Packing, Snacking and Pediatric Nutrition: What’s Healthy? 

May 12, 2023 Victoria Eilers

Deciding on food can be difficult and expensive. It’s hard enough figuring out what we as adults should be doing, not to mention helping the children in our lives make healthy choices.

There’s so much information out there for us to sort through. Mediterranean diet, artificial colors, to gluten or not to gluten? And don’t get me started on the great dairy controversy.

Let’s simplify and walk through it together. Figuring out what’s healthy is attainable. Squeezing it into your busy lifestyle without your picky five-year-old going on a hunger strike is achievable.

Join us as we squeeze the sour out of healthy eating.

First, What Do You Think About “Healthy?”

Easy, Simple Habits
Not-So-Simple Picky Eating
The Cost: Healthy vs. Unhealthy

The Nerdy Stuff: What’s Actually Good for Your Body–and Your Brain

What’s the Gut-brain axis?
Effect of Food on Child Behavior and Development

Holistic Approach to Pediatric Nutrition

Bioindividual Nutrition
Holistic Therapy Near Me: Helping Hands Therapy Clinic

First, What Do You Think About Healthy?

When you hear the word “healthy,” what comes to mind? What emotions come up first?

You’re not alone if tasteless rabbit food and misery come to mind before happiness and delicious whole foods do. If the first emotions to surface are guilt, anxiety, confusion, or overwhelm, you’re in good company.

Many individuals–especially parents who want to influence their children to have healthy lifestyles–hear the word “healthy” and think it’s an unattainable, overwhelming pursuit. And sometimes it is overwhelming. But the good news?

It doesn't have to be.

Pediatric Nutrition

Easy, Simple Habits

Confessions of an ice-cream-a-holic…I used to eat ice cream every single day after work. Sometimes twice a day. Ice cream isn’t exactly a gateway, but it’s definitely hard to quit.

When it comes to healthy habits, as long as you start and keep walking in the right direction, you’re winning. You can start small. A tangerine here, a ziplock of baby carrots there. Half a banana to replace half of your daily ice cream habit–AHHhheEmMmmm…note to self.

Just step in the right direction and collaborate with your child. Creating a safe, enjoyable experience is half the battle for helping your child try new, healthy foods.

It’s attainable. And we’re cheering you on.

Just start.

Here are some ideas to get started with the collaborative experience:

Invite your child grocery shopping with you–making this a fun, pleasant experience allows your child to survey some healthy snack and drink options. If they have a voice in the beginning of the process, this will prevent a fight later. If your child has a hard time with noise or crowds, going early in the morning may be the best time.

Invite your child to grocery shop with you online. Then take a field trip to pick up groceries. This is a great option if going out in a store is just too hard medically or behaviorally. Be sure to let them pick out the road trip music or audiobook for this alternative adventure.

Invite your child to a local Farmer’s Market– there’s always unique and interesting items at local markets, especially now that spring has arrived. Your child will enjoy a new experience and can pick out some produce in its curious, unpackaged form. If your child has a hard time with noise or crowds, going early in the morning or near the end of the market may be the best time. You may even get an extra discount right before everyone’s about to pack up.

When planning for the upcoming week, ask your child what part of a meal or snack they can replace with a healthy alternative. Model this, and pick something you’ll trade up too. Commiserate the losses and celebrate the new, good changes together.

Not-So-Simple Picky Eating

For those of you with texture-adverse or generally picky eaters, pediatric nutrition presents a real challenge. It’s not simply because your child isn’t simple. Helping Hands Therapy Services offers individualized treatments to address difficulties with feeding.

Occupational Therapy is a holistic practice, so pediatric nutrition is part of what we do. Your child’s mind, body, and behavior are affected by what they consume. Our Pediatric Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapist Assistants are qualified to treat newborns all the way through children in their teens and early twenties.

What to expect at the clinic? A licensed, pediatric occupational therapist will evaluate your child to determine food aversions and offer alternatives for balanced nutrition. They will work with you and your child to discover barriers and increase the variety of foods your child is willing to try.

Occupational Therapy roles in self-feeding and pediatric nutrition include but aren’t limited to…

Trial and recommend feeding equipment specific to your child’s needs
Train you and other caregivers in feeding methods to increase success with self-feeding–this includes breast-feeding, bottle feeding, finger foods, and assisting older children to use utensils, cups, and straws
Educate on common barriers to function with self-feeding and food-aversion–and how to assist your child
Address unique feeding situations–G-tubes, for example–through education and training to ensure your child’s nutritional needs are met

Visit our website to learn more about Feeding Therapy. Call or email us to inquire or schedule an appointment.

Email: office@helpinghandstherapyservices.com

Phone: 757.698.4681

The Cost: Healthy vs. Unhealthy

You may hear the word “healthy” and leap to organic whole foods that bend your budget. So, what exactly is the cost of healthy?

If you’re looking for a steal of a deal, the cost of eating healthy is at least 50% off the cost of eating unhealthy. Prevention of illness through a healthy lifestyle is the best, long-lasting health care plan you can have. Pursuing pediatric nutrition now will set your child in the right direction as they grow up.

If you’re on a quest for more specific tips on how to cut costs, please visit Healthy Eating on a Budget.

The Nerdy Stuff: What’s Actually Good for Your Body–and Your Brain

If you’ve skimmed this far down the blog post, congratulations! You’ve just walked into the main course. Sit down and dine with us as we explore what’s good for your child’s body, brain, and behavior–and why.

What’s The Gut-Brain Axis?

Did you know there’s practically another brain in your stomach? That’s right. Lined with over 100 million nerve cells, your gut may be smarter than you think.

The Gut-Brain Axis is a two way street between your intestinal tract and brain. Your stomach, large intestine, and small intestine send mental and emotional messages to your brain–those “gut feelings” about a person or situation, for example. In the other direction, your innards receive mental and emotional messages from your brain that affect digestion. Mental and emotional stress can result in slow digestion, nausea, or other stomach issues, for example.

So, what does this have to do with your child and eating healthy? The gut-brain axis matters when it comes to pediatric nutrition because what goes into the digestive tract affects the mind and emotions. Mental and emotional input then affect the body as whole, including behavior.

Food choices that are high in saturated fat, added sugars, and salt negatively affects gut microbiota–the teeny tiny organisms that have built a city inside of our guts. We need healthy microbiota to assist with digesting certain foods efficiently. These powerful little guys also help us fight infection and keep everything moving down the line.

Effect of Food on Child Behavior and Development

Our bodies do need sugar. Sugar is what our cells use to make energy and sustain life. But too much of a good thing can be too much of a good thing. Unhealthy food choices with high sugar and saturated fat content cause gut microbiota to reproduce speedier than they typically would.

When there’s cake, gut microbiota multiply for a family reunion. Cousins twice removed multiply, divide and conquer. Things getting overcrowded can really twist your child’s tummy into a pretzel.

With a twisted-up tummy, it’s no surprise your child is a little moody. An unhealthy gut is linked to mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. Some studies even cite gut health as a contributor to conditions like autism. When your child consumes added sugars on a regular basis, it also decreases their focus–this can make important activities like reading at school, or concentrating during conversations with peers very difficult.

Regular consumption of added sugars has also been linked to inflammation and metabolic changes. Overconsumption of added sugars can contribute to conditions like diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and stomach ulcers.

When your child eats whole foods like lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, this helps their mind, body, and emotions work best. Starting with these foods first and most will significantly improve overall well-being –physically, mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally.

Holistic Approach to Pediatric Nutrition

Bioindividual Nutrition

Bioindividual Nutrition is an innovative, personalized approach to nutrition. This approach views autism, ADHD, and anxiety as conditions or disorders that can be mitigated through the use of changes in nutrition.

Bioindividual nutrition is unique in that it not only considers the type of foods a person consumes–such as whole grains and vegetables–but considers the content of foods on a complex, biochemical level. This approach also considers the reaction of each individual’s body as they consume and metabolize food.

This approach claims individuals who have chronic illnesses do not process whole foods the same way a healthy person does. So, typical diet modifications or recommendations may not be specific enough to meet a person’s nutritional needs.

Holistic Therapy Near Me: Helping Hands Therapy Clinic

Helping Hands Therapy Clinic provides holistic services that take your child’s nutrition into account. We consider your child’s mind, body, and emotions when working to promote functional independence. Whether your child has difficulty with self-feeding, texture aversion, or an illness resulting in decreased nutrition, we’re here to help you and your child move towards a healthier, functional lifestyle.

Please contact our office to schedule an appointment or make specific inquiries. More information can also be found on our website: https://www.helpinghandstherapyservices.com/.

Helping Hands Therapy Services

Email: Office@helpinghandstherapyservices.com

Phone: 757.698.4681

Blog Written By: Victoria Eilers, COTA/L, Copywriter & Content Writer

Blog Layout By: Shelby O’Connor, MOTR/L, Copywriter & Content Writer

References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=diet+on+behavior+in+children

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626 ***

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15522161/

https://neuroscience.stanford.edu/news/your-gut-second-brain

https://continuumtx.com/blog/2018/06/14/can-nutrition-effect-your-childs-behavior/#:~:text=Proper%20nutrition%20can%20help%20developing,mood%2C%20behavior%20and%20learning%20capabilities.

https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/common-food-triggers-of-behavioral-issues