Eating Well: Trends
By OCinSite At-Large on April 22, 2011 8:00 AM
About 215,000 people younger than 20 years have diabetes—type 1 or type 2. This represents 0.26 percent of all people in this age group. (Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse)
“I push food, not supplements, not deception,” says Melanie R. Silverman, a Laguna Beach-based certified lactation consultant and registered dietician. She specializes in infants, teens, very young adults and lactating moms. “It’s important to teach children the importance and value of food, to consciously see the texture, color and taste of the good things we eat. I don’t recommend hiding broccoli in the brownies.”
Registered dietician Farnoush Gidanian specializes in diabetes and weight management for both children and adults. “Children are showing more and more signs of type 2 diabetes, and it’s often linked with obesity,” she says. Farnoush currently volunteers one day a week at the Laguna Beach Community Clinic, and her private office is based upstairs. She believes that prevention is most important.
Melanie lists the most common eating issues for children in three simple categories:
• Allergies Symptoms of food allergies may include stomach upset, rashes and throat blockage. Many children have wheat allergies they can safely outgrow with the help of a clinical dietician and doctor.
• Picky-eating Some children lock into four or five foods and refuse to eat anything else. This can be a problem when it affects the child’s mental and physical development.
• Obesity “We have all lost our ability to tell when we are satiated, which is different from feeling full,” Melanie says. Rarely does she see an obese child from a family of non-obese members. “Most often it’s a genetic component, and it can be challenging but not impossible to overcome.”
Preventing type 2 diabetes and obesity in children:
• Eat small portions of starches.
• Choose brown (wheat) pastas over white and green pastas.
• Choose brown rice over white rice.
• Beware of starchy vegetables (corn and peas) and substitute them with green leafy vegetables.
• Avoid trans fats (Margerine; Crisco) and baked goods and sauces that have trans fats added to lengthen the product’s shelflife.
• Beware of deceptive trans fat aliases like “hydrogenated fat” or “vegetable shortening.”
• Avoid creamy soups.
• Avoid au gratin and fried potatoes; choose baked or roasted potatoes instead.
• Lower sodium intake.
• Ask for all sauces and dressings on the side and use sparingly.
What about going vegetarian? Farnoush feels a vegetarian diet can be healthy for growing children “as long as the child gets the necessary nutrients,” she says. “It’s simply easier with meat in the diet.”
“It all depends on the child,” Melanie agrees. “As with any diet, I’d look at his/her growth, his/her sleeping and bathroom habits, as well as symptoms of intolerances while on that particular diet.”
Try the fun vegetarian and vegan recipe below for a tasty and nutritious meal.
Berkeley Vegan Pizza (10”)
Ingredients:
7 ounces pizza dough
1 ½ ounces marinara sauce
¾ cup Daiya vegan cheese
2 ounces Roma tomatoes
1 ounce button mushrooms
1 ounce bell peppers
1 ounce zucchini squash
1 ounce vegetable “burger” crumbles
Directions: Using the flour mix, stretch the dough ball, to the appropriate size. Place the dough on appropriate size pizza screen. Spread cheese over the dough, ½ inch from the edge. Distribute the following ingredients evenly on the pizza in the following order: tomato rounds, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini and veggie burger crumbles. Place the pizza in the oven to cook. When the pizza dough looks golden, remove it from the screen. Once the bottom of the pizza is fully cooked, remove it from the oven. Cut pizza into appropriate number of slices.
Courtesy of Z Pizza, 30902 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-499-4949; zpizza.com
