Monday Message for May 16th

Poor Baby’s Got a Cold


by Dorothy Lauren O'Connor, MS RD




In spite of all your efforts to stay healthy, your child has caught the bug – a mild cold, but nonetheless a nagging one. Did you know children, on average, get between eight to 10 colds per year? That is generally until kindergarten when they’ve built up their immunity.


Sure they should get plenty of rest and sufficient fluids. (A child around 18 lbs. should get approximately 27 oz., and around 30 lbs., 39 oz.) But what are your best bets for feeding them when they are mildly sick with a little sneezing, a cough and a runny nose?


Diluted fruit juices, water, soup and broth are great ways of replenishing fluids. If your child has a fever, vomiting or diarrhea, follow your pediatrician’s recommendations for replacing fluids. Older kids with a cold may benefit from decaffeinated teas with honey and lemon.
Give Them Some Fruit

There may be no solid evidence to suggest vitamin C will cure a cold, but its antioxidant properties can’t hurt. Good sources of vitamin C include: lemons, oranges, grapefruit and even strawberries.
Offer your child a variety of soft fruits; they are not only full of vitamins and minerals to support good health and immunity, but contain a good deal of water to help support your child’s fluid needs. Frozen sliced fruits are convenient and easy to thaw, and they won’t spoil as quickly as fresh fruit. Here are a couple of ways to serve them:
Slightly thawed fruits, such as blueberries or strawberries, offer a cooling sensation on the throat. Another option is to make or purchase frozen fruit bars (look for those with little or no added sugar.)

Blend frozen fruit chunks into a smoothie using low-fat or fat-free milk or a soy beverage if your child has a milk allergy.

Delight Them with Their Favorites

But don’t overdo it. A sick child may have a poor appetite so serve up mini meals based on their favorite type of foods. Frequent small meals are easier to digest and will help meet their energy needs. Steer clear of rich, fried, greasy foods and lean toward simple starches such as rice and noodles as these are easy on the stomach. Try bananas, rice, applesauce or toast if they are a bit queasy. If you can get in some vegetables, great, but focus more on getting them nourished!
Try Chicken Soup

Try making your own from last night’s roasted chicken or buy low sodium stock. Soup is warm, soothing and an accepted remedy. It will also help provide for your child’s fluid needs. For a more filling soup, add some rice or noodles and cooked, chopped vegetables. A couple tablespoons of oat flour can also be used to thicken soups while heating.

Monday Message from May 9th

Iron and Your Teen


by Roberta Duyff, MS RD FADA


Iron needs go up dramatically in the teen years. During childhood (ages 9 to 13) both boys and girls need about 8 milligrams of iron daily, according to the Dietary Reference Intakes. For adolescence, more muscle mass and a greater blood supply demand more iron, so the recommendation jumps to 15 milligrams of iron daily for girls ages 14 to 18, and 11 milligrams daily for boys that age. Girls need more to replace iron losses from their menstrual flow.
Many teens – girls especially – don't consume enough iron. Poor food choices or restricting food to lose weight are two common reasons. Kids who don't eat meat regularly may not consume enough either. Unlike calcium, the effects of low iron intake can be apparent during the teenage years.
Iron comes from a variety of foods: meat, poultry and seafood, as well as legumes, enriched grain products and some vegetables. For example, the iron in some common foods is:
•3-ounce hamburger – 2.5 milligrams

•½ cup of cooked baked or refried beans – 2 to 3 milligrams

•one slice of enriched bread – one milligram

•one cup of iron-fortified breakfast cereal – 4 milligrams (more or less). For cereal, check the Nutrition Facts on food labels for the specific amount.

Teens who drink orange juice with their morning toast or cereal get an iron boost, too. Its vitamin C content makes iron from plant sources and eggs more usable by the body

Monday Message from May 2nd

Time for a Makeover


by Roberta Duyff, MS RD FADA



Ready to decrease calories, fat, especially saturated fat, trans fat or sodium … or boost calcium, fiber or other nutrients? You can transform almost any recipe, even Mom's specialties. A few subtle modifications may improve their nutrition content without much flavor change. Experiment more dramatically by adding more fruits, vegetables or whole grains to recipes!
Chefs and test-kitchen experts change recipes all the time. There's nothing sacred about most recipes (except perhaps Mom's). Recipes get altered when new ingredients come on the market, when cooking equipment changes, when consumers want recipe shortcuts, when ingredients are in or out of season or become more or less costly, when consumers shift food preferences and when nutrition and health issues arise.
In your own "test kitchen," you can modify recipes in several ways: change the ingredients, modify the way the recipes are prepared, cut portion sizes or do all three. Even one or two small recipe changes can net a significant difference in the nutrition content.