Helping your child eat healthy

Food plays an important role in Filipino culture. We celebrate success and happiness, mourn losses and find every excuse to gather around the dining table to partake of a shared meal. An invitation to eat ("Kain tayo,") is the usual greeting for even the unexpected guest who arrives at mealtime. It is a gesture of the sociable Filipino’s hospitality and willingness to share.

Perhaps, the ongoing interest in the results of a recent hunger survey is an indication of the importance of food in our culture. The thought that many are going hungry upsets us and spurs us on to try to do more for the unfortunate. At the same time, we look at our well-fed children and say a prayer of thanks that we can adequately provide for them.

But here’s the rub: Our well-fed, rotund children may not be as "well-fed" as we think. They may be constantly eating; they may be hefty; but like the skinny kids with sunken cheeks who have nothing to eat, they may be nutritionally compromised. We may, in fact, be contributing to their nutritional impairment by providing the wrong kinds of food. The most expensive junk food we constantly buy for them cannot provide proper nutritional support.

"Junk foods are food items that have high levels of sugar or salt, fat and calories," explains Ma. Luisa Rivera, Food & Nutrition Department manager of St. Luke’s Hospital. "These are lacking in nutrient content, thus the term ‘empty calories.’ If one’s diet consists mostly of empty calories, this can lead to poor nutrition."

Various studies have shown that poor nutrition adversely affects the growth and development of children. Furthermore, excessive intake of empty calories predisposes our children to obesity. Rivera says that obesity is the most high-profile health issue in children. In the latest survey, this has increased by over 40 percent in children below 11 years old over the last 10 years. In addition, obesity has been shown to be a leading cause of type 2 diabetes in children.

Are parents aware that junk foods have no nutritional value? If so, why do they continue to feed their children with junk food?

"I think that children nowadays make the decision on their own," says Luisa Rivera, corroborating the immense influence of mass media. "Most parents teach good nutrition at home, but they don’t see what their children eat in school or when they are away from home. On the other hand, there are also those parents who are aware that junk foods are not good snack items but continue to buy them. Just last week when people flocked to the groceries for their Holy Week vacation baon, you probably saw more soda and chips on the grocery carts," she continues. "Admittedly, we may have been guilty of the same offense in the past and convenience is a ready excuse. Buying cheap, readily-available junk food makes it so much easier for multi-taskers like us. In addition, we may reason that our children may complain if we deprive them of popular food choices. Really, it may be a challenge to convince our children to unquestioningly accept healthy food habits, especially with all the advertising directed at them. However, it can be done and we need to make the extra effort."

"Children are smart," says Rica V. Maceda, former preschool administrator and teacher, Montessori degree holder from a UK institution, and full-time mother to seven-year-old Max. "I encourage my son to always eat healthy. We have an agreement: A maximum of twice a week to indulge in fast food. The operative word is agreement. It’s not a rule I impose unilaterally. You just need to explain to them why certain things are not good for them. It is every parent’s wish that their children are as healthy as possible. We feel Max could be healthier if only he would include more fruits and vegetables in his diet. We’re still working on that."

Luisa Rivera agrees that food training starts in the family. "Lessons on good nutrition start at home. If the children see that their parents are eating right, they will grow up making healthy choices as well."

However, to make healthy food look palatable and taste interesting is the big challenge. "One can opt for fruit flavor yogurt instead of ice cream, blended natural fruit juice or shakes instead of soda or powdered juice drink," Rivera recommends. Oatmeal instead of sugary breakfast cereals; oven baked fries instead of french fries; and popcorn (with moderate amount of butter and salt) instead of potato chips; are healthier choices.

"Parents should introduce dietary health habits as early as possible. Ideally, this should begin once the children are introduced to solids," adds Rica Maceda. "We ensure that our son eats healthily by supervising what is cooked and prepared at home. We go to the grocery together where we involve him in the choice of vegetables and meats, picking only the freshest on the shelves."

Ma. Luisa Rivera agrees that involving the children in choosing food for the family may encourage them to eat better. "Generally, I find that reading the nutritional information on the label of items I buy is the best way to make healthy choices. It will list the number of calories per serving, grams of fat, sugar, sodium, and cholesterol. A trip to the grocery with the kids can be an interesting experience if you train them to read and understand labels too."

Unfortunately for the Filipino consumer, however, food labels may be incomplete or vague. "I’d like to see the day when these companies would be more responsible and include in their ads information on nutritional facts and healthy eating habits," says Rica Maceda. Until thorough, truthful and reliable food labeling becomes the standard for all, however, she relies on Qualibet.

"A company like Qualibet is a sigh of relief for parents," says Maceda. "Qualibet’s two-fold purpose — testing for cleanliness and providing information on the nutritional values of what we eat and drink — squarely meets parents’ common concerns. We can never be too cautious with our children’s health. And it is very important to understand the role of good nutrition in our daily life. It’s never too late to educate our kids to take their health seriously. A good diet combined with exercise will help us all live longer."