Five Tips on Feeding Toddlers
Feeding toddlers doesn’t have to be nightmare. At my office I talk to parents of toddlers all the time about the frustrations of feeding their picky, unpredictable and stubborn little ones. Here are a few points to keep in mind when feeding toddlers: 1) TODDLERS DON’T NEED MUCH FOOD- In the first year of life the growth curve is very steep and parents get used to their kids gaining a lot of weight every time they visit the doctor. After the first year, however, the growth curve flattens...
Read MoreParents, Junk food is EVERYWHERE!
I just read an article that states today’s average American consumes almost 580 calories more PER DAY than in a typical day during the 1970’s. It’s no wonder. Has anyone noticed recently that high calorie junk food is being sold EVERYWHERE? It used to be that nutrition-minded parents would only have to fight junk food battles with the kids in the grocery store (see my post on “How to Say No with Love at the Grocery Store”). “Mom, but can I PLEASE just get some peanut butter cups?” These...
Read MoreA Powerful Look at Childhood Obesity
As a pediatrician I have dedicated much of my time to giving parents practical information to prevent and combat obesity. I have found that I love this work. However, this week I hit a WALL. I saw too many kids in my office with morbid obesity. Many of them had been counseled before, and most had continued to gain weight. So many times I found no room at the top of the chart to plot their growing body mass index. I saw a few kids on the edge of diabetes, one with hypertension, and many with complaints related to...
Read MoreWhat’s wrong with Water?
One of the biggest contributors to the excessive amount of calories that American children consume is BEVERAGES. The average American teenager consumes in the neighborhood of 400 calories. That’s the equivalent of a four mile run! In my practice I give many of my overweight young patients a food journal to keep track of a week’s worth of eating. In talking to their families and reviewing their journals I often find that I can help them get back to a normal weight just by getting them off of...
Read MoreHow to Stop Relatives from Bringing Your Kids Junk Food
How do you convey to relatives, especially grandparents that you don’t appreciate the sweet treats and junk food they feed your kids when they visit? A friend recently emailed me about the frustration she feels when her in-laws bring over loads of sweet treats for the holidays. She is a working mom who tries hard to make sure that her kids eat nutritious food throughout the year. However, all her efforts are put aside at Christmas time when relatives show up with boxes of junk food that the kids can’t...
Read MoreSave on Groceries While Feeding Your Family Healthy Meals
Over the past two or three years I have noticed a strange phenomenon. Although my kids are growing and eating more, and we are eating more nutritious foods every year, my weekly grocery bill are getting less expensive. It’s strange! I’m doing so many things that I’m told should cost me more. I am buying more local food. I’m buying more organic food. We are trying a larger variety of foods as the kids’ tastes get more adventurous. So why is the weekly tab shrinking? Here are five reasons I came...
Read MoreA Pediatrician’s Pledge
As a pediatrician, I have watched the number of children with diet-related illnesses increase every year since I started practice. There are now days when I am overwhelmed and discouraged by the number of children whose health is diminished by a poor diet. This feeling of helplessness is why I started my website, doctoryum.com. It is also the reason I have made nutrition a passion and priority within my own family. Consider a typical morning at my office and the types of patients I see: A teenage girl has a...
Read MoreA Pediatrician’s Ten Tips for Packing a Nutritious Lunch
As a mother of two young boys I am sympathetic to the challenge of how to pack an interesting, well-balanced lunch that the kids will eat, and how to do this DAY AFTER DAY.In organizing my thoughts on school lunch, I used a new recommendation by the USDA to guide me. Did you know the old “Food Pyramid”, used in health classes for years to teach us how to portion our food, is now extinct? In June, the USDA released a new, simplified icon called “Choose My Plate”. This graphic shows a plate with four...
Read MoreHow to Say “No” (with Love) at the Grocery Store
The food industry has targeted kids with clever marketing, advertising and fancy packaging of highly processed foods made with artificial ingredients that make children sick. As a pediatrician I see kids suffering with diet-related illnesses daily. We as parents can fight back by perfecting the skill of saying “no” at the grocery store. Saying “no” to a child can be difficult. It goes against our instinct to keep our children happy and comfortable. However, in some instances it is necessary to say...
Read MoreUSDA’s “Choose My Plate” works for kids, too
Earlier this month the USDA did away with the old “Food Pyramid”, replacing it with the new “Choose My Plate” recommendations. Largely I’m thrilled to see the USDA present a simple attractive graphic that even kids can understand. Along with the simplified graphic they also include some other highlights: enjoy food but eat less avoid oversized portions make half your plate fruits and vegetables drink water instead of sugary drinks switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk compare sodium in foods Make at...
Read MoreObesity in Children
In 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 34% of American adults and 17% of children are “obese.” Even more staggering is that the number of adults considered “overweight” is 64% and that nearly one-third of children are at least overweight to obese. At PL Pediatrics, like many practices around the country, we see a growing number of overweight and obese children every year. Below is an overview of obesity in children. Management of obesity, especially in children...
Read MoreHow many Calories do Children Need?
Many parents that I see in the office ask me how many calories their children should be taking in. Their kids may be underweight and so they want to make sure that they are getting in enough calories. They may be overweight and need to restrict calories in order to maintain or lose weight. Even parents with average weight children may wonder if their child is eating enough or too much food. Understanding the calorie needs of a child can help parents understand their children’s changing appetites and...
Read MoreGetting Started In The Kitchen
Here is a list of the most common groceries I buy. Having these on hand will make thing faster while you try some of these recipes. I also list some of my favorite kitchen tools and appliances. Groceries I frequently buy White whole wheat flour- This is a type of whole wheat flour which uses an albino type of wheat instead of the traditional red wheat. The result is a flour that is soft, white, but full of nutrients found in whole wheat flour. I started using this in my baking a few months ago. You can...
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