dinikusuma.com

Archive for the ‘Diet and Nutrition’ Category

Spinach might be the best veggie for Popeye, but he would change his view when he knew broccoli at the first time. Not that spinach isn’t good food. But broccoli and it’s cruciferous relatives (cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage) are not only good foods, but evidence is growing that they may protect against cancer.

The reason may be sulforaphane, a chemical found in these vegetables, which has been shown to block the growth of tumors, probably by jump-starting the body’s output of “phase 2 enzymes”, which detoxify cancer-causing substances and help flush them from the body – though some other chemical components of the cruciferous vegetables are also under study. Read the rest of this entry »

People have asserted for years that children who have consumed too much sugar will show signs of hyperactive behavior. There are some debates from many studies about this issue; some studies said sugar has much effect on children’s behavior, while others said more researches are needed to prove the statement.

In the meantime, there are still plenty of reasons to restrict the amount of sugar your toddler consumes. For one, sugar is totally without nutritional value, it provides no vitamins, no minerals, nothing but calories. And the calories that sugar contributes to a toddler’s diet can better come from a more worthy source. For another, sugar often keeps bad company; it is frequently found in combination with other nutritional undesirable, unhealthy ingredients, such as fats and refined grains, or we can say it’s just an “empty” food. For yet another, sugar and sugary foods contribute significantly to tooth decay and may contribute to obesity. Read the rest of this entry »

For many toddlers, eating can be something of a bore. Busy with playing, learning, and generally having a good time, they’re often reluctant to leave all that fun for the radium of the table.

But most will be more willing to sit down for a meal if it’s fun, too. So give joy and merriment on his dish, or perhaps dare to create some merry meals of your own. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a long day at the office, the shop, the day-care center, the park, the mall, the market – or any combination of these. You’re too tired to think, never mind cook. Your toddler’s too hungry to wait, and too cranky to sit in a restaurant and be waited on. Those golden arches or that drive-trough window beckon seductively, promising a quick, inexpensive, and virtually effortless family meal. You waver, and then as the pleas (“I wanna kid’s meal! I wanna kid’s meal”) drown out any remnants of your resolve (“No kid of mine is going to eat fast food”) you relent. As you watch your toddler gleefully dunking greasy fries and chicken nuggets into sugary ketchup and barbeque sauce with the kind of appetite that young children seem to reserve for foods their parents don’t want them to eat, you silently vow to be stronger next time – knowing, deep inside, that you’re vowing in vain.

But don’t be too hard on yourself. Fast-food franchises cater to the most basic human needs, and when you’re the harried parent of a toddler, you’re only human for responding. But do keep fast-food excursions from compromising your toddler’s overall diet – and health – by adhering (at least, most of the time) to these caveats: Read the rest of this entry »

When a vitamin comes in its natural package, not only is that vitamins ingested, but so are other nutrients (some of which we aren’t even aware of yet) that work with it for good health. For this reason, orange, papaya, and pineapple juice (rich in vitamin C), apricot nectar, tomato juice (rich in vitamin A), mango juice and vegetable juice (rich in both), and other naturally nutritious juices should be your beverages of choice.

At this point, orange juice has another score that also contains calcium. Apple juice, still a natural beverage, is a distant second best; it’s better choice if it is enriched with vitamin C (but do not serve unpasteurized cider since it could be contaminated with hazardous bacteria). Though it doesn’t naturally contain great quantities of any of the known vitamins, some ingredients in apples are beginning to get scientific attention, and maybe one day soon the reasoning behind proverb “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” will become clear. Read the rest of this entry »

Whether this good value habit comes from their own desire or from family philosophy, the vegetarian toddlers need adequate meatless diet. Although it is quite surprising for some people, a vegetarian diet for toddler is not only provides all the nutrients young bodies need to grow and go on, but it can be one of the healthiest dietary lifestyles around. Parents who have vegetarian toddler should know all nutrition your toddler need :

Making every bite count. Although this statement is common for feeding every toddler, but it is especially important for young vegetarians. Since vegetarian foods generally are larger than other foods, for example a few bites of chicken have the same amount of protein with nearly a cup of rice and beans, thus makes vegetarian toddlers likely to get fuller faster. That’s why parents should really consider their toddler’s intake for eating only notorious food.

Keep an eye on protein intake. Toddlers who eat dairy products and eggs can easily fill their daily requirement for protein. But vegan toddlers, who eat no animal products at all, can easily fall short of this category. And since protein is essential to growth, it’s important for parents to ensure their toddler get adequate protein. To meet enough non-animal sources that equal to protein in animal and dairy products – provide all the amino acids found in animal protein –, parents shouldn’t rely only on soybean products such as tofu, tempe or soybeans formula, because soybeans is short on methionine. It’s better, easier and wiser to mix all non-animal protein sources on your toddler’s plate (bean soup with rice, pasta with pies). Read the rest of this entry »