a brand with less sugar content. Instead of soda, substitute water with no sugar fruit flavors or you can squeeze some lemon or orange into the water to provide a little flavor.

Make sure portion size is appropriate for age. Food packaging can be very deceptive because many items appear to be sold as a single serving, but on the nutritional label you might see there are actually multiple serving sizes in the package. Here is an example of the things to look at when reviewing a nutrition label.

This probably seems very overwhelming! You might be asking yourself, where do I start? How will I have the time and/or money to do something like this? Here are some practical tips to get started.

• Start with making a few small changes.
• Shop in the outer aisles of the grocery store. That is usually where you will find the fruit, vegetables, meats, and dairy.
• Only keep healthy snacks in the house. If you don’t have it in the house, your kids will be much less likely to eat it and will instead pick healthier food options!
• Look at your store’s weekly deals and buy healthy items that are discounted that week.
• Look for healthy alternatives to your kid’s favorite foods. Search for recipes for healthy versions of traditionally unhealthy foods like a chocolate protein smoothie instead of a chocolate milkshake.

Studies have shown that healthy eating habits are associated with positive mental health and resilience. Not only will these changes have a big impact on the overall health of your children, but also on the whole family!