Last Tuesday we all enjoyed the Ravioli with Spinach and Sun-dried tomatoes.  On Friday, we accepted a last minute dinner invitation so I moved the homemade pizza to Saturday.

After I preheated the oven I noticed an overwhelming burnt smell, then I saw the smoke oozing from the oven and before I could do anything the fire alarm went off.  I totally forgot to clean out the fallen food particles from the last time I used the oven.  As I said before, I’m a messy cook.

Because it was close to dinner time we decided to have leftovers instead.  I ended up cooking the pizza later that night since I had all the veggies prepped.  It was a nice and tasty lunch the next day. 

Today we are headed to Disneyland but will be back in time for dinner.  So I’m finally going to make the slow cooker red beans and rice I never got to a couple of weeks ago.  It’s really simple: red beans, brown rice, water, onion, cumin and chopped carrots.  I’m a little afraid it will taste bland.  I’ll let you know how it turns out. 

I can’t wait to tell you about my new cookbook later this week but I first have to try one more recipe.  And I’m going to make carnitas for slow cook day.  Yes, a fattier meat, but my husband enjoys it (that matters right?).

For more meal plan ideas see Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking this Week?

Monday: Post-Disneyland Red Beans and Brown Rice with a salad and fruit.

Tuesday: Crispy Parmesan-Panko Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Carrots (new cookbook!)

Wednesday: Carnitas with whole grain tortillas, side of black beans and tons of toppings.

Thursday: Leftovers/potluck

Friday: Baked salmon, sweet potatoes (in slow cooker), green beans and bread.

Challenges

Last week, one day after breakfast my 3-year old announced, “I finished my French toast, I’m a good girl!”

I could not believe what I heard.  How is my daughter getting the message that finishing her meal makes her good?

So I sat her down and told her that eating a lot or little does not make her good or bad.  She needs to listen to her tummy – sometimes it might want more and other times less.

I realize that I’m not the only one who feeds her.  I have noticed that my mom sometimes says “good girl” when Anna eats.  I also thought about how my mother-in-law reports back to me how much she eats at lunch.  She might say something like, “Anna ate all of her chicken today at lunch,” in a positive tone or a less enthused “She only had her apple but didn’t touch her sandwich.”  

These comments seem harmless, but as parents we cannot underestimate the power even subtle “eat more” messages have on our kids. This often happens when kids are really young and picky and caregivers want them to eat well.

I’ll talk more about this in my picky-eating series. I hope to help you raise intuitive eaters who listen to their hunger and satiety signals instead of eating what’s in front of them or choosing to use food as a distraction.

So I talked to my mom and plan to mention something to my mother-in-law too.  A post on Family Feeding Dynamics discusses the importance of staying consistent with feeding.

Have you had to talk to other caregivers about how or what they feed your kids? 

 News

Right after I posted about Michelle Obama’s childhood obesity task force report, there was another announcement from her that 16 major food companies plan to trim a trillion calories from their food products by 2012. 

Janet Helm, a fellow RD, from Nutrition Unplugged summarizes this news on her blog.

I’m not sure how this will play out but it should be interesting.  Will making such reductions really help people manage their weight?  Time will tell.   

Also in the news was a report of a study published in Pediatrics that found kids with higher levels of certain pesticides in their urine (organophosphates) were twice as likely to develop ADHD.  This does not mean that pesticides cause ADHD, all it means is there is a potential link that needs to be explored.  I write about other potential links in my “Can Diet Prevent ADHD” post.

This study got me thinking about how the media reports nutrition-related studies.  For example, they often announce results in sound bites saying, “A new study says X decreases cancer risk.” 

But one study is not conclusive.  Scientists need to repeat studies to better assess if there’s a potential link.  When they go on to do more studies, sometimes the results are split.  Other times the link becomes stronger or it totally fizzles.

I’m not denouncing the study or the results.  I just hope you approach health news with a healthy dose of skepticism.  Feel free to email me any of your questions.  I always love to hear what’s on your mind.

Have a great week!

Jenny thought her rowdy preschooler was engaging in normal “boy” behavior. But when her son entered the first grade, she started noticing that he couldn’t sit still or focus like the other kids. He was also impulsive, often endangering himself by running off at the worst times. She finally took him to a doctor and found out he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

One in ten children lives with ADHD. Children diagnosed with the condition are more likely to experience depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety. No one knows exactly what causes this leading disorder but experts believe that it has both genetic and environmental influences.

Two recent research reviews examined whether or not diet can help treat ADHD. While both reviews cite compelling research, each acknowledges that more studies are needed to draw conclusions. As I read both of these papers, one word kept popping up in my mind: prevention.

You see, children with ADHD often have low levels of iron, zinc, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids – the same nutrients needed for proper growth and development. Research also suggests that some children react to artificial colorings and additives in food.

So doesn’t it make sense that diets rich in these nutrients could help prevent ADHD? While the research isn’t able to answer that question, I think it’s worth considering. Let’s take a look…

Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA & EPA)
It’s hard to believe but sixty percent of the brain is composed of fat! Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential fatty acid found mostly in fish and fish oils, is required in high quantities in the brain and retina. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) also plays a role in the brain working synergistically with DHA.

According to a recent study published in Nutrition Reviews, omega-3 fatty acids hold the most promise for nutritionally treating ADHD and/or learning disabilities. In a recent UK study, children with developmental coordination disorder (5-12 years old) were supplemented with 552 mg of EPA and 168 mg of DHA for 3 months which resulted in improved behavior, increased reading age by 9 months (3 months in the control) and spelling age by almost 7 months (1 month in the control). Before the study these children were a year behind in both reading and spelling.

DHA and EPA are essential in little ones’ diets because their brains are still developing. Unless your child eats fish on a weekly basis, they are falling short on DHA and EPA. Unfortunately, there are no recommendations for DHA in the United States. International health groups, however, do provide recommendations for adults. According to the Omega-3 Institute, if you take these international recommendations and adjust them to the calorie intakes of young children, 2-3 year olds need 145 mg per day of DHA and 4-6 year olds need 200 mg.

So what’s a mom to do? Include fish meals 2-3 times a week including salmon, tuna, halibut, shrimp and trout. And if your little one won’t eat fish consider supplementing with fish oil (I’ll be reviewing some supplements soon). If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, aim for 300mg of DHA per day.

Minerals
Children with ADHD tend to have lower levels of iron, zinc and magnesium than kids without the disorder. In children under 3 years of age, one-third are anemic and 1 in 10 are iron-deficient. If left untreated, iron deficiency can result in poor cognitive development and can adversely affect behavior. Studies show that children with the lowest iron levels experience more severe ADHD symptoms.

To ensure adequate intake of iron, offer children meat and poultry often as well as iron fortified cereals combined with a vitamin C-rich fruit (to increase the absorption by four times!). Check this list for iron sources and add vitamin C-rich foods to plant-based sources of iron.

Zinc, the next mineral on the list, not only helps protect the immune system, it also plays a role in the developing brain. As zinc levels plummet, the symptoms of ADHD increase. One theory is that certain food additives accelerate the excretion of zinc from the body in susceptible individuals. Zinc can be found in meat, poultry, beans, fortified breakfast cereals, yogurt, almonds and cashews.

Magnesium, the last mineral associated with ADHD, is needed for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Low magnesium levels impact brain health in a variety of ways such as decreasing blood flow to the brain and lowering energy metabolism. Research suggests that up to 85% of children with ADHD may be deficient in magnesium. Check this list for magnesium sources including nuts, spinach, soy beans and black beans.

Food additives and artificial colorings
Although we’re mostly focusing on nutrition, the effect of artificial colorings and additives deserves attention. According to a 2009 review in the Harvard Medical Health Letter, a small segment of children are susceptible to artificial additives in processed foods.

In fact, the findings of a recent study in Britain resulted in the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency request for food manufactures to remove six coloring agents from children’s products.

To keep intake of such food additives low, go easy on candy, colored cereals, soda and fruit drinks.

The final word
Omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc and magnesium are essential nutrients for growing kids. And if they happen to prevent ADHD, then that’s a big bonus.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters for more health prevention tips.

References
June, 2009 Harvard Medical Health Letter

Sinn N. Nutritional and dietary influences on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nutrition Reviews. 2008; 66(10):558-568.

Richardson AJ, Montgomery P. The Oxford-Durham study: a randomized, controlled trial of dietary supplementation with fatty acids in children with developmental coordination disorder. Pediatrics. 2005;115(5):1360-1366.