Are Your Kids Eating Too Much Processed Food?

Nurture Kids Pediatrics

Are Your Kids Eating Too Much Processed Food?

This case study comes from my new book, The Step Up Diet:

An eight-year-old girl, Catherine is found to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) above the 95th percentile. Her parents review what she is eating and quickly the problem becomes clear.

Breakfast: Two pre-packaged frozen waffles with butter and syrup, and chocolate milk

Snack: A bowl of pretzels and glass of juice

Lunch: Pizza and a juice box

Snack: Granola bar and chocolate milk

Second Snack: Potato chips and more juice

Dinner: Catherine isn’t hungry for dinner because she snacks on potato chips until dinnertime. She eats a small portion and leaves the table.

Does this sound familiar? It happens too often in many households. Catherine is eating too much processed food and little real food. When buying packaged food, it is hard to tell the difference between natural and unnatural ingredients. The list of ingredients is sometimes long and confusing.

It is always best to prepare food yourself and always reach for the more natural option. Visit the Healthy Family Recipes section of my blog for some delicious, simple ideas. It’s a new year… get your family’s health on track!

In my book, The Step Up Diet, I provide a step-by-step plan to help families experience what it is like to eat the right way. The Step Up Diet teaches the body and the brain to recognize what types of food are healthy to eat, and to establish a healthy eating schedule. By focusing on one step—one segment of the day—at a time, the ultimate goal becomes less overwhelming and more manageable, helping us stay on target with our goals of eating healthier in 2013.