I know I’ve mentioned smoothies previously, but here is another article to back me up: a dentist warning parents about the effects of smoothies on children’s teeth…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9013144/Healthy-smoothies-not-so-innocent-for-teeth-says-dentist.html

I’ve just completed some work analysing 50 breakfast cereals. Breakfast is considered to be one of the most important meals of the day. Children particularly, perform better academically, socially and physically when they eat a breakfast. Breakfast cereals are a great choice – but during my research I was shocked by the poor quality of cereals aimed at children.

Of the 14 cereals I looked at, only 1 was not high in sugar. Many were high in salt – even for adult standards. I would encourage parents to choose breakfast cereals wisely for their children. If it means foregoing a cereal box with a cartoon on it, so be it. If you introduce a chocolate cereal from the beginning, it is very difficult to change little taste buds onto a wholesome cereal. Ignore the ‘children’s cereals’ section of the supermarket and head for the nutritious wholegrain options and give your children the best start possible!

Here are some links to media coverage of my report…

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/02February/Pages/breakfast-cereals-still-too-high-in-sugar.aspx

Anyone who has tried to feed a toddler knows that how much they eat will vary from day to day and week to week. This is perfectly normal, but sometimes it would be helpful to know whether your expectations are realistic.

The Infant and Toddler Forum have published evidence-based guidance on healthy portion sizes that meet UK Estimated Average Requirements for energy (EAR) and Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) for toddlers. It can help ensure your child receives the best nutrition possible at a really crucial time in their development. The portion size models can be downloaded for free here:

http://www.infantandtoddlerforum.org/article_13+Portion+Sizes+For+Toddlers+13+Years_id-596.html

News reports this week of the high salt diet that most UK babies consume were slightly inflated. “Seventy percent of 8-month-olds consume too much salt, UK study shows” was the headline from one news report. The study quoted was actually from a study of children born in 1991-1992, and although the cohort was large – almost 1,200 participants, and yes 70% of these babies did consume over 0.4g sodium (1g salt) per day….this ‘news’ is nearly 20 years old!

So is salt still an issue now and can we learn anything from this study? Read more

Fruit juices have been getting some bad press lately….and I think it’s about time. I am not an advocate of drinking fruit juices regularly, and certainly discourage parents from giving their children juice on a daily basis – no matter how fresh/pure/expensive it is.

Research by a group at the University of Bangor has shown how drinking fruit juice regularly enhances a subconscious liking for sweet tastes and leads to a cycle of sweet food and drink consumption – a big risk for obesity, dental decay, and for children; refusal to eat ‘main’ meals and savoury foods. Whether fruit juice is 100% and no added sugar is irrevelant; both are loaded with sugar and calories. Think about how many pieces of fruit are needed to make a glass of juice – many more than you’d be capable of eating alone. Once the fibre is discarded from the fruit (when squeezed), the ability to feel full is lost and we can drink litres of juice (and it’s sugar, fructose) without feeling full.

The Bangor University study has called for juice to be excluded from the 5-a-day portions, and I agree. Have a look at my table below to decide for yourself.

What to drink instead? Water! Milk! Let children get used to plain tastes and that’s all they’ll ask for. Juices and sweet drinks can be kept for special occasions only.

Millions of adults take vitamins and nutritional supplements in the hope of achieving better health, fewer diseases and to defy the ageing process. In 2009, £674.6 million worth of nutritional supplements were sold in the UK. But are they really worth it and should we be giving our children nutritional supplements too?

A new report by Behind the Headlines, an NHS service that investigates health claims, tells us that despite the wide availability of vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements such as fish oils, we should buy and take them with caution; and particular caution is needed when giving them to children.

Read more

The growth charts in your child’s ‘Red Book’ (Personal Child Health Record) show a graph of the normal distribution of the heights, weights and also head circumferences of healthy children. Understanding their use is key to monitoring your child’s growth patterns. Read more

Children in the UK are routinely weighed and measured on entering Reception (age 4-5 years) and Year 6 (age 10-11 years) and categorised using recognised growth charts as ‘underweight’, ‘healthy weight’, ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’. Being an unhealthy weight as a child can have both immediate and long-term effects; obesity can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, certain cancers, and have psychological, social and academic implications.

Recent findings from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) for England in the 2009/2010 school year should that nearly one in five children leaving primary school are obese.

• In Reception, nearly one quarter (23.1%) of children were either overweight or obese. In Year 6, this had risen to one in three (33.4%).
• The rate of obesity doubled between Reception (9.8%) and Year 6 (18.7%).
• The prevalence of underweight was low at around 1% for both ages.

This makes rather depressing reading, but it shouldn’t mean we turn a blind eye to children’s weight issues. Promoting healthy eating and a positive attitude to good food in the early years is certainly a good start, as is encouraging enjoyable exercise and physical activity during childhood.

If you are worried about your child’s weight, I recommend having an assessment by a paediatric dietitian who will provide practical and evidence-based guidelines for you to follow to ensure your child avoids becoming one of these statistics. Have  a look at my Healthy Weight Checker on the Blossom home page to understand how your child’s weight will be categorised.

Police in the Hampshire village of Whitchurch have called for a ban on fizzy drinks sold to under 16′s on Friday nights – claiming the intake of high-sugar, high-caffeine drinks results in youngsters being hyperactive and rowdy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9456000/9456414.stm

Although the average 500ml bottle of softdrink contains over 200 calories (almost 11 teaspoons) of ‘empty’ sugar, that is, instant yet nutrient-free energy – it’s the additives like E numbers that many people believe are linked to hyperactivity. The Food Standards Agency advise parents who are concerned about their child’s hyperactivity to consider avoiding many nasty chemicals that are found in most fizzy drinks, including the sugar-free/diet versions.

For further reading see:

http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/chemsafe/additivesbranch/colours/hyper/

and Action on Additives has a search facility for foods, drinks and medicines that contain additives:

http://www.actiononadditives.com/Home/

Finally, a great book by the Australian Sue Dengate called ‘Fed Up’ is recommended.