Your kids and food

a family meal iVillage nutritionist Catherine Matthews hosted a live online chat, answering your questions about kids and food. If you missed it, here's a sample of some of the questions she fielded

What to feed a 19-month-old?
My 19-month-old daughter can sometimes be a fussy eater. I tend to give her Weetabix and yoghurt for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and usually she will have what we are having for her tea. She snacks on apple, banana, grapes and raisins and sometimes crisps. What else can I give her to eat as she is so fussy sometimes? I never know what to give her and how can I get her to eat more meat.
abianes-mum

Catherine Matthews: It sounds like your daughter has quite a healthy, balanced diet at the moment but I understand you are concerned that her picky eating habits may spiral out of control. There are simple ways to persuade a child to eat foods that are good for them:

Set a good example. If you and your family eat and enjoy healthy foods your child will pick up on this and do the same. Then, praise them for eating well.
Explain to your child why healthy eating is good for them. Use examples they can relate to, like Popeye eating spinach to make him strong, or that characters like Superman and The Incredibles always eat their greens.
If possible, don't take your child to the supermarket. This limits the amount of say they have on what you buy.
Teach your child good eating habits from an early age. Present healthy foods as a treat rather than something they 'have' to eat. Be creative and encourage your child to try new things.
Always feed your child breakfast. This will prepare them for the day ahead. Cereals, fruit, wholemeal toast or juice are tasty, good for your child and will give them the energy they need. Lack of breakfast will cause your child to feel tired and irritable. Then, they'll be more likely to snack on junk foods such as chocolate and crisps later in the day.
Stock your cupboards with a variety of healthy foods for your child to choose from. This takes away the 'you have to eat this because it's good for you' battle that can cause children to rebel.
Pack a healthy but fun lunchbox so your child gets into good habits.
Do not force your child into eating something they don't want to. Instead, experiment with recipes and ways of presenting food so that it seems appealing and tasty. For example, you could give your child meat in a pie or stir-fry.
Disguise foods that your child doesn't want to eat by thinly slicing them and mixing them with a sauce, cheese or mashed potato.
Let your child have occasional treats. By banning snacks, you may make your child want to eat them more. To satisfy a child's sweet tooth give them healthier snacks such as low-fat cereal bars and cakes. Dip fruit in plain cooking chocolate for an occasional tasty treat.
Make healthy eating into a game. Ask a young child to count the amount of peas or carrot slices they eat.
Limit the amount you give your child fast foods. Instead teach them to enjoy healthier options. Rice cakes are a good alternative to cakes and biscuits but offer them as a treat rather than a meal staple.

Snacks for school
Have you got any suggestions for something that my seven-year-old daughter can take to school for her mid-morning snack? Crisps and chocolate biscuits are so easy to throw in the school bag but not very healthy and the school already supplies fruit. Also, suggestions for a mid- afternoon snack for me too. I'm trying to lose weight but need to eat something!
mossstitch

Catherine Matthews: Did you know 90 per cent of children's packed lunches contain too much fat, sugar and salt? Small changes can make a big difference.

Carbohydrates are important for energy and should make up about a third of lunch, but sandwiches can be boring. Try different types of bread, such as pitta, bagels, wraps and baguettes. Use brown, wholemeal or seeded bread where possible. Pack sandwiches with tasty fillings such as chopped banana and peanut butter, chicken or ham with a mixed salad, or low-fat grated cheese with tomato and cucumber.

For variety, make extra pasta or rice when cooking dinner the night before and put some in a pot for lunchtime. Leftover slices of cold pizza (made with a thin base and topped with lots of vegetables or lean meat) are another tasty option.

Kids often like food they can eat with their fingers, so try chopping up raw vegetables like carrots and peppers, which can be dipped in houmous or cottage cheese. Breadsticks, oatcakes and wholemeal crackers also make good finger food.

Replace chocolate and cake with low-sugar cereal bars, dried fruit and nuts. Keep it interesting by varying the fruit each day and getting kids to try new things like kiwi, grapes or chunks of melon.

Kids can take a while to get used to a healthy lunchbox, so praise them when they try new foods and save sweets and cakes for the occasional treat.

In relation to your own dietary needs, small snacks during the day will help complement your diet and prevent those feelings of hunger.

Fruit
Low-fat yoghurt
Small portions of nuts and seeds
Veggie sticks with low-fat dips
Wholemeal crackers

Meal ideas please
I'm trying to lose weight, and am eating sensibly, reducing my portion size and exercising more often. I know this way works for me and I am losing weight but I'd love some meal ideas that would be healthy/not too fattening for me but that wouldn't force my children onto a reduced calorie diet.

I don't have the time, energy or inclination to prepare more than one meal, so we all eat the same thing at the same time. I worry that pasta dishes have too much carbohydrate for me, but my boys love pasta so we have it a couple of times a week. I don't eat meat (my children and husband do) so generally eat veggie with fish 2-3 times per week.
cl-merith

Catherine Matthews: You need to follow general healthy eating guidelines that will apply to all members of the family. Although the foods yourself and your sons eat can be similar you will need to be careful about portion control. Ensure that other members of the family are consuming adequate calories while you will need to eat a calorie restricted diet (meaning smaller portions).

I have listed some general guidelines below which you and the rest of your family should follow:

Eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables each day from a variety of sources. They should account for one third of your food intake and be eaten raw or cooked in minimal water to preserve nutrients. As an alternative to boiling, try steaming, microwaving or stir-frying as these methods also help retain nutrients.
Balance your meals. Build each meal around a starchy carbohydrate such as rice, potatoes, pasta or bread (preferably brown or whole-grain). Then, add meat or a meat substitute and some vegetables.
Pick your protein. Have two portions (each about the size of a deck of cards) of lean protein a day. This includes meats, fish, poultry, beans and pulses, Quorn or tofu.
Be smart about breakfast. Choose a fortified cereal and have a glass of orange juice during the meal to help iron absorption.
Double up on dairy. Have two servings of low-fat calcium-rich skimmed milk, yoghurt or low-fat cheese.

Breakfast ideas
What do you suggest as a healthy breakfast for our children? Which cereals would you definitely avoid? Do you think vegemite/marmite is suitable for children?
cl-merith

Catherine Matthews: Be aware that many breakfast cereals contain as much sugar as a bar of chocolate, as much salt as a packet of crisps and as much fat as a bacon sandwich or two fried eggs.

One brand has the same amount of fat as a thick packet of pork sausages. Research recently carried out showed that as many as seven per cent of cereals contain saturated fat.

Some of the worst offenders are Coco Pops, Oatsos and Golden Puffs. Healthy breakfast cereals include porridge oats, Weetabix, and muesli. Don't be afraid to add some low-fat yoghurt or fruit to cereals to make them more appetising for your children.

I would avoid using Marmite or Vegemite, instead use a sugar-reduced jam or marmalade. Children are at risk of developing heart related conditions as early as in the womb so it really is important that you do watch the amount of salt and fat in their diet.

Installing your children with healthy eating habits now will help reduce their risks of developing unpleasant dietary related conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Help needed
I am in desperate need of help with my daughter. She is 20 months old and the only food she will eat is porridge, yoghurt, fruit pots, biscuits, crisps and chips. I have tried other foods but she will not entertain the idea.

On a typical day she will have a bottle of milk as she wakes up in a morning, an hour later she will have a bowl of porridge and at lunch time she will have a fruit pot (she will not eat whole fruit, she hates the feel of it). At dinner time we try her with whatever we are eating and she will refuse, so as a last resort I give her another bowl of porridge, because I don't want her going to bed without anything.

Also, we moved out to Shanghai in March for a year, so I have no family, no friends and I am finding this extremely hard going on my own, as my husband is at work all day.
lesleyxmorris

Catherine Matthews: I recommend you join some sort of a mother and baby group or social club - whether it is a sport or simply a cookery class in your area. This will be a great way to meet new people and develop friendships with other young mothers that can offer you help and support.

Of course your daughter should not be left hungry but just try to offer her small portions of the foods she does not like each day on top of those she does. Disguising items in her meals of choice is another helpful way to introduce more variety into her meals. Make sure you praise and reward her (non dietary related) when she does eat something she previously disliked.

Which meal when?
I have a daughter of just over two years old and am expecting a baby in February 2008. At the moment I try and feed my daughter her main meal at lunch time and a lighter meal in the evening (two hours before bed).

This means that she is eating opposite meals to us. I am happy to carry on doing this although not sure if this is best for her digestion. I have always assumed that she shouldn't eat her main meal just before bed.
jay07

Catherine Matthews: Children require small amounts of food throughout the day. This need is usually best met by three meals per day and in-between snacks. Whatever meal is chosen as the main meal of the day really should not make too much of a difference.

Experiment a little before the baby is born, offer your daughter her main meal later in the day and see how well she sleeps or behaves after this change in routine. It might be a good idea to gradually increase the portion sizes in the evening, it may take her a little time to settle into a new eating pattern but children and toddlers are very adaptable so she will soon get used to a new eating regime.

Best source of calcium?
My 17-month-old daughter is milk intolerant. She is on a special formula milk that she still has three times a day. She also has quinoa about once a week. What other sources of high calcium food do you recommend?
bettybaby

Catherine Matthews: As your daughter has a cows' milk intolerance, talk to your GP or health visitor before choosing formulae, or changing to a different type. Many baby foods that you can buy contain protein from milk, so if your baby reacts to cows' milk check the label carefully.

Non-dairy foods that are high in calcium include dark green vegetables such as broccoli, or fish with soft, edible bones, such as salmon and sardines. Fruit juices and breakfast cereals also tend to be fortified with calcium so aim to buy the fortified versions only.