In San Diego County, only 26–27% of kids ages 2–17 eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and many families know the dinnertime struggle of pushing past macaroni or sweets in favor of healthier choices. Mealtime can easily turn into a battle, but with a little creativity, patience, and the right strategies, you can make healthy eating a positive and rewarding experience for the whole family. 

In this guide, we’ll share practical tips to help encourage kids to eat healthier and help make mealtimes run a bit smoother.

Encourage Health Eating Habits

At TrueCare, we understand that encouraging healthy eating in kids is essential for their overall health and well-being. Nutritious eating can provide many important benefits, such as:

• Keeping skin, teeth, and eyes healthy

• Supporting muscle and bone strength

• Helping achieve and maintain a healthy weight

• Fueling brain development and healthy growth

• Boosting the immune system

• Supporting healthy digestion 

To help your child build healthy eating habits, you can:

• Offer plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods

• Choose lean proteins like chicken, fish, lentils, and beans

• Include low-fat or non-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese

• Encourage water over sugary drinks 

Additional tips include:

• Making sure kids eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch, whether at home or school

• Reviewing school menus together and encouraging them to try new foods

• Modeling healthy eating behaviors at home

• Meeting with a Registered Dietician for any food or diet-related concerns. 

Remember, small, consistent changes can lead to lasting improvements in your child’s health both now and in the future.

Did you know TrueCare has Registered Dietitians on staff? Ask your pediatrician about meeting with one of our RDs for any food or diet-related concerns.

5 Tips for Getting Kids to Eat Healthier

Helping children make healthy food choices can sometimes feel overwhelming, but small, simple steps can make a big difference. We’ll share five practical tips to make mealtimes less stressful and more nourishing, helping your child discover the benefits and joys of eating well.

1. Meal Planning for Healthy Eating

Deciding what to make for dinner is probably the last thing you want to do after balancing work, school, and increasing online demands. Meal planning can help take the guesswork out of dinner time and alleviate some stress on a parents’ already-busy day. While meal planning may seem overwhelming at first, it can help you pre-plan healthier meals and snack options for your children. When you commit to shopping for certain ingredients based on your menu, you might find you buy fewer sugary snacks, spend less, and create better meals.

One part of meal planning that can often be overlooked is what your family drinks. Try setting some rules around what drinks are allowed at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and all the times in between. Incorporate more water breaks into the day. A way to encourage your children to drink more water is to lead by example. You may also want to provide only 2 or 3 healthy drink options at mealtimes so your children can choose for themselves. You’ll want to limit sugary drinks like soda, sports and fruit drinks.

2. Offering Healthy Choices for Your Kids

Providing your children with healthy choices and snacks is a great way to provide them with ownership over what they put in their body and encourage them to take more responsibility for their healthy habits. A meal plan with options helps your children establish their independence while keeping you, the parent, in control of their nutrition and healthy eating habits.

Incorporate a variety of healthy food options for your children, especially at a young age. Introduce new options alongside their tried-and-true favorites to encourage a positive association with healthy foods you think they will enjoy. As your children grow up, they are developing their own food preferences and tastes. Healthier options help them make better choices. This is also how you teach kids healthy eating habits. If your children are curious and interested, involve them in the selection process, like visiting the local farmer’s market and learning how to pick out certain types of fruits and vegetables.

3. Personalizing Your Child’s Plate

Another way to make mealtimes more fun and engaging is to personalize your child’s plate. Younger children may enjoy food that is presented in a funny, silly, or interesting way. Perhaps you celebrate certain holidays by arranging foods on the plate in a certain shape or character. This can keep kids engaged and interested in what they are about to eat. You can also encourage your children to get more involved in choosing what foods go on their plate. As children get older, they may enjoy the autonomy of making their own, individualized choices. You may prepare a dinner that involves a protein and three veggies, and then allow them to choose two of the three. A variety of healthy foods, including different flavors and textures, will help keep things exciting.

4. Avoiding Distractions During Mealtime

If your children still struggle with eating healthy and reject all the options put in front of them, you may also want to avoid other distractions. Reduce screen time – Turn the TV off during mealtimes and restrict phone and tablet usage while you’re at the table. Sometimes children get overstimulated by everything going on in the room and making decisions can feel overwhelming. Quiet down the space and make time to focus on the food at hand. Avoiding distractions during mealtime can also help children avoid overeating simply because they aren’t paying attention to whether their tummies are full or not. This can also provide more mindful eating where your child may notice more about the colors, flavors, and textures of the yummy foods they are eating. Reducing screen time can help free time for other activities and improve sleep.

5. Keeping Healthy Ingredients Around

Many sugary snacks are designed to easily grab and go, which can encourage less than healthy eating throughout your busy schedule. With a little bit of planning and intentionality, you can choose to stock your fridge and pantry with healthier grab-and-go snack options that will promote healthier habits. Instead of cheesy crackers, try dried fruits or veggies in portable containers at kid-height in your pantry. Instead of sugary yogurts, perhaps have some pre-sorted baggies of strawberries, blueberries, and grapes for a healthier yet sweet alternative.

Resource:
>> Kids Data

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Learn more about TrueCare pediatric services by texting or calling us today at (760) 736-6767. Or visit one of our many locations across North San Diego and South Riverside Counties.

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read on this website.

The post How to Get Kids to Eat Healthy: 5 Tips for Parents appeared first on TrueCare.

When people think of fat, they typically envision hamburgers, cheese, sour cream, donuts, ice cream, potato chips, salad dressings and other very rich food items.

However, fats come in several different forms, some of which are beneficial to our bodies and others that are detrimental. Eating the wrong type of fat can be unhealthy.

Learning about the different types of fat and what they do inside the human body can help you make better decisions regarding the foods you eat.

In this blog, TrueCare’s Dr. Maria Chavez Santos breaks down the good, the bad, and the ugly facts about fat.

Functions of Fats and Oils in the Body

Dietary fats provide many nutritional benefits. They serve as an important source of energy, and they help support cell function and absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. Fats also help protect our organs, keep our bodies warm, and are the building blocks for important hormones.

Eating the right kind of fats can contribute to a healthy heart by lowering inflammation, cholesterol, and blood pressure. They also help us to feel full and satisfied. Perhaps most importantly, fats provide the omega-3 fatty acids that serve as essential building blocks for the brain and play a vital role in learning and memory.

Not bad for a nutrient that makes a lot of foods taste better!

Heart Health

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the U.S., and excessive consumption of carbohydrates, which are then converted into cholesterol, contributes to many types of heart disease.

See 8 Tips for Better Heart Health

Increased cholesterol levels, contribute to hardening of the arteries by depositing plaque on the walls of arteries. Over time, plaque deposits can narrow or completely block the arteries, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. This, in turn, can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and other serious heart problems.

The Good Fat

There are many types of good fats. Unsaturated fats come in two groups – monounsaturated (plant based) and polyunsaturated (nuts, seeds and marine based). 

Monounsaturated fats are found in plant-based oils such as olive, canola, peanut, corn, safflower, and sesame. Non-liquid sources include peanut butter, avocados, and some nuts and seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats can be found in flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and fatty fish such as salmon, herring, cod, and anchovies. The oils generally remain liquid at room temperature but start to turn solid when chilled. Most polyunsaturated fats contain omega 3, a fatty acid that helps reduce inflammation in the body and brain, and omega 6, which can boost skin and eye health.

Of these, only olive oil and avocado cooking oils are healthy. Nut, seed, and vegetable oils are produced using a chemical called hexane, which is used in the production of gasoline, and they cause inflammation in the body. It is healthy, however, to consume nuts, seeds, and fatty fish.

Saturated fats are generally solid or waxy at room temperature and occur naturally in many foods. Most come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products, while some come from tropical plant sources. Examples include beef, lamb, pork, poultry, processed meats, butter, cheese, whole milk, and coconut and palm oils.

There is controversy about whether foodsaturated fats such as butter, red meat, and cheese are healthy. Science and research are changing, and updates in current studies on nutrition may change to reflect that research.d Some physicians who promote a low-carbohydrate diet, do promote the consumption of animal-based fats, so please consult with your provider. It is important to keep in mind that breast milk, long praised as being healthy for babies, is purely saturated fat, so it is important to stay curious about the effects and benefits of saturated fats.

What Type of Fat Do You Need to Limit?

Not all fats are created equal, and while some are essential for maintaining good health, others can negatively impact your body. Knowing which fats to limit or avoid is crucial for a healthier diet and overall well-being. Below, we dive deeper into two types of fats you should aim to minimize: Trans Fats.

Trans Fats: The Ugly Fat

Trans fats are artificially created and have added hydrogen to make them more solid. They were developed by the food industry to increase the shelf life, flavor, and stability of food. These “hydrogenated” oils have been linked to increased risk of heart disease, higher LDL levels, and lower HDL levels, making them unsafe to eat.

Fortunately, these toxic “food products” were banned in the U.S. in 2020, thereby reducing the number of heart attacks in the U.S. and saving millions of lives. However, small quantities of naturally occurring trans fats can be found in the gut of some animals and meat products made from these animals, including milk products. Avoid any meat or dairy product that says “hydrogenated oil” on the label.

Research has also shown that some types of polyunsaturated oils can turn into trans fats when heated to a certain temperature. Cooking with monounsaturated fats like olive or avocado oils will avoid unexpected trans fat in your food. When cooking meat that smokes a lot, use avocado oil because it has a higher heat temperature/smoke point.

Looking for more ways to eat healthy while pregnant?

Maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy is essential for both you and your baby. Incorporating healthy fats and nutrient-rich foods can support a healthy pregnancy and overall wellness.

Check out our blog on the Top 5 Foods to Eat While Trying to Conceive for tips that are also beneficial for expectant mothers!

Cholesterol, Fat and Heart Health Go Hand in Hand

Cholesterol is a waxy substance the body uses to build cells, make vitamins, and produce other hormones. Like fat, it is not inherently bad, but too much of the wrong kind can cause serious health problems.

Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream on two different types of lipoproteins. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the “good” cholesterol because it absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver where it gets flushed from the body. High HDL levels can lower the risk for heart disease and stroke.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) comes in two different sizes. You can think of it like a truck that drives fat around in the bloodstream. Small LDL particles are considered the “bad” cholesterol because high levels can increase the risk for heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. It creates circulatory problems by building up plaque on the walls blood vessels, causing them to narrow over time. This makes the heart work harder by blocking blood flow to and from the heart and other organs.

Eating a diet low in carbohydrates helps to lower bad cholesterol, and eating a diet high in healthy fats, as well as cardiovascular exercise, help increase your good cholesterol.

Get an annual physical: Schedule routine checkups to keep your lifelong health journey on track. TrueCare offers Primary Care for well and sick visits.

Take Control of Your Diet and Your Health

Most people know that eating a healthy diet can help prevent and even reverse some of our most common diseases. Yet heart disease, which often results from unhealthy eating and lifestyle choices, is the #1 killer in the U.S.

Many factors can create obstacles for healthier eating. Our culture pushes us to eat whatever we want when we want it. Fast food restaurants that serve large portions of unhealthy foods can be found everywhere. Unhealthy foods often cost less than foods that are good for us. Time can also be a challenge, especially for working parents who find it quicker and easier to grab packaged foods filled with sugar, fat, and other unhealthy ingredients. Optimism bias – the belief that we eat better than we do, or not as bad as other people – can also encourage unhealthy dietary decisions.

Want to learn more about expert nutrition advice?

A registered dietitian or primary care provider can provide personalized guidance to help you make healthier food choices and manage your diet effectively. Whether you’re focused on weight management, diabetes care, or simply improving your overall nutrition, a dietitian can make all the difference.

To begin choosing healthy food options, ask yourself the following questions:

• What kind of fats are in your kitchen pantry and packaged or frozen foods?
• How often do you eat out? Is it usually fast food?
• What do you eat when you go out – healthy or fatty foods?
• What kind of grab-and-go snacks do you keep on hand – food or cookies, chips, and processed snacks?

If you’re pressed for time, look for ways to make meal preparation easier. Take a couple of hours on the weekend to prepare meals for the upcoming week that include healthy fats and protein (eggs, chicken, fish, green vegetables, etc.).

Avoid fat-free foods, as they typically include sugar and chemicals to make them taste better. Their high calorie and low nutritional content can lead to weight gain and obesity.

How to Read Nutrition Labels

Most packaged foods include a nutrition label that breaks down the nutritional content. Use these guidelines to make healthier decisions:

What “Reduced Fat” Really Means

Products labeled as “lower fat,” “reduced fat,” or “light” must contain at least 30% less fat than the regular version. However, keep in mind:

• “Lower fat” foods are not always lower in calories. In some cases, the fat is replaced with sugar, maintaining or even increasing the calorie count. Always check the full nutrition label.

If you are diabetic or prediabetic, read our tips on managing diabetes or preventing prediabetes.

Get your nutrition from food sources. Real food is the #1 source of vitamins; 10 times more powerful than taking supplements.

Let our providers help you stay on track! Book your annual appointment at one of our TrueCare locations and take personal responsibility for your health. Always, talk to your doctor before taking any supplements. Together, you and your provider can make a positive change for your future by making smart eating decisions that benefit your mind, your body, and your life span!

TrueCare provides a number of health services for children, adults, and the elderly, including wellness checks. Our providers are committed to quality comprehensive care with heart. Contact your local TrueCare health center today to set up your appointment to improve your heart health.

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read on this website.

The post Facts about Fats: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly appeared first on TrueCare.

To avoid an unhealthy downward spiral, we recommend going into the holidays with a healthy food plan. Here are some healthy holiday tips to consider for setting yourself up for success.

Acknowledge the Temptation

There’s no benefit in telling yourself that you won’t struggle with eating healthy during the holidays. Denial is not an effective solution. Instead, acknowledge the temptation that you’re likely to face and start wrapping your mind around some effective strategies to improve how you feel at the end of a big party or at the end of the holiday season. Recognize it for what it is—temptation—and focus on how best to handle it in the midst of the most tempting moments, and you’ll likely be well on your way to a guilt-free but enjoyable, healthy holiday.

Learn more about good and bad fats here.

Offer to Bring a Dish

If you get invited to a party, offer to bring a dish and then make it a healthy one. That way, even if everything else being served isn’t nutritious and supporting your healthy holiday eating goals, you know you’ll have at least one dish that is better for you.

Minimize Alcohol Consumption

The holidays are the most common time of year for people to justify drinking an excessive amount of alcohol, but that doesn’t need to be the case. If you want to have a glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail, you can. In support of your health goals, know that alcohol can still be enjoyed in moderation. Keep in mind that alcohol delivers empty calories that you don’t need, and can diminish your inhibitions and clear thinking, leading to you to potentially make unhealthy choices when it comes to your diet. Also, if you choose to drink alcohol, be sure to alternate with drinking water, as alcohol is dehydrating!

Don’t Be Unrealistic – Aim for Balance

There’s no use in telling yourself that you’re only going to eat one cookie during the entire month of December. By thinking that way, you’re setting yourself up for failure before the festivities have even begun. Allow yourself to eat the things you want to eat but do so in moderation. If you want to try multiple desserts on the table, you can. Try taking just a small piece of each. Be mindful that you’re not only eating portions of the sweets—try the healthier foods, too! You should aim for a balanced diet as much as possible when striving for healthy holiday eating, and just accept that some additional sweets will be included in what you’re eating.

Start with Veggies

Peruse the food table at parties before you start piling food on your plate. When you’re ready to eat and start filling up your dish, start with the veggies. Allow them to take up at least half the plate, and then add smaller portions of other foods. You can also start eating your vegetables first. Vegetables will help you get full faster and will help you get more nutrients, meaning you may not be hungry enough for that extra slice of pie or that extra serving of cheesy potatoes.

TrueCare’s VP of Nutrition and Registered Dietitian, Mary Sammer, advises, “if you know the party will be only appetizers or snacks, which tend to be higher in calories and fat, consider eating a small meal before you go. Don’t arrive on an empty stomach.”

Get the whole family involved in eating healthy during the holidays. Check out our healthy snacks for kids.

Savor Each Bite

Mindfulness plays a huge role in healthy eating. It’s not just about making good food choices and ensuring those healthy foods get on your plate–it’s also about truly savoring each bite of those delicious, rich foods you’ve been craving since the last time you ate them. Close your eyes when you take a bite of pie or eat smaller bites of that brownie to ensure you get all the satisfaction from consuming it. At the same time, try to avoid mindless eating, such as when you’re standing near the food table talking and munching on different foods for far too long. Be conscious of what you’re eating, how it tastes, and how it makes you feel.

Sammer adds, “Attend parties with a predetermined mindset. If you arrive with a mindset to enjoy a few food items that you really love, you will be able to ignore the temptation of all the other options. Also, use your power to make your own choices about what you eat or don’t eat, don’t let others choose for you.”

Don’t Let a Slip-Up Sideline You

Let’s say you’re going strong with making good food choices for the first few holiday parties, and then that work party just knocks you back a notch. There are literally zero vegetables at this party, so you fill up with homemade macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, buttery rolls, and all the cake and cookies you can find. You know you slipped up and made some bad choices, and you feel really guilty about it. Acknowledge it for what it is—a onetime slip-up. Then, mentally hit your refresh button and move on with a renewed sense of motivation. Don’t just throw up your arms and decide that since you didn’t do it perfectly, you just aren’t going to do it at all anymore. One meal doesn’t define your entire diet, so simply get back on track at the next meal and resolve to make healthy choices moving forward.

Don’t Skip Meals

A lot of people choose this tactic to try to “save calories,” but it often leads to excessive overeating and is a bad habit that should be avoided. It is better for your overall health to eat normal-sized meals leading up to a big holiday dinner and just eat in moderation at that special occasion dinner. It’s also possible that skipping meals will make you feel sick and leave you less hungry than if you had just eaten normally. Aim to eat a well-balanced diet throughout the day, even on days with big get-togethers, and that will help you continue to make good choices towards your healthy holiday eating plan.

Stay Active

Healthy eating is about far more than just eating—it’s also about the choices you make to maintain your overall wellness. Staying active during the holiday season is a great way to hold yourself accountable for making healthy choices and minimizing poor food choices. Not only will it help you with digestion and absorption of key nutrients, but it will also keep you burning calories and getting some fresh air. Something as simple as a post-dinner walk will help you substantially. Make it a family affair to enjoy staying active even more, maybe by going ice skating, completing outdoor chores, or just walking through the neighborhood together.

Get Enough Sleep

A lack of sleep not only impacts your health, but it can also lead to making poor food choices. Sleep-deprived individuals often have harder-to-control blood sugar, meaning you won’t feel great and you’ll be looking for snacks far more often than you should be. Exhaustion also leads to generally worse decisions, including poor food choices. It’s easy to stay up late when family is around and everyone is enjoying each other’s company, but you need to prioritize sleep even during the holidays so you have a clear mind and make the best healthy eating choices all season long.

Staying active and getting good sleep is also good for hearth health too!

Focus On What’s Truly Important

It can be easy to get caught up in and distracted by all the stressors and temptations that come around this time of year. Holiday nutrition is about trying your best to keep some perspective and remember that at the end of the day, it’s not about gobbling down all the desserts or making yourself feel guilty over that one cookie. It’s about spending time doing the things that bring you joy, embracing the spirit of the season, and valuing healthy holiday eating.

If you have questions or concerns about your weight, your diet, or your overall health, TrueCare can help. We have several clinic locations across the North San Diego and Riverside counties and can assist you in meeting a variety of your health care goals. If you live in Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, San Marcos, Ramona, or Perris, contact us today.

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website, are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read on this website.