Kasia the Expert

      As children go through various stages of development they learn to eat new foods. Until about the age of three my daughter loved to eat a variety of foods including broccoli and tuna. Then, one day at dinner, she refused to eat green beans, her favorite vegetable! That day, I was not sure how to respond to her behavior and chose to ignore it. As this new eating pattern continued, I realized not only is she starting preschool next week, she has become a preschooler.

Preschoolers, children 2-5 years of age, are often referred to as "picky eaters" which means they often want to explore food rather than eat it. In most cases, this behavior goes away with time. To help parents like myself through this eating behavior during the preschool years, MyPyramid for Preschoolers has a special section full of practical information about types of picky eating and how to cope with it.

Personally, it is easy for me to offer a variety of foods to my daughter but I struggle with what to say to her to encourage healthy eating habits. "The Picky Eaters" section of MyPyramid for Preschoolers has just what I need to turn negative phrases I sometimes say into positive, helpful ones and it is called "Phrases that Help and Hinder."

For example, I often say "You're such a big girl; you finished all your veggies." According to MyPyramid, this phrase may teach my child to ignore fullness. However, a positive statement such as, "Is your stomach telling you that you're full?" may help her recognize when she is full.

It is wonderful to know that MyPyramid offers a wealth of information at my fingertips as my daughter enters a new stage of her development. Now our preschool list for next week includes a favorite blanket and an extra set of clothes for my daughter and a lit of "Phrases that Help and Hinder" for myself!

The other day my daughter played with a couple of neighborhood kids while their mom and I shared some ideas about kids and snacking. My neighbor and I enjoy offering a variety of fruits, veggies, and other well balanced snacks to our kids we both agreed that it's hard to find a child who doesn't like snacks with the sweet taste of sugar. As I watched my daughter sipping her soft drink and excitedly running around with her friends I wondered about sugars and what effect, if any, they had on children's behavior.

As a nutritionist, I know that sugar and hyperactivity has no basis in scientific literature. In my mind I can picture any type of sugar (or starch for that matter) being broken down into its basic building block of glucose, which the body can use for energy. If anything science tells us that carbohydrates like sugars and starches make us relaxed. So why am I seeing these kids run around like busy bees with their soft drinks? I had to refresh my memory...

I did some research and found The International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) Review of Sugars, Mental Performance and Behavior reports that "Contrary to popular belief, sucrose does not cause aggressive or disruptive behavior in children, nor does it negatively affect mental performance". Interestingly, IFIC Review includes findings of numerous, well controlled studies and points out that the studies not only included normal behaved children but also kids diagnosed with hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder.

Rest assured, next time the neighorhood kids seem to run endlessly after having some sweetened snacks, it might be their way of just enjoying time spend with friends.

Last night, my almost three-year-old daughter ate a piece of raw broccoli without spitting it out, or making a silly face, or screaming "yuk!" When I saw her actually swallow it, I felt like such an accomplished parent. I know I'm not the only mom who feels like celebrating after her child accepts a new vegetable. And this event got me thinking about how much fruits and vegetables kids really need.

 I visited USDA's MyPyramid at www.mypyramid.gov and learned  that a three-year-old child should eat about 1 ½ cups of veggies and 1 cup of fruits per day. The site lists great examples of kid-friendly fruits and veggies along with information about what counts as a cup of a fruit or vegetable. For instance, a ½ cup of dried fruit such as raisins or apricots, counts as 1 cup of fresh fruit. This means that a small box of raisins (about ¼ cup) and just ½ cup of your child's favorite fruit or 100% fruit juice meet the daily fruit recommendation.

When it comes to vegetables, keep in mind that once you determine the type and amount of veggies to provide at a meal there is still no guarantee your kids will be ready to eat any of it. So give yourself credit for what you're most likely serving already. For example, favorite veggies like1 cup of mashed potatoes and ½ cup of green beans or peas satisfy the daily veggie recommendation.

How did my daughter happen to eat a piece of broccoli? I personally think she was distracted by her favorite toy and didn't realize it! This reminds me; however, about the importance of trying to offer a variety of veggies, not just the favorites, because it takes multiple tries before a child acquires a taste for it.