The chaos that is school has started back up again. Early mornings and late afternoons begin. Every parent is trying to juggle some type of hectic schedule that involves one child or multiple… we are all just trying to survive during this time. That is until it all falls into place, and we feel like we can manage again. Your morning might look like scrambling to pack lunches all while making breakfast or rushing to get the kids out of the door, so they don’t miss the bus. This can be a stressful time for mom and dad but also for kids too. We
often forget how important nutrition is during this busy time in our life. Let me tell you a little about why it’s so important…
Middle childhood (5 years to 9 years of age) and early adolescence (10 years to 15 years of age) is an important time for growth and development. Many somatic, cognitive, and behavioral changes occur during this time. This represents transformational changes to the brain and cognitive processing, linear bone growth and bone mineralization, body composition, and other organ systems (1). During this time of growth children also experience an increase in social and cultural interactions, changes in the home, community, and school relationships which ultimately has an influence on behaviors. Adequate nutrition at this age is critical for supporting the changes their bodies are going through as well as correcting any dietary deficits. This is also a major opportunity as a parent to influence your child’s relationship with food and their body.
Inadequate nutrition will slow or blunt physical and neurocognitive development trajectories leading to long-term consequences (1). Unfortunately, inadequate nutrition intake in school age children can be influenced by many factors such as food security, availability, food choices, environmental influences – home, community, school, and broader society (1). These influences shape the behavior of children and their food choices as they grow. Children have an increased responsibility, independence, decision-making, self-image and awareness in their food relationships when they start school (1). This may be the first time your child has to make food choices on their own; so how can we promote adequate nutrition at this age to ensure our children are meeting their nutritional needs?
Total energy intake throughout the day is critical for brain activity and for your child to be able to learn and focus throughout the school day. Ensure your child is eating every 3-4 hours. Provide a nutritious breakfast at home or make sure they are eating breakfast at school to ensure they are starting their day with fuel. We have three main macronutrients that play a role in our overall calorie intake, and each are important for a healthy balanced diet. Let me explain the different roles each play in our body and diet.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are the preferred source of fuel for the brain, central nervous system, and the muscles.
Carbohydrates are protein sparing meaning when eaten together protein can be used to build and repair muscles rather than used for energy.
Carbohydrates regulate blood glucose and ensure we can maintain our energy, focus, concentration, and mood.
Carbohydrates provide us with fiber which helps us stay full and satisfied because it takes our body longer to digest and absorb it.
Carbohydrates are important for sports performance and without them exercise won’t feel good if your body does not have the fuel it needs.
Carbohydrates improve your mood by releasing serotonin which can help increase your emotional energy and help with better sleep.
Carbohydrates are found in bread, rice, pasta, fruits, and starchy vegetables.
Below are some signs and symptoms that you or your child might experience if you are not eating enough carbohydrates throughout the day:
Headaches
Fatigue
Dizziness
Muscle weakness
Difficulty concentrating
Poor emotion regulation
Nausea
Constipation
Difficulty sleeping
Protein:
Protein is important for linear growth. Low consumption of protein is often associated with stunting and signs of undernutrition in pediatrics.
Protein is a source of energy. If you do not consume enough carbohydrates and fats, then protein will be used for energy instead of muscle repair.
All muscles are made out of protein. Important to note that protein will not increase your muscle size, but it will provide nutrients for your muscles to maintain their strength and function. Protein is essential to help repair muscle tissues following exercise.
Protein helps with immune function to “fight off” bacteria, viruses, and other invaders your body might face.
Some hormones in the body are made out of protein which aid in maintaining blood glucose levels, growth, ovulation, and thyroid function.
Protein synthesizes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine works in the skeletal muscles by signaling muscle activation and contraction. In the brain it is important for alertness, attention, learning, and memory function.
Protein has many other functions such as aiding in fluid balance, carriers' oxygen through your body, functions as an antioxidant, RNA and DNA synthesis, and replenishes muscle ATP.
Lastly protein provides satiety and delays gastric emptying.
Protein comes from animal sources such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, and yogurt which are referred to as ‘complete proteins.’ Protein can also come from plant sources such as legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, beans and vegetables.
If you are not consuming enough protein, you might:
Feel weak
Become sick more often
slow healing wounds
brittle hair and nails
hair loss
fluid retention
become prone to stress factors
Fats:
Fats usually get a bad rep in diet culture but are important in our diet as they have many health benefits.
Fats provide us with energy and are our main source of energy at moderate to low intensity activity.
Fats help us regulate our body temperature and protect and cushion our organs. They make our hair soft and shiny and help produce the skin’s natural oil barrier keeping skin hydrated.
Fats play an important role in brain growth and impact on cognitive and behavioral performances.
Fats play an important role in hormone production because cholesterol is a precursor for sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone), cortisol, bile acids, and vitamin D.
Dietary fats release leptin which acts on the brain to increase or decrease appetite.
If you do not eat enough fats, you are more likely to be:
hungry soon after eating
think about food more often
feel like you’re eating all the time
Experience less satisfaction with food
Have dry skin, brittle hair and nails
All this to say it is important to teach our children about all food and the body at a young age. As parents you may not realize the role you play in their relationship with food. Often, without even knowing it parents unintentionally influence how children view food and their body. So how can we teach our kids to have a healthy relationship with food and their body?
First, we need to ensure we have a healthy relationship with food and our body so we can positively pass that along to our young ones. I encourage you as a parent to let your kids be involved in grocery shopping, meal planning, and preparing meals. Teach your kids about the rainbow of fruits and vegetables, make mealtimes a safe, low-pressure, and stress-free environment, and avoid negative talk about food and body. As a dietitian I like to look at all food as equal, what that means on a deeper level is that all foods can fit into our diet and all foods provide different nutrients we need to survive. We have foods that provide us more energy and foods that are just fun and make us happy. Put that cookie on the dinner plate with the broccoli… you will be surprised at what your child chooses to eat when all food is equal. As parents your role is providing the food and the place. Your child’s role is to choose what they eat and how much from their plate.
It is more important at this age to teach your child to make mindful food choices and listen to their body. Try not to put so much focus on if your child is eating the RIGHT foods, instead teach them how different foods feel in our body. This will allow them to develop their own relationship with food away from diet culture and external pressures.
If you are feeling lost as a parent and looking for guidance with your child's nutrition come see us at Panhandle Nutrition Therapy. We can help guide your little one and teach them about their food relationship through intuitive eating and so much more.
References
Saavedra, J. M., & Prentice, A. M. (2023). Nutrition in school-age children: a rationale for revisiting priorities. Nutrition reviews, 81(7), 823–843. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuac089
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