photo credit: Naomi Ibuki

When it comes to getting vitamin D from food, salmon is popularly known as one of the best sources. The Office of Dietary Supplements, a department of the National Institute of Health, lists a 3 oz serving of salmon (sockeye) as having over 100% of daily value of vitamin D. Salmon is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, one of the healthy fats your growing child needs for brain development.

I was, therefore, very surprised when I looked at the nutrition facts panel of a can of pink salmon at the grocery store this weekend. It did not list any vitamin D at all!

How can it be when the common knowledge is that salmon provides a high level of vitamin D?

Turns out that not all salmon is created equal when it comes to vitamin D, or even other healthful nutrients. The problem seems to be an abundance of farmed salmon in our food supply, both in the fresh seafood section as well as canned and prepared meals.

As I researched this issue further, I came upon a scientific paper by Dr. Holick and co-workers from Boston University, who actually measured the amount of vitamin D in both wild salmon and farmed salmon. They found that the farmed variety contained 10-25% of the amount of vitamin D available in salmon. Dr. Holick explains the difference in this video, simply in terms of what the two feed on:

While the wild salmon could have as high as 1000 IU of vitamin D, the farmed variety contains about 250. There is also considerable debate about PCB’s, dioxins, antibiotics and artificial colors in farmed salmon.

Looking at it from the lower nutritional value and health/environmental risks, I am not sure if low price of farmed salmon is a good reason to make the choice. Not saying you need to give up on farmed salmon, but you certainly need to factor these issues in your purchase decision.

Another thing to keep in mind, vitamin D in wild salmon can vary in a broad range depending on the source and type. Ask questions and read the nutrition facts label before buying.

Here is a nice summary of the amount of vitamin D from various fish sources (Source: Holick paper)

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, Family Physician and Registered Dietitian Dr. Shelley Meyer takes a close look at omega 3 fatty acids from natural food sources and processed foods.

Question: I am hearing a lot about omega 3 in food products. Is there a difference between added omega 3 in processed foods and omega 3 from natural food sources? Which one is better?

I am sure by now you have heard that Omega 3 fatty acids are good for you.  In fact, studies have shown that they can help reduce heart disease, lower triglycerides and blood pressure, improve osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and improve memory and brain function, especially in infants.  Some studies have also shown they can help with depression, though this is currently being debated. Animal studies have even proven that these essential fatty acids may even be able to combat breast cancer.

There are many sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, both in natural food form and in supplemental form.   Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines or fresh tuna, provide the most absorbable forms of omega 3 fatty acids, known as Eicosopentasoic Acid (EPA) and Docoshexaenoic Acid (DHA).  Walnuts and flaxseeds are also excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids but in a different form, Alpha-linolenic acid, known as ALA.  However, usually only 15% and 5% of ALA ingested are broken down to EPA and DHA, respectively.  Therefore, the absorption of vegetable and non-vegetable sources of these fatty acids is not equal.

In recent years Omega 3 supplemented foods have flooded the market, with all encompassing claims of amazing health benefits.   More studies need to be done to determine if these enriched foods are equal to natural sources of fish oil, but some studies have been promising.  In fact, some small studies have shown that the omega 3 fatty acids in supplemented foods may be better absorbed than fish oil concentrates and gel capsule supplements.  This may be due to the fat contained in the food being eaten, which can help the fatty acids to be better absorbed.

In summary, omega 3 enriched foods may be just as good as natural sources of omega 3 fatty acids, but the jury is still out.   When looking for omega 3 fatty acid sources for your kids, keep in mind that the daily recommendation for children is 120 mg of DHA and 180 mg of EPA per 10 pounds of body weight.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

Thinking about introducing your little one to fish and other seafood but worried about food allergy? Check out these handy tips from Registered Dietitian Keri Gans!

Question: We want to introduce our 2 year old to fish and other seafood. What should we be worried about? Are there any safe seafood we can try first?

Answer:

The good news is that as of January 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics declared that there is no convincing evidence that delaying any food beyond 4 to 6 months reduces the risk of developing an allergy to it. So even though fish is one of the top eight allergenic foods, no need to worry, it is definitely time for your 2-year old to start enjoying it.

What is important to remember is that fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet. They contain high quality protein and other essential nutrients that are low in saturated fat. The Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish are considered beneficial for cardiovascular health and preliminary research suggest they can enhance brain development and improve learning, behavior and vision. The American Heart Association currently recommends recommending two servings 2-3 ounces of fish a week for children as an early prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Follow these recommendations for your young child:

1. Do not serve shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
2. Ok for your child to eat up to 12 ounces a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury, such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish.
3. Serve no more than 6 ounces of fresh or canned albacore (white) tuna. They have more mercury than light tuna.
   Make sure your fish is thoroughly cooked to avoid food borne bacteria and viruses.
4. Buy fish from reputable sources.
5. Introduce only one type of fish at a time.

After introducing any new food in your child’s diet wait 3 days until moving on to another food. Watch for signs of a food allergy, swelling of the tongue, lips or face, skin rash, wheezing, abdominal cramping, vomiting or diarrhea. If symptoms appear call your doctor right away.

Also remember that you are a food role model for you child. If they don’t see you eating fish they will not grow up eating fish. There is also no need to try and disguise the fish, by heavily breading and frying it. Serve it to them just as you would yourself, hopefully that is grilled, broiled or baked.  I remember when my niece was around 3 years old….she loved tilapia, but thought she was eating chicken.

Great resources on seafood:
Environmental Protection Agency
Seafood WATCH
Kid Safe Seafood

©2010 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, Registered Dietitian Victoria Retelny explains why omega-3 is important for growing children and suggests a few food sources of these essential fatty acids.

Question: Is Omega 3 proven to be helpful for children? Can you recommend a few good sources and brands of Omega 3?

Answer:

Yes, omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are found in breast milk, are beneficial for children’s normal growth and development.  For infants, DHA has been found to be vital for visual and brain function and development.  Some research has shown these essential fats to help children with attention deficit & hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As children grow into adults, there is evidence that omega-3s are a great way to keep the heart healthy, too.

As always, food sources should be the first choice for your child’s diet.  Omega-3 fatty acids come from two sources: plant foods like walnuts, flaxseeds, tofu, soybeans, and canola oil, which contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and fatty fish, which contain both DHA and EPA.  Some of the best fish sources of omega-3s are salmon, albacore tuna, lake trout, mackerel, and herring.  Since some fish can be high in mercury and other contaminants, there are limits to how much children (and adults) should eat.  According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency, up to two average fish meals or 12 oz per week – is safe for children.  Since albacore tuna is higher in mercury than chunk light tuna, limit the serving to 6 oz. per week.

The types of fish that children (and adults) should avoid due to high mercury levels:

• Shark
• Swordfish
• King mackerel
• Tilefish (Golden bass)

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, advise people to check local advisories to learn about the safety of fish caught in nearby local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. Advisories may recommend that people limit or avoid eating some types of fish caught in certain places. If no advice is available, young children may eat up to 1 meal per week of fish from local waters, but no other fish during that week.

The U.S. dietary supplement market is exploding with omega-3 capsules. Use caution, particularly with young children, when giving supplements – of any type.  Dietary supplements are not regulated by the federal government.  According to the FDA’s Web site, supplements ingredients may be reviewed for safety, but not effectiveness.  The ultimate responsibility for product safety is on the manufacturers and distributors before the supplements reach store shelves. The FDA will step in if products are found to be unsafe or if they contain false or misleading claims.

So what are good sources of omega-3s for children?  The best sources are fish and “designer” foods like omega-3 fortified cereal, yogurt and eggs.  Although, a recent article in Journal of the American Dietetic Association states that there is no specific recommendation for EPA and DHA individually right now, the need to get a balanced diet that includes essential fatty acids like omega-3s is important, particularly for growing children.  As always, consult a physician before giving fish oil capsules to children under 18 years old.

References:
Kris-Etherton P, Hill AM.  n-3 fatty acids: food or supplements?  J Am Diet Assoc (2008):108(7);1125-1130.

US Food and Drug Administration, Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know.

Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic.  The National Institutes of Health, Medline Plus.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans. MyPyramid for Preschoolers.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

Greetings! Fall is in the air and I really love this time of the year. There is a cool, crisp freshness in the air, especially in the morning and just before the sunset. We are having a lot of fun with the twins playing outdoors in the yard or going around the block with them on their tricycles. Hopefully you all are having fun too. And yes, the Holidays are not that far off either!

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for another Five for Fridays! Here are 5 interesting nutrition stories of the week that caught my eye. Enjoy and drop a comment to let me know what’s on your mind.

Maximize your child’s nutrition at every stage

Registered Dietitian Maryann Jacobsen has written a very nice and comprehensive guide to help you maximize your child’s nutrition at every stage, from birth to school years. What I liked about her post is that she describes very clearly the recommended levels of different nutrients and offers great feeding tips at every age. For preschoolers, it is important to build healthy eating habits early on by striking a balance between their desire for sugary, fatty and high energy snacks and balanced homemade meals. Eating as a family is highly recommended, although it is no easy feat to accomplish!

For school-age children, watch out for deficiencies in vitamin E, D, calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber. Get them to eat with you as a family and encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Most of all, don’t give up, keep trying and fight the battle by being a role model.

Too much marketing hype behind probiotics

There is a lot of buzz around probiotics these days! People have been eating yogurt for a long time, but it is only recently that food marketers have realized they can make it sexier by using the immunity claim on the package. This kind of advertising is hard to resist, especially when it comes to products for kids. Even we fell for the DanActive Immunity Probiotic Drink, which claimed to have a new more absorbable yogurt culture but it contained a lot of sugar and it was super expensive. All kinds of claims are being made to pull customers. I was surprised to lean that Dannon recently settled a class-action lawsuit Activia yogurts and DanActive yogurt drinks.

When it comes to probiotics, not every strain of the bacteria is equally effective. Consumers should be informed about the specific probiotic strain in the product and its scientifically proven benefits. The L. Casei Immunitas^TM strain in DanActive drinks has been shown to reduce illness in children attending daycare. But there is very little evidence of general immunity or resistance to disease from these probiotics. In my opinion, these new products are not worth the extra money and you should watch out for added sugar. In the meantime, plain yogurt with home-made fruit puree is a very decent affordable option!

Schools start cooking fresh food for a healthier lunch

Yes there are a lot of regulations for school kitchens, there is little or no equipment and there aren’t any skilled cooks on the staff. Plus it is simply easier to serve straight out of a package after a quick reheat. No wonder over 80% of the school districts in the country cook less than half of their entrees from scratch according to a 2009 survey by the School Nutrition Association. School lunches have neither appealing nor appetizing for kids!

I was happy to read about one middle school in New York which is trying to do things differently to encourage kids to eat better at lunch. Mostly due to the efforts of its principal and the cafeteria manager, a few new ideas are being implemented. A curry chicken recipe is one such idea especially popular among the students. The bread is whole wheat, pasta is whole grain and milk is low fat. There are salad bars and deli bars. More importantly, these leaders believe that “the children need a little flair in the food, it is good for their brains”. Amen to that!

Omega-3 cheese may soon become available

A new study shows the promise of formulating cheese with fish-derived omega-3 without the fishy smell. Scientists have developed a technique to add omega-3 as an emulsion to the cheese to make it stable and mask the fishy smell. It is still at the research stage but I am sure there will soon be a commercial product given the huge consumer interest in omega-3 fatty acids. I think it is a good innovation even though only a small amount of omega-3 can be added to cheese by this technique.

Omega-3 fatty acids are called essential fatty acids because the human body cannot make them. They are good for growing children because they help in visual and brain function development. Diet and supplements are the only source of these nutrients. Cheese is popular among children, therefore omega-3 fortification of cheese makes sense. When it becomes available, watch out for saturated fats and trans fats before tossing it in your shopping cart!

A fun way to learn about nutrition

Cathy of A Life Less Sweet provided a link to Nourish Interactive, a website which is trying to educate parents and kids about nutrition by using online games. It looks very interesting, and best of all, membership is free. Parents and kids can learn together by trying out these games, puzzles and challenges. You will need to create an account for your child to play free. There are many useful interactive tools such as a healthy meal planner which helps you calculate the daily calories for different foods based on your child’s age. I plan to check it out in detail. If you do try it, let me know what you think.

Enjoy your weekend!

Photo source -chefranden on Flickr via everystockphoto
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, Registered Dietitian Elizabeth Rahavi describes why omega-3 fats are essential for children and how you can include them in your child’s diet.

Question: Is Omega-3 proven to be helpful for children? Are there any concerns I should be aware of?

Answer:

Fat is an important yet often overlooked nutrient that is needed for an overall healthful diet. In fact, a certain type of omega-3 fat known as linolenic acid is essential for healthy growth and development in children. According to the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans report, released in 2005, children are encouraged to get most of their fats from unsaturated fats, including omega-3 fats. Food sources of omega-3 fats include soybean and canola oil, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, walnuts, and fish such as salmon, trout, and herring. For people who do not like fish, certain eggs, milk and other products have been reformulated to include omega-3s.

While fish is an important part of a healthy diet, and many organization such as the American Heart Association recommend consuming fish at least twice a week. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend that young children avoid certain species of fish such as swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel and limit their consumption of other fish to an average of 12 cooked ounces per week (that’s about two six ounce servings of fish per week). The reason for this recommendation is that, while nearly all fish contain some trace amounts of methylmercury, an environmental contaminant, large fish that are higher up in the food chain such as swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel contain the most. Excess exposure to methylmercury from these species of fish can harm a young child’s developing nervous system. For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern.

What’s next?
One thing that is often over looked in conversations about nutrition is that, indeed it is a science. To help provided consensus on the state of nutrition science, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services enlist a group of nutrition and food scientists to serve as members of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee. The Committee comes together every five years to develop a report that makes nutrition recommendations for all Americans ages 2 years and older. This Advisory group is currently in deliberations, and we look forward to an upcoming review of the state of science for dietary fats that is scheduled to be released next year.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

The word “fat” has become such an awful thing that everybody wants to get rid of it! Believe it or not, we can’t live without it even though so many of us are walking around with so much of around our waistlines. That is why, when one of my readers asked me to consider writing a post on healthy fats for children, I was immediately hooked on the idea. Here is a summary of what I found in my research from various sources. Leave a comment if you would like to know more about anything specific or if you want to suggest a topic for me to research and write about.

Why fats?

Fats are a very important part of diet, especially for growing children, because they serve many functions -

• supply energy (2 times as many calories as carbohydrates and proteins for the same weight)
• build tissues, especially brain tissue which is 60% fat
• dissolve vitamins A, D, E and K for absorption in the body
• protect the body from shock, maintain temperature
• maintain healthy skin and hair
• all cells have a fatty outer layer which controls what goes in and what goes out

What are fats?

Chemically, fats are long, chain-like molecules containing a “backbone” of glycerol and “side-links” of fatty acids. They are also called triglycerides.

A triglyceride molecule (wikipedia)

Glycerol, commonly known as glycerin, is a small molecule containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It has three hydroxyl functional groups, which make it soluble in water. The fatty acids, on the other hand, are longer chains containing carbon and hydrogen with an acid functional group at the end. They are not soluble in water. When glycerol and fatty acids combine, the acid group from the long chain fatty acids attaches with the hydroxyl groups on the glycerol to make a strong chemical bond. Because glycerol has three hydroxyl functional groups, three chains of fatty acids can combine to form a triglyceride. You can imagine a triglyceride molecule in the shape of a capital letter E as shown in this molecular model. You may have heard your doctor talk about the amount of your triglycerides after doing a blood test.

The exact chemical nature of the long-chain fatty acids linked to the glycerol backbone determines the overall nature of the fat molecule. Fats can be solids or liquids, saturated or unsaturated, trans or cis depending on the size and structure of these chains. You may have heard these different types of fats:

• Unsaturated fat – the chemical bonds between the carbon atoms of the fatty acid chains in unsaturated fats are double bonds. Double bonds are less stable, which means that unsaturated fats can be “broken” more easily by oxygen. Since the fatty acid chains can have a lot of carbon atoms, there can be one or more double bonds in these chains. Generally, unsaturated fats are in a liquid form at room temperature, that is why they are also known as oils. Oils from plants and nuts contain mostly unsaturated fats.
• Monounsaturated fat – these fats have only one double bond.
• Polyunsaturated fat – these fats have more than one double bond.
• trans fat - when double bonds are present in a fat molecule, the structure of the fatty acid chains can be either straight or kinked because of the arrangement of carbon and hydrogen atoms around the double bonds. In trans-fat, the chain is more straight compared to the other type called the cis-fat. As a result, the trans fats have a higher melting point and are usually solids at room temperature or even body temperatures. Cathy from A Life Less Sweet has written an excellent post on trans fats if you would like to learn more.
• Saturated fat – when there are no double bonds in the fat molecule, it is called a saturated fat. Dairy and meat products contain some of the natural fats. Most of the saturated fat in food products comes from hydrogenation of unsaturated fats.
• Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids – these are called essential fatty acids because the human body cannot make them, therefore they need to come from the diet. Example of omega-3 fatty acids are: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Linoleic acid is an example of omega-6 fatty acids.

How much fat?

Here are some guidelines from the American Heart Association and the USDA -

• Children under the age of 3 should get about 30 – 35% of daily calories from fats
• Children between 4 – 18 years old should get about 25 – 30% of daily calories from fats
• Adults should get about 20 – 35% (preferably closer to 20%) of daily calories from fats

Each gram of fat contains about 9 calories, so a 2000 calorie diet should not have more than 67 g of fat for the 30% requirement. Active kids between 2 – 5 years old, who need about 1600 daily calories, should get about 55 g of fat.

Even though both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential, too much of omega-6 and too little of omega-3 is also not good. In the modern meat-rich diet, the ratio of the two is about 20 to 1, which is much higher than the 2:1 recommended ratio.

What types of fats are good?

Simply put, select foods with unsaturated fats and essential fatty acids and stay away from saturated fats and trans fats.

Here are a few sources of “good” fats -

Monounsaturated fats – nuts, olive oil, canola oil, avocado

Polyunsaturated fats and fatty acids – plant oils (watch out for partially hydrogenated oils, see below), nuts, fish, flax seeds or powder, sunflower seeds, grass-fed beef

What types of fats should I avoid?

Some saturated fat is ok (about 10% of daily calories), but trans fat is a big no-no. The best way to check if trans fat is present in the food is to look for “partially hydrogenated” oils in the list of ingredients. Don’t fall for the zero trans fat on the nutrition facts panel because FDA allows it if the level of trans fat is less than 0.5 g per serving.

Here are a few sources of saturated and trans-fats- Cheese, beef, whole milk, baked foods, margarine, chips, fried foods, eggs, poultry.

Here are a few good resoures for further reading if you are interested:

Fear not the healthy fats – Seattle’s Child Magazine

2005 dietary guidelines for Americans – USDA, Dept of Health & Human Services

fat, trans fat, omega-3 fatty acid, essential fatty acid – Wikipedia

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, Dr. Douglas Husbands recommends a few good nutritional supplements for your toddler.

Question: What are good nutritional supplements for toddlers 2-5 years old?

Answer:

The majority of the research shows that nutritional supplementation is currently necessary in addition to a healthy diet to meet adequate and especially optimal nutrient requirements, of most people.  In fact, according to an article published earlier this decade in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), it is advisable for physicians to  recommend nutritional supplements to their patients and that most people require nutritional supplements to make up for the shortcomings in their diet.  Additionally because many modern farming practices often do not adequately replenish the nutrients in the soil, the vegetables and fruits grown today commonly have lower nutrient content than the same vegetables and fruits harvested many years ago. Therefore supplements for toddlers are also advisable.

Since toddlers are often picky eaters, a good multivitamin/multimineral supplement formulated for toddlers is a good start.  There are various chewables on the market which often contain some type of sugar, but you preferably want one that is lightly sweetened with xylitol rather than fructose.  Avoid any brand sweetened with table sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Xylitol is a natural sugar causing minimal changes in blood sugar and insulin levels, and does not feed the bacteria causing tooth decay.

Another good way of getting a multivitamin/multimineral supplement into your toddler is to use a powdered supplement.  This is convenient in that many of these powdered supplements can be easily dosed according to the child’s age or weight for the proper amount.  They can also be easily mixed in some of the child’s beverages or foods.  There are various brands on the market, but be sure to purchase one especially formulated for toddlers, read labels carefully to avoid those with table sugar or fructose.   Any good one formulated for toddlers will not contain iron.

One of the supplements with the greatest amount of scientific research supporting its use in toddlers and children is fish oil.  Fish oil contains the essential omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).   Since a large proportion of brain tissue is made of DHA, this is particularly important in the toddler years where brain growth is occurring.  Fish oil given in children is also associated with decreased risk of developing type 1 diabetes.  A study published in JAMA in September 2007 found that among 1770 infants and toddlers at high risk for developing type 1 diabetes, those toddlers who obtained supplemental omega 3 fatty acids from cod liver oil had significantly decreased risks of the development of type 1 diabetes. Approximately 1 gram of fish oil each day is beneficial for many toddler aged children.

Since cod liver oil also contains vitamin D, the beneficial effect of supplemental vitamin D is also well supported by research for being protective against the development of type 1 diabetes in toddlers and children.  Additionally, since vitamin D has multiple benefits, the latest research supports toddlers getting a total of approximately 1000 to 2000 IU of vitamin D each day.  Supplemental Vitamin D comes in different forms, but the advisable form is vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).   Do not purchase one that is made with ergocalciferol!  Vitamin D is essential for immune function, proper bone growth, proper brain function, and proper growth hormone output, among other functions, so optimal levels of vitamin D are vitally important for healthy, happy toddlers.

Probiotics would also be among my recommended supplements for infants and toddlers.  Probiotics is a general term describing various strains of the beneficial bacteria that should reside in adequate numbers within the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.  These strains have specific names such as Bifidobacterium infantis, Lactobacillus plantarum and variations thereof.  Probiotics have many functions in supporting a healthy and balanced immune system and in supporting proper nutrient digestion and absorption. It is critically important for newborns delivered via C-section to begin probiotics, and for any infant or toddler who has been given an antibiotic to be given probiotics.  The recommended strains of probiotic and dose are dependent on the age and physical state of the child.  A knowledgeable health professional well educated and experienced in nutrition should be consulted for specific dose and strains of probiotics for your particular child.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

Greetings! This week, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) held its annual meeting and food expo in Anaheim California. IFT is a nonprofit scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. In short, this is the event of the food industry where you can learn about the latest trends, products, technologies and policy directions. I did not go, but I gleaned together a few interesting items from the news media. If you are interested in more, check out Food navigator-usa or the IFT09 Live website.

Top trends – functional foods, naturally sourced, flavor and color innovation

Consumer lifestyle and attitudes are changing, and the food industry is paying attention. Many more new products marketed as functional foods, which promise nutrition-on-the-go, will soon show up on the supermarket shelves. Whether it is functional flax with omega-3 or  “rejuvenating” beverages with antioxidants and other exotic ingredients, there is a clear trend to package nutrition in a box (or a bottle) by mixing up a bunch of ingredients and market it with wonderful claims! Even meat is being positioned as functional food…go figure!

Naturally sourced is very much an oxymoron in my opinion. The idea surely is to give a sense of “naturalness” to food processed by a totally unnatural process. Nevertheless, this is a trend and you will see more claims about naturally sourced ingredients – sweeteners, beta-carotene, omega-3 acids, whey protein concentrates, stevia extract, dried veggies etc.

Flavor and color innovation is also big – the logic seems to be that if you cannot fool the mind (due to regulations about nutritional facts and ingredients) just fool the tongue by adding flavors to hide the true identity of food. I must admit that the science of flavors is very challenging and the research may actually lead to a better understanding of the food-brain connection someday. For now, the research is offering the food industry a great way to continue launching new products – cha ching!

Four award-winning technologies

I am a techie, so I found these award winning technologies quite interesting. Now more than ever, I am convinced that innovation is driven by market demand, and that if consumers demand that food be food and not processed ingesitble stuff packaged in a box, the industry will find a way to deliver. But I digress – here are the 4 worthy of our attention:

1. EnWave has developed a new dehydration technology nutraRev, which uses a combination of vacuum and microwave to dry fruits, veggies, meats and seafood. The advantage compared to the traditional freeze drying technology is that it fast, cheap and consumes much less energy. They claim improved retention of color and flavor. The first use of this technology is for drying blueberries which they say are “puffy” after drying and look very much like fresh blueberries!
2. A high pressure sterilization technology from the National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST) is making it possible for our soldiers to enjoy shelf-stable mashed potatoes while on duty out there! Because of high pressure, it is possible to use low temperatures during sterilization, which does not compromise the taste and texture of food.
3. Ecolab Inc. has developed an sterilization additive for plastic bottles,which sterilizes these bottles at lower temperatures than hydrogen peroxide, thereby reducing energy. These bottles can be used for beverages to make them shelf-stable without the use of refrigeration or preservatives.
4. NOVATION starches from the National Starch company also received an award.  These starches can be used to manufacture products such as salad dressings with texture attributes and process tolerance that were only possible with modified food starches. NOVATION starches, which include certified organic versions, are derived from waxy maize, tapioca, potato and other sources.

Free samples of future foods tell where industry is headed

Want to know where the food industry is headed in the near future? Just take a look at some of the free samples that were on display at the expo – the full list is posted on the IFT09 Live website:

• Healthier brownie for kids – fortified with omega-3 (who cares about sugar?)
• Omega-3 in OJ
• Beauty foods – whey protein based ingredient claiming to support skin health for drinks like OJ and other foods
• Nutricosmetic licorice – custom nutrient pre-mixes for skin care, ice-cream for boosting immunity, tonic for cognitive function
• Fiber in baked goods – beta-glucan concentrate with dietary fiber

Seems like there is virtually no limit to  combining a few nutrients with otherwise not-so-healthy foods and marketing them with glorious claims. I hope the consumers do not fall for this game for too long.

High oleic acid soybean claims the high ground

I wrote about these genetically modified soybeans from DuPont in a recent Five for Fridays – they are designed to have a high concentration of oleic acid, which does not require hydrogenation. Hydrogenation improves the stability of the soybean oil, but it also results in trans fats. Now the everybody in the soybean oil industry is jumping on the bandwagon because soybean oil is big business. This type of high oleic acid soybean oil will reach 1.6 billion pounds by 2013!

Other new soybean oil products on the horizon include high stearic, mid oleic/low saturate, and increased omega-3 fatty acid content. High stearic oil delivers a creamy texture, which is a plus for bakery products that require “hard stock” fats.

Who thought there will soon be an end to fried foods?

Fortified foods – could this be a solution to the world’s malnutrition problem?

Fortitech, Inc., a company specializing in custom nutrient pre-mixes for all kinds of food products thinks so. They have launched a World Initiative for Nutrition (WIN) through which they plan to distribute these formulations of vitamins, minerals and amino acids for use by local food processors in various countries. In partnership with NGO’s (non-governmental organizations), UN and Governmental agencies, they plan to provide fortified foods that are consistent with local cuisine and tastes. One of their focus groups is pregnant women and infants and young children at risk of malnutrition in low-income countries. I think this is a good initiative because malnutrition remains a major problem in many countries in the world. Whether this will be done for profit is not clear from their publicity material. Still, I hope it will allow the world’s children to grow up healthy and realize their full potential.

Enjoy your weekend! And let me know what you think.

Photo source – tanakawho on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Almonds are a good source of calcium, iron, vitamin E and monounsaturated fats. I personally try to eat a few almonds every day, and now my son is showing an interest in sharing them with me. We do not eat the roasted or salted varieties, but prefer the raw nuts. One of the tricks we use is to soak a handful of almonds in water overnight, which makes them soft and easy to chew.

After soaking overnight, we drain the water and then remove the brown peel with a knife. The softened almonds look milky white.

You can offer a few of them to your child, or chop them into small pieces and mix with his favorite cereal. When giving him a whole almond,  keep a close watch because it can be a choking hazard.

Almonds have a very high nutritious value. According to the nutrition facts label, a serving size of 1 oz (28 g, about 25 whole almonds) provides:

• 160 calories, 120 of which are from fat. Total fat is 14 g, but most of it is of the monounsaturated type which is known to reduce the LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
• Only 6g carbohydrates. Almond flour can be used for cake and bread recipes suitable for people on low-carb diets or those with diabetes. It is also gluten free, therefore very useful for people with wheat allergies.
• 6 g protein, 8% calcium, 6% iron.
• Almonds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which are known to promote brain development.
• They are a very good source of vitamin E and several B vitamins.

Typically, we soak about 10-15 almonds at a time. It is not very practical to eat 25 in a day for sure. Even if your child can eat 4-5 at a time, that is good enough. The important thing is to develop a taste for nuts and include them in the daily diet as a nutritious snack.

So go ahead, and go nuts over almonds!

©2009 Littlstomaks.com

Aloha! Here is another set of 5 nutrition related news and articles from this week that I found interesting. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.

No (conclusive) link between diet and ADHD in children

A recent article in the Harvard Mental Health Letter comes to the conclusion that diet alone is probably not the only factor causing ADHD in children. A lot of people believe that certain food colorants and additives cause the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. There are others who believe that sugary foods are responsible. And there are still others who believe that a diet lacking omega-3 fatty acids is to blame. Several studies have been done and special diets have been prescribed to help parents struggling with this problem. Sometimes positive results are seen but sometimes there is no effect.

So the bottom line is that no one knows for sure – yet. There is a chance that removing artificial colorants, reducing sugar, taking vitamins and omega-3 supplements may reduce the symptoms or severity of ADHD. But there is no guarantee. However, there is no doubt that a healthful diet will improve the overall health and nutrition. If you are struggling with this issue, I would love to hear about your experience and what has worked for you.

President Obama creates the Food Safety Working Group (FSWG)

Headed by the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, the newly created Food Safety Working Group will strive to “upgrade our food safety laws for the 21st century; foster coordination throughout government; and ensure that we are not just designing laws that will keep the American people safe, but enforcing them.” The recent outbreaks of Salmonella in peanuts and pistachio have shaken up our faith in the safety of our food supply. I welcome the sense of urgency the new administration appears to be giving to this problem. However, reading between the lines, I am baffled by yet another example of poor collaboration between different government agencies. I hope that an expectation of performance from the very top and clear accountability will produce the desired results. If you have a suggestion, question or a comment about the food safety policy, drop a line to FSWG on Twitter hashtag #WHSafefood or visit their Facebook page.

Helpful tips to reduce the risks of grilling

Ah! the summer is here and so is the sweet, smoky smell of barbecues from the backyards in the neighborhood. But did you know that eating too much of grilled meats cooked at high temperature under a lot of smoke can cause cancer? This is because the fat drippings on flaming grills create smoke which contains these cancer causing chemicals. Also, chemicals inside the meats themselves convert to cancer causing chemicals under high heat and long time. This article in the New York Times offers four simple steps to make grilled meats safer – pre-cook the meat, go heavy on your favorite sauce, add broccoli to the dinner menu and avoid well done meats. And just in case you are wondering, grilling vegetables is perfectly fine, although you should still scrape off the black charred layer in case you end up over-grilling them. Enjoy your summer and the barbecues! Feel free to share your favorite tips.

One man’s weed is another man’s “wonder food”

Tired of battling with weeds in your backyard? You will not believe that people are willing to pay top dollar – as much as $9/pound for fresh dandelion greens, the most common of all weeds! But before you get the urge to start collecting your backyard weeds in the hope of converting them into cold, hard cash to supplement your dwindling 401(k), you should check out your competition! Appears that cultivating these weedy greens is a full scale, and very profitable, business these days. Not only the dandelions are in huge demand, but there is also a market for purslane, lamb’s quarters and stinging nettles, a skin-irritating plant that can be eaten safely after boiling. These are exotic greens for exotic salads served by gourmet chefs, not only for their interesting taste, but also a mix of immune system boosting nutrients. To me, the most interesting part of the story was how we have become so removed from the source of our food in nature that our knowledge of what can be eaten as a salad is limited to what is available in the supermarkets. Have you begun to notice these edible weeds in your local supermarket?

The sweet nothingness of artificial sweeteners

There are so many different types of artificial sweeteners available these days. And now there is all this buzz about Stevia, the real “natural” no-calorie sweetener. How do you decide which one of the white, blue, yellow and pink packets to go for as you try to grab your morning coffee? They are zero calories all right, but should you worry about possible adverse health effects, including the possibility of cancer, from some of these chemicals? And what about the fact that consuming zero calories sugary beverages does nothing to control your appetite and you might actually end up eating more even as you try to cut down on calories? Check out this very detailed article on artificial sweeteners which basically says that most artificial sweeteners are safe in moderate amounts. So go for the one that tastes the best to you. Overall, you will be better off going for just water instead of the sweet beverage and following a nutrient-rich diet including fruits and vegetables. Zero means zero after all!

Enjoy your weekend!

Photo source – John Leach on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

This is a guest post by Jenna. At her blog food with kid appeal, she has great recipes and tips for eating healthy that will bring joy to the entire family. Not only does she have a great talent for cooking, she is also excellent at including her kids in the whole process of making a meal. Check out her blog for a wonderful collection of recipes and stories about the joy of cooking.

Our family “went organic” in February and with that came higher meat costs making fish affordable to eat regularly. Before the spring of this year I rarely prepared fish at home, and the boys had been offered fish only a handful of times. They had never really eaten it. I knew I’d have some work to do to get them on board with the new meat in the family. Drawing inspiration from an idea that turned up in my research for the nutrition class, I decided to use interesting plating to get the kids interested in fish.

On fish nights for the first couple months, I’d let the boys pile up their starchy side (rice, mashed potatoes, noodles), then flatten it out with a spoon, and lay some fish on top, in a bed. Then the veggies were trees (broccoli), or things in the fish’s room (green peas for balls) or covers (lay some green beans or wilted spinach on top). They got a kick out of putting their fish beds together. They didn’t complain about the meat interloper, but the first couple weeks they only tasted and nibbled the fish. By week three they were finishing a few bites of fish and in a couple months they would eat their serving. We don’t do fish beds anymore because they don’t need the extra encouragement. They usually gobble up their fish and ask for seconds before eating their starchy side or veggie. I’m about to the point where I need to fix each of them their own portion, instead of letting them share mine.

One concern many first time parents and parents of beginning eaters have is whether or not their kids are getting enough protein. Meat is tricky to chew and swallow for young children, which makes fish the perfect animal protein for them. Fish has other nutritional benefits, which you can read about in my recent post 5 reasons your kids should be eating more fish. Now it’s time for you to get cooking and tuck in some fish to enjoy with the family!

Any fish is fine, I suggest salmon and halibut because they are high in Omega 3s and have many other health promoting benefits. I list tilapia because it is growing in popularity and is affordable compared to other fish. It also has a mild flavor those who don’t usually appreciate fish can tolerate. I prefer salmon but buy tilapia as often due to price. I consider fish night in the “simple supper” category because it cooks in minutes and doesn’t involve much prep work. I often wish it wasn’t such a crowd pleaser in the family; left overs would flake up nice in a salmon salad sandwich or over greens in a tossed salad.

How to prepare fish for beds

Photo by Jenna

Ingredients

1. Salmon, Tilapia or Halibut fillets or steaks (skin on or off, aim at 3-6 oz per adult)
2. ½ TBS Butter or olive/canola oil (just enough to coat bottom of non-stick pan, use more if not using non-stick pan).
3. Salt and Pepper to taste
4. Lemon wedges
5. Butter sauce (optional)

Method

Mix ½ TBS soft butter per person with some dried herbs (I like fennel), and a little lemon juice. Place butter mixture on a plate or plastic wrap into pats, pop it in the freezer while fish cooks. Place cold butter blobs on the fish after plating.

Time Saver Tip: You can make herbed butter in a large batch and freeze. Mix a stick of softened butter with lemon juice and your pick of dried or fresh chopped herbs and/or garlic. Form a log and wrap in wax paper. Put in freezer and slice off a couple pats with a sharp knife to add to steamed veggies or fish.

Heat pan on med-low, add butter/oil. Season fish with salt/pepper on both sides (if you’re not using the butter sauce, you can be more generous with salt/pepper). Place fish in pan and brown on one side. Check the thickness edge* of the fillet/steak for the “cooked” line to rise. The fish will change color losing it’s translucency as it cooks. Once it gets about half way, flip it. It won’t take long, a few minutes or more depending on how thick your cuts of fish are. Flip fish and brown on other side. 2^nd side will take less time, watch again for the “cooked” line to meet the first side’s line in the middle. If cooking with skin on, cook skin side first, and 2^nd side may take longer. If you’re new to cooking fish, here’s a tip. Fish is very delicate. It over cooks quickly, so pay attention when it’s in the pan. Your fish will be tender, tasty and flaky if you don’t over cook it. Remove to plate and let rest a few minutes before serving.

Serve butter pats and lemon wedges at the table for kids over 2. Kiddos love putting stuff on their food, let them squeeze the lemons, and place the butter pat on top.

Serve your choice of starchy side for the “bed” (mashed potatoes, noodles, rice,) and some steamed veggies (carrots, broccoli, green peas, sugar snap peas) to decorate the “room”. Let kids place fish on top of the starchy side and add the veggies. Help younger kids out by creating a story, ask older kids to use their imagination and tell you what the veggies represent.

Kid Appeal Tip If your kids are new to fish (or any protein source) don’t worry if they don’t go for it immediately. It often takes a dozen introductions for a new food to be adopted. Keep offering it, and each successive time you serve it, up the ante. For kids 2 and over, at first, ask them to taste/smell it. Next time your serve it ask them to taste it. Then ask them to finish a whole bite. Then a few bites. Then half their portion. Then all of it. Make it relevant by telling them fish builds strong muscles (protein) and grows brains (fat/omega 3). Illustrate why they want strong muscles (to run faster, to kick the soccer ball farther). Once they tolerate a bite of it, don’t offer more sides, dessert, after dinner snack, etc. until they’ve done some damage to their fish portion. In a few weeks or months you’ll have fish lovers!

*”thickness edge” is the not the top/bottom of the fish that touches the skillet but the side. You’ll see it without having to peek or lift up an edge of the fillet.