Nutrition and healthy eating is important for our well-being and overall health. Sometimes we may have questions about if we are eating enough fruit and vegetables or if our eating behaviors are helpful or hurtful. It is extremely common to have questions such as these about our eating habits and food in general. Registered dietitians can be a great resource. Registered dietitians use their knowledge about nutrition and food to promote positive lifestyles and health among others.
Check out the interview below with a registered dietician for answers to some very important questions and resources! You may be surprised by some of the answers and learn something new.
Name: Aleya Islas
Biography: Aleya Islas was born and raised in Tucson, AZ. She attended the University of Arizona and received her bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences with an emphasis on Dietetics. After graduation she began working with the WIC (Women, Infant and Children) clinic at the Marana Health Center (MHC). Following a couple years of employment, she qualified for the Registered Dietitian (RD) WIC track internship. She completed the internship and became a certified RD in 2019 and continues her work at MHC. Her focus and specialty are on community nutrition and public health, serving pregnant mothers, children, and infants. She also makes basic nutrition education accessible to low-income families in Tucson. In her spare time, she enjoys walking her dog, hiking and camping, and supporting her alma mater at sporting events.
Questions:
1. How do you approach your child to talk about weight?
My first and foremost recommendation is to not directly address the weight or even use the term weight. As a parent try to analyze the root of the problem – is it diet, sedentary lifestyle, is physical ability limited or is there a lack of knowledge? Once a cause is determined, then the parent can focus on what actions can be taken for improvement and reduced weight. A visit with the pediatrician or your primary care physician can also be a great place to start. The physician can assess biometrics and determine if additional consultation is needed. A good majority of insurance plan offer a free first-time dietitian consult. At WIC this is our specialty – we collect height and weight diagnostics to determine BMI and then build a nutrition assessment accordingly. We employ motivational interviewing, dietary recall, include parental involvement, and meet the family’s needs.
2. Dealing with some picky eaters, how can a child diversify their diet?
This is more common than parents think, and fruits and vegetables always stand out as the “gross” foods to children. Parents want to begin by determining if this pickiness is stemming from the unfamiliarity with certain food. You want to create frequent exposure to different foods and create a positive interaction instead of negative. Positive interactions can include cooking together, allowing your child to pick the food item at the grocery store and offering small portions during meals without pressure to finish the entire meal. By continuing to expose the child to different foods, you can create positive and comfortable interactions with food that can impact their long-term eating habits and patterns. And remember, there is no instant solution.
3. Should kids be drinking soda, juice or only water?
Initially, I like to tell families that no food or drink is off limits, especially when families grew up with these drinks in their household. I like to educate them on the different drink benefits. USDA recommends no more than 4-6 oz. of juice a day for kids, as this counts as one serving of fruits. Any more than the recommended amount and the excess sugar exceeds any benefits. There are different ranges for recommended water consumption, but the goal is to encourage water consumption first when able. Tips for this include always having water available to reach for first when thirsty, allowing kids to drink to thirst and even have some fun cups that make kids excited to drink water. I believe all foods and drinks have a place in your diet because some can be for nutrition, some can be for pleasure, or they can be both. A good intuitive approach is to allow the comparison of how sugary beverages vs. water make one feel.
4. My child has a high BMI for their age. What should I be doing?
My response to this question would be to the same effect as question one. Once a high BMI has been established, a consultation with a dietitian can help you create an action plan to collectively work with your child. Parents at home can ensure their child has adequate physical activity, which is minimum 60 minutes per day. They can try not to overdue sugary beverages and limit dairy consumption. Milk and dairy products recommended consumption is 2 – 3 cups/day at 1% milkfat.
5. Should I limit the quantity that my child wants to eat? She often asks for seconds/thirds, and I’m worried she isn’t listening to her hunger cues.
Generally, I would say do no limit what they are eating. Attempts at limiting a child’s eating can have negative connotations. Shaming kids for eating more could cause additional behavioral issues and mental instability which is often seen to lead to disordered eating. Instead try to address the root cause of the hunger. Is what their eating nutritional dense and have they eaten enough today? It is a learning process, so you should help kids learn their internal cues. Try to take breaks half-way through a meal and have a hunger check. Ask questions such as “how does your stomach feel now compared to when you first started eating?”. Ask these questions again at the end of the meal. You can also utilize the hedonic scale to allow the child to physically depict how they are feeling after a meal: good full and happy or supper stuffed and bad.
6. How important is it, really, to eat organic?
There tends to be a negative association with non-organic foods, but there is no conclusive evidence that organic food is better. I say if you can afford it, then go for it. Otherwise, do not stress too much about it and focus more on meeting dietary guidelines. Simply make sure to thoroughly wash your produce before consumption. If you are worried about pesticides, you can select organic produce for food that is more readily exposed to these pesticides (i.e., strawberries where you eat the whole thing vs. oranges where you peel the outer skin). Also, WIC does not typically list organic products on their approved lists.
7. How often should we be giving our kids treats? I want to establish healthy eating habits but don’t want to deprive them.
You can assess how these treats are affecting overall health – the calorie intake and outlook on food. I believe foods should not be put on a pedestal, as all food have value. You could offer a treat with every meal if you wanted, just making sure they type of treat is varied. Sometimes treats may not feeling as satisfying to kids when it’s a daily occurrence because of course any type of restriction only makes kids want it more. Also try not to use food as a bribe to encourage certain behavior as this can create negative associations.
Overall feed children the food you would normally eat. Try not to make a separate meal for the kids. Include them in the process and allow them to build up their hunger. General recommendation includes 3 meals and 2 snacks a day for kids, so try to refrain from constantly snacking as this disrupts hunger cues and satiety. Remember meals are always more balanced than snacks.
8. Any resources at WIC you would recommend?
The following are many different resources to visit for education and healthy food access:
1. azdhs.gov/prevention/azwic: include nutrition education handouts
3. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): healthychildren.org
4. Myplate.gov
5. AZ Health Zones
6. CDC