Make sure your kids have an iron-rich diet.

It is hard to believe that mineral deficiencies exist in a developed country, but believe it or not, iron deficiency is still all too common in our society. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), iron deficiency exists in the United States to a degree sufficient to have an impact on intellectual growth in as many as one in fourteen toddlers and one in six teenage girls. This means that millions of children are affected! Toddlers, prekindergarten children, and menstruating teenage girls are three high-risk age groups that need to be ensured an iron-rich diet.
Children and parents might not notice the symptoms of iron deficiency, which can include decreased memory, poor school performance, impaired athletic performance, fatigue, irritability, headaches, and poor appetite. Kids with iron deficiency anemia tend to get sick more often. Children can usually get all the iron they need from a healthy diet; nonetheless, they should be screened at the appropriate ages during visits to the pediatrician to determine if they are getting enough iron.
The foods highest in iron are lean, red meats, raisins, spinach, and nuts, but iron can be found in varying amounts in almost all green vegetables as well as in nonred meats such as fish and poultry. Some children may need iron supplementation in addition to an iron-rich diet. Talk to your pediatrician about your child's individual iron needs.

Serve at least three servings a day of whole-grained foods.

A whole grain is any grain that still has all three parts of its grain kernel intact: the bran, germ, and endosperm. Grains are no longer whole or as wholesome when they are refined, is|ince they lose the fiber-rich bran and the nutrient-rich term
According to the Food and Drug Administration '(FDA), it is about 5% of Americans eat three servings of whole gtfains a day. The major health benefit of whole grains is their ability to protect against chronic diseases. The FDA has announced that foods made with at least 51% whole grains act as potential heart disease and cancer fighters. More specifically, eating a diet rich in whole grains can decrease your child's risk for cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and obesity. Whole grains contain high levels of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The health benefits of whole grains pome from a combination of all of these substances and can-be replaced by the enrichment process. Here are some helpful tips for choosing whole-grained foods:
• The first ingredient listed on a label for whole-grained bread should be whole-wheat flour, not enriched wheat flour.
• Choose nutrient quality and taste over convenience. Generally speaking, foods that require more cooking time (basmati rice or whole oats oatmeal) have whole grains compared to their non-whole-grained counterfeits. The few extraminutes of preparation will be worth the wait in flavor, texture, and nutrients

Don't trust the color when choosing whole-grained food products. Brown does not always mean healthy. Bread can be darkened with additives such as molasses to give it the appearance of whole-grained bread.

Beware of hidden sugars in your children's foods.

Your kids are probably eating quite a bit more sugar than you realize. The average American consumed about 125 pounds of added sugar in 1980, 160 pounds in 1999, and 165 pounds in 2002! Food producers have become much more sophisticated when it comes to hiding more sugar in your kids' foods. Even if you don't think of your family as having a sweet tooth, they are taking in hidden sugars in everything from ketchup to healthy foods such as yogurt.

Why are companies doing this? First of all, food producers sneak in some insulin-spiking hidden sugars in an attempt to increase the flavor in foods that have been reduced in salt and fat. Secondly, and more obviously, they know that kids love to eat sweet things.

Some nutritionists separate sugars into two categories: the high-glycemic-response sugars and the low-glycemic-re-sponse sugars. It is the high-glycemic sugars that you should moderate. These include sucrose, glucose, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, maltodextrin, galactose, corn syrup, dextrin, beet sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar, white sugar, concentrated fruit juice, syrup, sorghum, honey, maple syrup, and high-fructose corn syrup. Foods like ketchup, jams, jellies, soft drinks, fruit juice, canned fruit, ice cream, pastries, and candies can also be packed with starches that turn into high-glycemic sugars.

Stock the refrigerator with healthy, caffeine-free beverages.

Should you be uneasy over how much caffeine your child consumes? It depends. Used judiciously, caffeine improves concentration because it acts as a mild stimulant to the central nervous system. However, even moderate consumption can lead to undesirable side effects such as nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, and rapid heart rate. Caffeine also leads to increased urination because it is a diuretic. This can cause problems with bedwetting in younger children, and it can also lead to problems with dehydration in children who are active and using caffeine-containing beverages to rehydrate.

Foods and beverages with high amounts of caffeine, such as coffee, cola, tea, chocolate, and over-the-counter medications, can also make it more difficult for your child to fall asleep. Caffeine-associated headaches and fatigue secondary to sleeplessness may lead to poor school performance.

Given all this, keep caffeine in mind when shopping and keep it out of the refrigerator. Opt instead to stock up on healthy caffeine-free beverages like skim and low-fat milk, fruit juice, and especially water. Also, encourage older children to choose caffeine-free alternatives like decaf espresso drinks and herbal teas when visiting cafes with friends.

Ensure that your growing kids are getting enough calcium.

During periods of growth, children, and especially teenagers, need additional nutrients. This means your growing kids require more calories and more essential vitamins and minerals. One of the most important minerals that your children need more of during periods of rapid growth is calcium. However, according to the USDA, fewer than 35% of boys and fewer than 15% of girls take in the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium.

Taking in and utilizing enough calcium helps your children attain maximal bone densities, which is one of the best defenses against developing osteoporosis later in life. Calcium is also an important intracellular molecule that is responsible for muscle contraction and chemical signaling.
Because close to half of your children's bone mass is developed during adolescence, teenagers need about 25% to 40% more calcium in their diets than do people of other ages. This translates into between 1,200 and 1,500 milligrams of calcium a day! Though that sounds like a lot, keep in mind that a cup of yogurt has almost 200 milligrams of calcium, or 15% of what your adolescent needs in a day, and a glass of milk has over 400 milligrams, or 30%.