10 worst foods for kids

Anna_Banana

Just thought this was interesting. I hate when I see moms giving their kids those "fruit" chewys.

1 Chicken Nuggets Any fast food that's breaded and fried is bursting with fat. Nuggets and their dipping sauces also have a lot of sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure in adults. Don't let your child's taste buds get used to salty foods.

2 Chips Giving your child a handful of chips with lunch on occasion is fine, but keep in mind that potato chips, corn chips, and cheese puffs are mostly fat, sodium, and empty calories.

3 Doughnuts Most are packed with artery-clogging saturated fat and trans-fatty acids. An average doughnut also has 200 to 300 calories and few other nutrients.

4 French Fries It's unfortunate that fries are the most popular vegetable dish in the U.S. Kids love them, but they're extremely high in fat and have few vitamins. If your children clamor for them at the drive-through, at least stick with a small portion.

5 Fruit Leather Most rolled-up dried fruit has a dab of fruit, a teeny bit of fiber, few vitamins except those that have been added, and lots of sugar. Serve fresh fruit instead.

6 Hot Dogs Regular dogs are high in fat (13 or more grams per serving), have lots of sodium, and don't provide much protein for the calories. They're also a choking hazard for children 3 and under. Serve only occasionally, look for lower-fat brands (try turkey dogs), and cut into very small pieces for young children.

7 Juice-flavored Drinks Most are no more than 10 percent juice; the rest is water and sweeteners. (Don't be fooled by 100 percent juices made from grape, pear, or apple concentrate. Much of the nutrition has been removed from concentrates.)

8 Prepackaged Lunches Sure, they're convenient, but they also tend to be high in saturated fat and sodium (more than 1,200 milligrams in some, about half the recommended daily max) and packed with sugary treats. Most also are nutritionally unbalanced, because they contain no fruits or vegetables.

9 Soda American children drink more soft drinks today than ever. The average 12-ounce can of soda supplies almost ten teaspoons of sugar, which can contribute to obesity and tooth decay. Kids who drink soda instead of milk are also shortchanging their bones of calcium and other nutrients.

10 Toaster Pastries These contain lots of fat and not much fruit. Instead, make a piece of raisin toast for your child, and serve it with jam.

Sources: Mona Sutnick, Ed.D., R.D. a nutrition consultant in Philadelphia; Riva Touger-Decker, Ph.D., R.D., an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in Newark; Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at Tufts University, in Boston, and coauthor of Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health (Bantam, 1999); Liz Marr, R.D., a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant in Boulder, Colorado.

Anna_Banana

Just thought this was interesting. I hate when I see moms giving their kids those "fruit" chewys.

1 Chicken Nuggets Any fast food that's breaded and fried is bursting with fat. Nuggets and their dipping sauces also have a lot of sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure in adults. Don't let your child's taste buds get used to salty foods.

2 Chips Giving your child a handful of chips with lunch on occasion is fine, but keep in mind that potato chips, corn chips, and cheese puffs are mostly fat, sodium, and empty calories.

3 Doughnuts Most are packed with artery-clogging saturated fat and trans-fatty acids. An average doughnut also has 200 to 300 calories and few other nutrients.

4 French Fries It's unfortunate that fries are the most popular vegetable dish in the U.S. Kids love them, but they're extremely high in fat and have few vitamins. If your children clamor for them at the drive-through, at least stick with a small portion.

5 Fruit Leather Most rolled-up dried fruit has a dab of fruit, a teeny bit of fiber, few vitamins except those that have been added, and lots of sugar. Serve fresh fruit instead.

6 Hot Dogs Regular dogs are high in fat (13 or more grams per serving), have lots of sodium, and don't provide much protein for the calories. They're also a choking hazard for children 3 and under. Serve only occasionally, look for lower-fat brands (try turkey dogs), and cut into very small pieces for young children.

7 Juice-flavored Drinks Most are no more than 10 percent juice; the rest is water and sweeteners. (Don't be fooled by 100 percent juices made from grape, pear, or apple concentrate. Much of the nutrition has been removed from concentrates.)

8 Prepackaged Lunches Sure, they're convenient, but they also tend to be high in saturated fat and sodium (more than 1,200 milligrams in some, about half the recommended daily max) and packed with sugary treats. Most also are nutritionally unbalanced, because they contain no fruits or vegetables.

9 Soda American children drink more soft drinks today than ever. The average 12-ounce can of soda supplies almost ten teaspoons of sugar, which can contribute to obesity and tooth decay. Kids who drink soda instead of milk are also shortchanging their bones of calcium and other nutrients.

10 Toaster Pastries These contain lots of fat and not much fruit. Instead, make a piece of raisin toast for your child, and serve it with jam.

Sources: Mona Sutnick, Ed.D., R.D. a nutrition consultant in Philadelphia; Riva Touger-Decker, Ph.D., R.D., an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in Newark; Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at Tufts University, in Boston, and coauthor of Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health (Bantam, 1999); Liz Marr, R.D., a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant in Boulder, Colorado.

Fab140

Agreed. I always want to bop parents on the heads for contributing to the obese nation that America is. :noway:

Anna_Banana

My mom is a big fruit chewy person with my kids and I try to tell her that the things are basically candy.:grumble: