Why do children – especially babies over the age of 6 months who have been breastfed – need to consume iron-rich foods? And what’s the best diet for achieving iron sufficiency? The question can be tricky, because many foods, including some with substantial iron content, contain chemical compounds that interfere with iron absorption.
Got a picky eater? These research-based insights can help you add healthful new foods to your child’s diet.
Picky eaters can drive us crazy, but their quirks and preferences aren’t entirely arbitrary. Read about the biological differences that turn some kids into fussy, selective eaters.
Babies learn about flavors even before they are born. Can prenatal learning give rise to food preferences? Can it make some individuals more prone to consume alcohol?
Flavors in breast milk? From the food that mothers ingest? Yes, it really happens, and babies can taste the difference. Read what studies tell us about how early exposure to flavors — in breast milk and baby formula — can influence a baby’s willingness to eat solid foods.
Mothers and their young children are at elevated risk for iron deficiency. Can we solve the problem by eating lots of iron-rich foods? Yes, but success also depends on the bioavailability of dietary iron. Learn what influences iron absorption, and how you can improve your iron status by making smarter dietary choices.
Sleep loss is linked with weight gain, but why? Experiments suggest that sleep restriction prompts kids to seek out sugary snacks and drinks.
© 2019 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Vitamin A supplements are helpful for children who have a vitamin A deficiency. But most healthy, well-nourished kids don’t need supplements. And some kids may be getting too much vitamin A — consuming excessive levels of preformed vitamin A in liver, dairy products, fish oil, multivitamins, and … Continue reading
© 2009-2014 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Putting nutrition for kids in an evolutionary context It’s become a cliché. Paleolithic people were athletic, fit, and free from the chronic diseases associated with modern, affluent, sedentary lifestyles: obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. Why? They exercised regularly, walking an average of 8 miles a day. … Continue reading
New research offers important insights about nutrition for kids. For example, studies confirm that, for their body weight, children burn more fat (Kostyak et al 2007). These and other observations suggest that many seemingly natural, healthful diets for adults are inappropriate for children. What else should parents keep in mind? Here is an index to … Continue reading
© 2010-2014 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Recent research confirms that fish are high in nutrients essential for brain growth. Pregnant women who eat fish, and parents who include fish in their children’s diets, are providing their families with omega-3 fatty acids that may boost cognitive development (Strain et al 2012). But unfortunately there … Continue reading
© 2009 – 2013 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Should your kids drink milk? There are many benefits of milk consumption. For families that rarely or never eat meat, milk and milk products may represent important sources of protein Milk can boost calcium and vitamin D levels–both crucial for development and for the prevention … Continue reading