Research shows that diet and learning are interconnected. As a nutritionist and parent today, I believe we should be asking the question, “What are the best tolerated, easiest to digest, and most nutrient-rich foods my child can eat?” The food our children eat is either nourishing or negatively impacting their daily lives. While MyPlate is better than the outdated USDA kids MyPyramid, I and many other nutritionists today believe that many improvements still need to be made. To be most protective of children’s health, I’d like to see them recommend eating an organic diet, that includes high quality grass-fed meat as well. One recent study showed that children eating conventional produce had 6 times the level of pesticides in their bodies than those on an organic diet. Pesticides in non-organic foods are the primary way children become exposed to these damaging neurotoxins. That means the vegetable portion is merely a quarter of the plate, which may not allow for the levels of vegetables kids should really be eating.īecause vegetables have incredible properties including decreasing cancer risk, improving behavioral symptoms in ADHD, I’d like to see more description of the diverse types of veggies available in their veggie category.Īnd MyPlate makes no mention of the advantages of choosing organic. Regarding the “fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables” suggestion, almost half is reserved for fruit. It also doesn’t consider common food allergens like wheat and dairy products, and there’s no mention of how to add good oils and healthy fats into your child’s diet. The MyPlate model doesn’t account for inflammatory foods that can aggravate issues like autism, ADHD, anxiety, and gastrointestinal problems. While this may be a starting point for those struggling to move past obesity, there are better ways to fuel the body long-term, and to provide the nutrition children need. It also urges children to have a glass of low-fat dairy (like a cup of milk) with each meal and to engage in regular physical activity. Their basic premise is to fill half your child’s plate with fruits and vegetables, avoid sugary beverages like fruit juices, and opt for more whole grains. MyPlate is a fairly simple approach to children’s nutrition that aims to encourage kids to eat healthy.
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