Children Obesity Tips - Fruit or Vegetables
It's
extremely important that your child gets as many servings of fruits and
vegetables per day as possible. Not only are they rich in key nutrients
but they also contain fibre, which improves digestion and helps to slow
down the transit of sugars in food into your child's bloodstream.
But it's important to remember that fruit cannot take the place of vegetables. Many parents make the mistake of assuming that several servings of fruit will make up for the fact that their child is not eating vegetables. However, there are several reasons why this thinking is not correct. First and foremost, although fruit is very nutritious, it can be relatively high in sugars (meaning that it has a higher Gl, or glycaemic index), which can lead to cravings and high blood sugar. It is, therefore, important to choose your child's fruit carefully. Secondly, although it is rich in many vitamins (including loads of vitamin C) and some minerals, fruit is not quite as nutritious as vegetables when considering overall nutrient levels. Vegetables contain many key minerals and trace elements that are necessary to health - in particular the functioning of your child's metabolism and endocrine systems, which can affect weight. They also tend to be much lower in sugars and very high in fibre.
So it's important to get the balance right. Aim for at least one serving of vegetables for every serving of fruit. If you can't manage that, look at the Gl of fruits you are serving and try to choose those that are lower in sugar. Pineapple, mango, grapes and banana, for example, tend to be relatively high in sugars (for fruits), whereas strawberries, raspberries, plums, apples, pears, rhubarb, cherries, apricots, peaches and pears tend to be lower. Remember, too, that when fruits are 'juiced', they lose their fibre content, which is one of the elements that slows down the transit of sugars into the bloodstream. Therefore orange juice will have a higher Gl than oranges. And dried fruit tends to be very high, as the sugars become concentrated. When you do serve high Gl fruits it's a good idea to serve protein -for example, some yogurt or nuts - at the same time (remember, protein also slows down the transit of sugars).
Vegetables have Gl ratings as well, and it's important to get a balance between those that are relatively high in sugars and those that are lower. This shouldn't prove too problematic as most vegetables do fall in the low Gl category. However, those with a higher Gl - for example, baked potatoes, cooked carrots and parsnips - are favourites with many kids so avoid serving them day in day out.
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But it's important to remember that fruit cannot take the place of vegetables. Many parents make the mistake of assuming that several servings of fruit will make up for the fact that their child is not eating vegetables. However, there are several reasons why this thinking is not correct. First and foremost, although fruit is very nutritious, it can be relatively high in sugars (meaning that it has a higher Gl, or glycaemic index), which can lead to cravings and high blood sugar. It is, therefore, important to choose your child's fruit carefully. Secondly, although it is rich in many vitamins (including loads of vitamin C) and some minerals, fruit is not quite as nutritious as vegetables when considering overall nutrient levels. Vegetables contain many key minerals and trace elements that are necessary to health - in particular the functioning of your child's metabolism and endocrine systems, which can affect weight. They also tend to be much lower in sugars and very high in fibre.
So it's important to get the balance right. Aim for at least one serving of vegetables for every serving of fruit. If you can't manage that, look at the Gl of fruits you are serving and try to choose those that are lower in sugar. Pineapple, mango, grapes and banana, for example, tend to be relatively high in sugars (for fruits), whereas strawberries, raspberries, plums, apples, pears, rhubarb, cherries, apricots, peaches and pears tend to be lower. Remember, too, that when fruits are 'juiced', they lose their fibre content, which is one of the elements that slows down the transit of sugars into the bloodstream. Therefore orange juice will have a higher Gl than oranges. And dried fruit tends to be very high, as the sugars become concentrated. When you do serve high Gl fruits it's a good idea to serve protein -for example, some yogurt or nuts - at the same time (remember, protein also slows down the transit of sugars).
Vegetables have Gl ratings as well, and it's important to get a balance between those that are relatively high in sugars and those that are lower. This shouldn't prove too problematic as most vegetables do fall in the low Gl category. However, those with a higher Gl - for example, baked potatoes, cooked carrots and parsnips - are favourites with many kids so avoid serving them day in day out.
We at Askyourcook.com would like to invite you to Submit your favourite recipes, suggest improvements to our site and your general comments are always Welcomed. Go here
