Katie's Nutrition Nook: Dealing with the Picky Eater

Does one (or worse--both) of your children make meal time miserable by refusing to eat anything except for macaroni & cheese…OR pizza…OR worse? If so, here are some tips to help you teach them to try and like new foods--even the healthy ones!

Limit liquids.

• Far too often children carry around sippy cups full of milk, juice & juice drinks. Remember that children (and adults) only need about 24 oz milk/day and 4-6 oz 100% fruit juice/day (no more than 8 oz for adults). Other beverages are just empty calories filling your child up with zero nutrition and loads of sugar, which makes them less likely to eat the food you offer them. Watch how much you’re giving your kids to drink and offer only water the hour before meals.

Try, try again.

• Sometimes kids won’t eat a food the first time it’s offered, but don’t give up. It may take 10 or 20 times before your child finally decides to try that food, but they will eventually try it and they just might like it too!

Disguise if necessary.

• If you’re worried about your child’s overall nutrition (especially when it comes to vegetables), it never hurts to hide healthy options in sauces or casseroles. Find a food processor-it might become your new best friend.
  

Offer with familiar food.

• If you put a plate full of new foods in front of your kids, they are less likely to try all of it. If they’re stuck on macaroni cheese, pair the new food along with the old.

Let them help.

• Whether shopping at the store or preparing dinner, if they help, they may be more interested in trying it.

Be a good role model.

• As much as we wish it didn’t matter what we ate, it does. If they see you eating or NOT eating a certain food (or beverage) chances are the child will want to model their parent’s behavior. If you want your child to eat their peas, be sure you eat yours too!

Encourage, but don’t force.

• Encourage your child to try the food, but don’t require them to eat the entire portion. One bite is better than none and the next time around, they may try more.

Limit TV time

• Or any other distractions during mealtime. If the TV is on, so will be commercials for sugary cereals and other unhealthy foods that are targeted at children, making the vegetables on their dinner plate look much less appetizing.

So the next time your twins scream about wanting junk food or throw their vegetables across the room, take a deep breath and remember these tips. Hopefully they will ease some of your mealtime stress.

Feel free to comment below or email me with any questions you might have. Whether the questions are about weight loss, specific plans for you, general nutrition needs for you and/or your children, or whatever, I am here to help you!

As well, if you have suggestions for topics you would like me to discuss in Katie's Nutrition Nook, please let me know.

~ Katie
CMOTC MoM and Nutritionist

Katie's Nutrition Nook - Avoiding Weight Gain this Holiday Season

It’s that time of year again - we eat, drink and make merry now and worry about the consequences later. According to a 2000 Study of Holiday Weight Gain*, Americans only gain about 1 lb each year from Halloween to New Year’s Day. Sound like no big deal? The problem is that 1 lb frequently results in “creeping obesity”-- 20 years of holiday weight gain never lost can result in a 20 lb weight gain and put you at risk for many health problems.

So how can you prevent weight gain this holiday season?

Here are some tips:

1) Regular physical activity

• If you’re already exercising, continue it! If you aren’t, it’s a great time to start! Work physical activity into your busy schedule by: parking further away, taking the stairs, walking to look at Christmas lights, shoveling snow or even building a snowman!

2) Plan ahead/Control the situation

• Going to a holiday party or out shopping? Here are some tips: Take healthy snack options with you or eat a healthy snack before you leave home, position yourself away from the food, limit your plate to 2 items at a time and fill up on veggies first. Do all of this and you’ll be less likely to splurge on all those holiday treats!

3) Eat a Healthy Diet

• Model it after My Pyramid: make half your grains whole, focus on fruits and vegetables, keep your meats lean & exercise portion control
• Increase water intake (especially before meals) and limit alcohol consumption

Here’s to a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season!

~ Katie

* Yanovski, J. A. et al. 2000. A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain New England Journal of Medicine. Volume 342:861-867

Katie's Nutrition Nook: Healthy Brain Food Breakfasts for Kids (and Moms)

With school back in session, it is important to provide your children with healthy foods in order to have the energy and focus to learn. Mornings can get crunched and often nutrition is sacrificed. You need quick things to eat, but unfortunately, many of us do this at the cost of nutrition. Pop tarts, muffins and most cereal bars are loaded with sugar and minimal nutritional value. Sure, they’re quick and portable, but a breakfast of pure sugar does not supply sufficient fuel.

Many of you have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I agree that it is. However, putting nothing but sugar (and maybe a little fiber or whole grains to fool you into thinking you’re eating healthy) in our own or our children’s bodies is not doing any good. A meal consisting of protein (found in meats, beans, nuts, dairy products and eggs) and carbohydrates (found in fruits, starchy vegetables, grains and milk), but also low in sugar and high in fiber will help to start the day off right and keep you going.

Here are some examples of healthy, balanced breakfasts, ideal for the entire family!

• Cheerios with low-fat milk
• Plain yogurt with fruit and low-sugar granola
• Whole grain toast OR English muffin with peanut butter
• Oatmeal with almonds and/or milk*
• Egg/Egg whites in a whole wheat tortilla
• Fruit** smoothie with yogurt and fresh fruit

* Whole milk should be used from the time the child is 1-2 years old and then switch to !% fat or fat-free skim milk at 2 years of age.

** Most of us do not get enough fruit, so offering fruit or fruit juice at breakfast is a great idea! If you offer juice, make sure it is 100% fruit juice (i.e. juicy juice) and limit to 4 oz/day.

What are your favorite brain food breakfasts? Please share your family's favorite quick and healthy breakfasts that keep your body and mind going!

Feel free to comment below or contact me at columbusmultiples@gmail.com with any questions you might have. Whether the questions are about weight loss, specific plans for you, general nutrition needs for you and/or your children, or whatever, I am here to help you!

As well, if you have suggestions for topics you would like me to discuss in Katie's Nutrition Nook, please let me know.

- Katie

Katie's Nutrition Nook - Healthy kid (and mom) snacks on the go

It’s summer and we’re all on the go. Wait, who am I kidding? With kids, we’re always on the go. But right now, you’re probably jolting between swim practice and tee ball games to play dates and who knows what else …

Life on the run doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice good nutrition. Both you and your kids can still eat healthy with just a little planning. Planning? Who has time for planning, you say? Just a few minutes out of your night tonight will save you time and energy dealing with hungry, grumpy kids tomorrow. Keeping them (and you) fueled between stops is key to staying sane during this crazy time.

Below is a list of healthy snack ideas followed by suggestions of those to limit. It’s best to take along a small cooler to keep foods fresh and free of harmful bacteria. Remember that moderation is key and that children will often eat healthy if parents offer them the healthier foods and model good eating behavior.

• Raw veggies and low-fat ranch dip or hummus
  
• String cheese


• Cheese cubes (remember with cheese to choose 2% or light cheeses-cheese can be high in saturated fat-the bad kind that clogs your arteries-so make sure to limit the amount) and whole grain crackers


• 100% Fruit Juice boxes (i.e. Juicy Juice)


• Apple or Banana with Peanut Butter


• Dried Fruit or Fresh fruit


• Trail Mix-whole grain cereal, dried fruit, nuts


• Low-fat popcorn


• Yogurt (try to avoid the ones with all the added sugar)


• Turkey rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla


• Peanut butter and jelly on whole grain bread
  

Avoid:

• Fruit juices, cocktails or other drinks with added sugar (Hi-C, Gatorade, Capri-suns)


• Fruit gushers or other gummy sugary foods


• Chips, cookies and other processed foods
  
  

What healthy snacks do you and your children enjoy when on the go? Please share!

Feel free to comment below or contact me at columbusmultiples@gmail.com with any questions you might have. Whether the questions are about weight loss, specific plans for you, general nutrition needs for you and/or your children, or whatever, I am here to help you!

As well, if you have suggestions for topics you would like me to discuss in Katie's Nutrition Nook, please let me know.

- Katie

Katie's Nutrition Nook - The Truth about Weight Loss

It’s summer and you’re headed to the beach in the next few months and want to shed some pounds quick! Stop right there! Diets that encourage you to limit or eliminate food groups (i.e. low carb diets) those that require you to buy expensive products (cleanses, pills and supplements) or anything that promises a fast weight loss (more than 1-2 lbs/week)-is probably not healthy, not realistic and not maintainable.

The key to healthy weight loss is to make changes that you will be able to maintain for a lifetime. Regardless of what any advertisement may tell you, weight loss comes down to calories in vs. calories out. If you’re eating more than you’re burning, you’re not going to lose weight. Expending 3500 calories/week, either through increased activity, decreased intake or both, will result in about a 1 lb weight loss/week. Think about it-that margarita you had with dinner, those extra rolls you couldn’t resist, the leftover grilled cheese sandwiches and fries you shoved in your mouth before disposing of your kids lunch-it can all add up! Be conscious of what you’re eating-keep a food log, try to only eat when you’re sitting down (at the kitchen table-not in front of the TV), don’t eat while you’re cooking dinner-all of these small changes can save you a lot of calories and pounds in the long run.

Can’t cut back on what’s going in? How about changing what’s going out? Start walking--a mile will burn approximately 100 calories (it varies based on weight). Make a habit of walking a few quick miles during the kids swim practice and cut out 1 soda a day, and you’ll not only see that 1 lb weight loss this week, but it will be gone (and more) next month too!

For more ideas on changing what's going out, here's a helpful post (from Kendra's Fitness corner) on how burn the most calories in 30 minutes.

Feel free to comment below or contact me at columbusmultiples@gmail.com with any questions you might have for me. Whether the questions are about weight loss, specific plans for you, general nutrition needs for you and/or your children, or whatever, I am here to help you!

As well, if you have suggestions for topics you would like me to discuss in Katie's Nutrition Nook, please let me know.

- Katie

Katie's Nutrition Nook: Starting the Diet Overhaul

Hi! My name is Katie Bach and my beautiful twins were born on 2/17/10! Along with being a member of CMOTC, I am also a Registered Dietitian and Certified Health Fitness Specialist. I graduated from OSU in Medical Dietetics and have had the opportunity to work with infants to the elderly to provide both weight loss counseling and general nutrition education.

I am excited to take part in the CMOTC blog with Katie’s Nutrition Nook and hope to answer your questions along the way as well. Nutrition is a hot topic and an ever-changing one at that! There is a lot of confusing info out there, so I will do my best to get the answers you need, want and deserve and take some of the guesswork out of it for you! Whether you are trying to lose weight or improve your family’s diet, I’ll try to hit on a variety of topics relevant to moms of multiples. If you have certain topics you would like to discuss/learn more about or simply a question, please be sure to comment below or send me an email at columbusmultiples@gmail.com!

Today’s Topic: Starting the Diet Overhaul

We are all busy (how can you not be with multiples?) but our diets do not need to suffer due to lack of time and energy. Trying to make too many changes all at once can be overwhelming, discouraging and defeating. Making small changes that you can stick to will lead to diet modifications that you can adopt for a lifetime. Start by making a few tweaks to your bad habits and build from there.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Drink more water - Do you really need 8 glasses of water a day-better believe it!?!?! Water is a natural appetite suppressant, which most people don’t get enough of. Instead we consume empty calories and artificial sweeteners through sodas, juices and flavored coffees. Just think, if we just drank water, we’d save money, time and calories (more to come on this subject matter later)!
   
   
2. Eat breakfast - And your skinny latte doesn’t count!! Breakfast can be as quick and simple as whole grain toast with peanut butter, yogurt and fruit, or cereal with milk. It is the most important meal of the day-revving up your metabolism and keeping it burning all day long. Even though you may think you’re saving calories by cutting this meal, it will actually lead you to consume more calories throughout the day.
   
   
3. Exercise portion control - Did you know a portion of meat should only be the size of a deck of cards? Or that a cup of cereal is about the size of a baseball? Our portion sizes are out of control! Along with the overflowing plates of food, our mid-sections are also overflowing as we are becoming muffin top America!! Have you ever tried measuring your food to see what you actually should be eating? You’ll be amazed…
   
   
4. Pack your lunch - People who eat out regularly (whether fast food or sit down), consume larger amounts of sodium, fat, sugar and calories and their diets tend to be less nutritious than those who eat at home. Try packing your lunch to include a more balanced diet and limit processed foods.
   

Remember to limit the use of words like always or never. Start with one goal a few days/wk and add to it.

Answer these questions when making your goal:

• What do you want to change? (i.e. eat more fruits)
• Why do you want to change it? (i.e. they are healthy and I don’t eat enough of them)
• You are going to (do what?) (i.e. eat fruit twice a day)
• How often? (i.e. 4 days/wk)
• What are your barriers?
• How will you overcome them?
  

Now that you’re on track to a healthier you, comment about it! I can’t wait to hear what you’re doing!!

Please feel free to comment below or send emails to columbusmultiples@gmail.com with any questions you might have for me. As well, if you have suggestions for topics you would like me to discuss in Katie's Nutrition Nook, please let me know.

-Katie