Kids and Low Carbs

alhannah17

So my husband has a "traditional" WOE (where he rationalizes Little Debbies with running 5 days/wk) and I've been low carb, moderate fat for years. We had boy/girl twins last year and they've been on solid foods for a while. So for breaksfast, I typically give them something like boiled or fried eggs, a hard cheese, kalamata olives, a few pieces of avocado, tomato with olive oil and garlic, and maybe some black beans and a couple of berries, or something. (They also get fresh fruit and greek yogurt from time to time.) My husband argues that they "need" more carbs like oatmeal, bread, pasta, and the like. He wants to feed them a banana, sweetened oatmeal, juice, etc. I just see most of that as junk.

At the insistence of the pediatrician, they also drink organic whole cow's milk, which I personally hate but she seems to think they need. So I won't argue there. I'm not opposed to a sweet potato or something every once in a while, but should I be shoveling that other carby crap onto my babies plates?

So somebody help a momma out and give me some science here. Am I damaging my kids by not including more "whole grains," etc? How do I justify this to my husband, and if need be, to the pediatrician?

*Pic added for adorableness

cstehansen

http://www.infantnutritioncouncil.com/resources/breastmilk-information/

This shows the composition of human breast milk, which I think everyone would agree is the perfect nutrition for a baby. By calories, it is more than 50% fat and about 25% carb. This is definitely lower carb than the typical diet.

This is not keto level for an adult, but for a child who is growing rapidly, from my understanding it is not uncommon for there to be ketones in a breast fed baby.

cstehansen

BTW, my motto for the first 45 years of my life was "I will work out as much as I have to in order to eat what I want when I want and how much I want." I was never obese and only slightly overweight - the kind where my BMI was higher than I wanted but because I worked out 5-6 days a week people frequently referred to me as thin. That changed in late 2015 when I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes.

There are essential amino acids (protein) and essential fats, but there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. The human body can make glucose from protein through gluconeogenesis as well as from fats by breaking off the glycerol from a triglyceride. In fact, you can't keep your liver from producing glucose which is why a T1 diabetic who eats 0 carbs still has to take insulin shots.

Sunny_Bunny_

Search for the movie What's With Wheat. It'll explain how new wheat really is to humans as a food and all the ways it is harmful to our bodies.
Wheat is a grass. Humans don't eat grass. Cows have 2 stomachs just so they can digest grass.

Sunny_Bunny_

I just saw this post by RD Dikeman
He said
"Is it really dangerous to source carbs, protein and fat outside the grain "food group"? Poor grains, it ain't even the best source of fibre."


So there is nothing that grains provide that you can't get elsewhere without also getting exposure to a grass that humans don't digest properly.

nvmomketo

That is some excellent adorableness!

I think low carb is great for kids. Meat, eggs, veggies and some lower GI fruits seem like a pretty ideal diet to me. Grains and sugars? I really, really really wish I hadn't started the kids on those. It's largely empty calories in my mind. They're growing and developing and need optimal nutrition. IMO.

Kids in a low protein, calorie restricted ketogenic diet for epilepsy will have some slowed growth, but those kids are slightly underfed and have low protein. I think moderate or high protein and high or moderate fat is good for kids.

Cadori

Adorable babies!!

We have always fed our kids higher fat lower carb because they just thrive on it...especially our son...our daughter actually does ok higher carb than our son (more fruit and oats for her, more eggs for him)

Fat is good for developing brains.

idocdlw

You gave info on what you think, what your husband thinks and what your pediatrician thinks. How are these beautiful kiddos doing on their current diet? Are they growing, thriving and developing intellectually the way they should? If so, you are doing everything they need you to be doing as a mom. If not, it is time to identify deficiencies and address as needed. I suspect your husband's and pediatrician's recommendations are based upon traditional beliefs but you need to do a second check to make sure your babies aren't missing anything. They are beautiful and look pretty damned healthy to me!

Dragonwolf

Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »

I just saw this post by RD Dikeman
He said
"Is it really dangerous to source carbs, protein and fat outside the grain "food group"? Poor grains, it ain't even the best source of fibre."


So there is nothing that grains provide that you can't get elsewhere without also getting exposure to a grass that humans don't digest properly.

This is pretty much it.

If your husband and/or doctor challenge it, ask them this simple question -- what's in grains that aren't in fruits, vegetables, and animal products? (Hint: nothing)

Also, if they're getting yogurt, there's not much need for the milk.

One of the best things I did when my son was that age was emphasize veggies and fruits. He wasn't a big fan of the cereals (I don't blame him), which made it easy (thankfully, since it was still during the time when all the emphasis was on cereals and I hadn't learned more about low carb, etc. yet). To this day, he generally goes after things like strawberries and peanut butter over just about anything else.

kimberwolf71

idocdlw wrote: »

You gave info on what you think, what your husband thinks and what your pediatrician thinks. How are these beautiful kiddos doing on their current diet? Are they growing, thriving and developing intellectually the way they should? If so, you are doing everything they need you to be doing as a mom. If not, it is time to identify deficiencies and address as needed. I suspect your husband's and pediatrician's recommendations are based upon traditional beliefs but you need to do a second check to make sure your babies aren't missing anything. They are beautiful and look pretty damned healthy to me!

THIS. Follow your instincts but listen to your babies. Those healthy whole foods will likely set them on the path for a life without food/eating related issues. Don't dismiss possible legitimate concerns if they do not continue to thrive, but if someone is pushing cereals ask them why. What would cereal give them that they need and aren't getting? Put the onus on the people pushing the rhetoric. (Cereal used as a general example! )

GaleHawkins

@alhannah17 over the past two years there was a link to a lady's story that was low carb having and raising her family. It was actually an article in some magazine or TV show. It was totally positive.

We had a boy/girl set of twins in 1997 so they will turn 20 later this year. I was high carb until two years ago but the wife fed them well so they were never fat growing up and they ate a lot of carbs.

If I had of known back then that I have learned since Aug 2014 we would have had them on reduced carbs.

Welcome and you have two awesome looking kids.

JessiBelleW

I don't think you need to follow a traditional WOE with your kids. If your husband feels like they are not getting enough carbs feed them sweet potatoes and other healthy root veg. Don't feed them rubbish like bread and sweetened oatmeal (seriously why add sweeteners?), half a banana from time to time, sure. Soon your babies will be off to nursery, school, and children's parties where they will be introduced to all sorts of 'food products'. No need to start them early. If you are not still BF then yes, milk until they are 2 (recommendation is no more than 550mls across the day which is 18 american oz)

tcunbeliever

The american dietary guidelines are written by farmers, not nutritionists...the babies do not look malnourished, so whatever you are doing it seems to be working, keep it up!!!

allie2girlz

Keep doing what you are doing Momma! Carbs are not an essential nutrient. I wish I had known when my girls were babies. I am trying to get them un-addicted to sugar now and it is hard! Soooo much easier to feed them right from the beginning and never let them get addicted to sugar/carbs.

Sunny_Bunny_

This article provides the nutrient density of different food groups.
You will quickly see there isn't much to fuss about with fruit and grain.
https://optimisingnutrition.com/2016/09/05/comparison-of-nutrients-provided-by-different-food-groups/

Animal products and vegetables are where it's at. And some, including me, would say you don't actually 'need' vegetables. Of course if you can tolerate them, unlike me, they are yummy and do offer nutrients. I don't know if this chart accounted for anti-nutruents...

missippibelle

Is it "carbs" he is worried about, or specific foods like oatmeal? So many people think low carb doesn't include any carbs at all. There are plenty of carbs in nuts, seeds, veggies, fruit etc.

cimarrona27

First: Best onzies EVER!!!

Second: Do what you feel is right. You are not going to harm them by feeding them more of a paleo diet. I wish I would have known all aboth this with my first. She is a carb junkie and it is a literal fight to get her to eat eggs, bacon, cheese- seriously... who does not like cheese and bacon?!

My youngest who is two eats what I eat more or less. She has some carbby snacks that we are phasing out. When the pantry is empty of them they will be gone for good. (I can't throw food out)

suzc11

When they reach child-care or school age they will be exposed to all sorts of foods that are out of your control. If he's worried about them getting the odd slice of bread or oatmeal or whatever for some sort of 'balance' he won't have to wait long. Also, some sort of compromise will need to be reached when they go to visit relatives, in my experience, who will all have their ideas. Then when they are old enough to manage their own allowance, you'll lose even more control and they'll chose what they want! I'd just want to make sure their digestive systems are healthy enough to cope with it. Although not low-carb, we were definitely very low sugar and my kids have a really, really healthy palate - it's made life so much easier. At this stage, it's much more important to expose them to a broad range of flavors and textures, so they'll grow up being able to try lots of different foods. Sounds like you're doing a good job.