Back to School: Nutrition tips to keep your kid fueled for school

A new school year is underway, which means students will be adjusting to a more regimented eating pattern. But are there better ways to make sure your child is on nutritious diet? Tara Collingwood, a nutrition consultant with Nemours, offers advice to parents on how to keep your kid fueled for the day.

Do you have any advice for parents whose kids are picky eaters?
To deal with a picky eater, become a short-order cook. I have people who tell me, 'My child will only eat macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets.'

When I was growing up, we didn’t have those options in the house. My mom would make zucchini pancakes for dinner, and if you didn’t eat it, you didn’t eat.

Your kid won’t shrivel up and waste away after one missed meal. And most of the time, they’ll come back to eat it.

How can a poor diet affect a child's mood? Is 'Hangry' a thing?
You must have breakfast. It affects anyone's performance and mood. You don't have to sit down and have a big meal. A piece of peanut butter toast, or yogurt or a smoothie will give you protein and energy to start the day.

Eat light, eat often works for kids. They have smaller stomachs. High sugar, high fats though, will upset stomachs, and spikes and drops in blood sugar will affect your mood.

Should teens or kids go on fad diets, like Keto?
Fad diets aren't the way to lose weight. When you're a young athlete or child, you can't go on these fad diets without negative health effects.

Sometimes adults can get away with it, but if you’re body is still growing or developing, you can’t eliminate a food group without consequences. So, my rule of thumb is to stay away from any type of diet that eliminates a whole food group. If your child has a weight problem, go and see an expert. We have dieticians at Nemours who can help you.

What is overweight in a kid?
It depends on their height and age. We still use the growth chart, so that's why it's very important to get that annual physical.

Can a child or teenager be a vegetarian? Is it safe?
If you're eliminating a food group. You can be healthy with it if you plan right. But just randomly cutting it out for a fad reason isn't good.

Children can be vegetarians to get the nutrients they need, but again, you must consult an expert to see if there are any risky factors specific to your child that would make it detrimental.

If they’re not eating meat, they need to get that protein from somewhere else.

What are the best snacks for kids to help maintain their energy levels throughout the school day, especially if they’re involved in sports and after school activities? 

Carbs are our primary source of energy. Depending on the age of the child, that could be a half sandwich or a full sandwich. Also, think of what’s going to be bad. Tell them to eat the meats, yogurts, hard-boiled eggs earlier and then move on to the other protein-packed snacks. They can bring protein powders to make a shake.

Cox Media Group