Page 1 of 21: My children have an intolerance to both wheat and dairy. Is it ok to give them small amounts on occasion?
Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My children have an intolerance to both wheat and dairy. Is it ok to give them small amounts on occasion, which doesn’t seem to have to much of an effect? Or would that still be doing internal damage?
Susie's advice:
If you feel that your child may have a food intolerance, the best thing you can do is have this properly assessed by an allergy specialist as there may be long term consequences of exposing a child with an allergy or intolerance to the offending foods over time.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My daughter is 15, been vegetarian for 5 years and vegan for 6 months. How can I make sure her diet contains enough iron, fatty acids etc. Her monthly cycle seems erratic and I worry it is caused by her diet.
Susie's advice:
In order for a teenage vegan to get all the key nutrients including Vitamin B12, iron, protein, zinc and essential fatty acids, she would need to be drinking calcium fortified soy milk, eating tofu or beans on a daily basis as well as a variety of nuts and seeds. Given the increased energy requirements of this age group, as well as sporadic eating patterns, it may also be a wise idea to supplement her diet with a women’s multivitamin.
Question:
We are vegetarian. My three-year-old loves fruits. She also takes 3 serves of milk/cheese for calcium. But how can we get iron incorporated in her diet as well?
Susie's advice:
For vegetarians, the best non meat sources of iron include eggs, wholegrain breads and breakfast cereals as well as beans. Aim for eggs or beans to be included in her diet every day and serve wholegrain bread or breakfast cereal with a Vitamin C food to enhance the absorption of the plant sources of iron.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My child will not eat any vegetables besides potatoes. How can I supplement her diet?
Susie's advice:
For non vegetable eaters, apart from adding them to favourite dishes such as pasta, soup inconspicuously, try using a vegetable based juice or a general children’s multivitamin once each day. Remember that is does not matter if children eat various forms of salad or vegetables raw, as long as they eat them.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My three-year-old boy was a large baby from six month's to about eighteen month's was not a good eater then. Now he is three and still not a good eater but is still tall for his age and look's thin but has a good weight for his age. He will eat a lot of white bread and rolls with no butter, just promite, likes instant noddles and nuggett's, cracker bread and he loves McDonald's. I don't know what to give him when I look after him I offer different thing's but will not even try any idea's from his worried nan.
Susie's advice:
Remember that children will eat what food is available to them. If you keep purchasing fast food, white bread and noodles, the 3 year old will learn that he will have access to these foods. The best thing to do is rid the home of all these non-nutritious, processed foods and offer your grandson plain, good food such as sandwiches, yoghurt, fruit or crackers – if he is hungry enough he will eat them.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My son is two and half and weighs only 12 kilos. He was a healthy toddler but has recently lost weight as he is a very fussy eater.
Susie's advice:
Twelve kilograms is the average weight for a two-and-a-half-year-old so you have nothing to worry about. Remember that as many children in Australia are overweight, the normal weight ones often look thin. It is very common for toddlers to demonstrate some fussy eating behaviour at this age so keep offering him a range of healthy food options and trust that he will eat if and when he is hungry.
Question:
What are the best foods to feed a skinny four-year-old kid? He eats well but he just drops weight.
Susie's advice:
Skinny kids do not need any different food than that of regular weight kids. Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrain breads and dairy will ensure your child has access to a variety of foods that will give him plenty of nutrients – he may always be skinny!
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
Is there another alternative to the multivitamin Pentavite with iron available, as our son really dislikes the taste?
Susie's advice:
There are a large number of multivitamins that are specially formulated for children and any of these are a good alternative to Pentavite.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My four-year-old son will not eat the same meal as the rest of the family as he says he doesn’t like it, even if he has never had it before, what do I do?
Susie's advice:
If you start making your son a different meal to the rest of the family, you are going to find yourself in a situation in which your son expects this regularly. It is normal for children to not always love the meal that they are being offered for dinner but they do need to learn that the decision of what is being served is not up to them. Simply ensuring that there is always one food item on the plate that your child does like is one way to ensure they are able to eat one aspect of the family meal, even if they claim not to like the meal.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My 5-year-old gets really sore tummy from most foods, (except fruit and vegies), her biological father is allergic to wheat, her test came back clear. What could be giving her tummy aches?
Susie's advice:
There is no easy answer to this question but the best option is to discuss these symptoms with a paediatric gastroenterologist and/or allergist to determine if there are any medical causes of these aches.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers.
Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My daughter's hair is not growing very fast, she has only had her hair cut four times in her life. She is 7-years-old and it is just past her neck. Is there any foods that I can add to her diet to help her hair to grow faster?
Susie's advice:
Unfortunately no, there are no specific foods that will help hair grow faster although ensuring an adequate intake of zinc form seafood and lean red meat as well as the vitamins and minerals found in fresh fruits and vegetables will ensure that the cells do have all the key nutrients for optimal hair cell growth.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My 15-year-old girl has never eaten nor can I make her eat fruit is she going to have problems when she is older she is quiet thin as well.
Susie's advice:
To be honest, it is incredibly difficult to change eating habits once they have been established for many years, unless the teen in question wants to. The next best option would be to try and get her to have a mixed fruit and vegetable juice, snack on raw vegetables and add a multivitamin to her diet.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My son is 15, 175cm tall and weighs 76kg. He is carrying extra weight around his stomach in particular. He is active with over 5 hours of structured exercise a week (boxing and hockey). He is also on the go constantly at school lunch breaks. How many calories/kilojoules a day should he be eating to help him lose weight but ensure he is still getting the nutrition he needs for growth?
Susie's advice:
Teens are at high risk of weight gain because although they may be quite active, they also tend to spend much time sitting down and when this is coupled with high risk feeding behaviours such as skipping breakfast, drinking juice and soft drink and snacking on highly processed, high carb foods, weight gain results. Your son is likely to need between 7000-9000kJ per day. The best balance for safe, sustainable weight loss for teens is to include a protein rich breakfast such as eggs on toast, eliminate all sugar based drinks and keep dinner light with lean meat and lots of vegetables.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
I've seen the dietary pyramid for adults but is there one of babies? I've started my beautiful baby on solids but need to know what I should be including.
Susie's advice:
When you start solids, make sure you start with bland tasting foods such as natural yoghurt, mashed vegetables before you do sweet tasting fruits. This order helps to prevent a small child’s taste buds developing a preference for sweet tasting foods. Also remember the importance introducing pureed meat as soon as you can as lean red meat is the richest source of iron for babies.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers.
Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My two-and-a-half-year-old will only eat two minute noodles for lunch and dinner. How bad are they?
Susie's advice:
Not great – noodles offer highly processed carbohydrates and little other nutritionally. Remember, a two-and-a-half-year-old will eat the food that you offer them so if you keep offering two minute noodles, your two-and-a-half-year-old will learn that they are allowed to eat these all the time and they will be missing out on the key nutrients they need for optimal growth and development.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My son is underweight by about 2kg. I cook him many meals but he either won't eat it or only have a few spoonfuls and that is it. I also try not to give him too much junk food as this causes him to get hyperactive. Is him being underweight a concern and what are some ideas to get him to eat more?
Susie's advice:
Depending on his age and height, 2 kg is not a significant amount of weight and at this stage I would not be concerned – some children are less interested in food than others and often the worst thing we can do is force them to eat. If he starts to lose weight, then you may need to take him to a paediatrician to ensure there is not an underlying cause of this weight loss and lack of interest in food.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My son is allergic to all nuts, dairy, eggs and potato. I'm concerned about his daily requirement of dairy - how can I increase this?
Susie's advice:
For non dairy consumers, calcium enriched soy milk, yoghurt and ice cream is generally the answer when it comes to making sure that they are reaching their daily calcium requirement.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
What are the portion sizes, and how many serves, of meat, vegies, fruit, dairy, bread etc to feed babies under 1 during weaning from breastfeeding and what is the same for over 1's?
Susie's advice:
Each and every child is different on average a 1-2 year old child will need 600mls milk, 1-2 other serves of dairy, 1-2 small pieces of fruit, 1 cup of vegetables or salad, 3-4 serves of bread or cereal and 1-2 small serves of meat, chicken or fish.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My son is two years and three months and he does not like to eat any solid food. His diet is only milk and Farex. What else we can give him?
Susie's advice:
If children have missed the key learning period between 6-8 months when they first learn to eat solid food, it can be challenging to get them to chew. It is important that you work hard to change these habits as your child will not be getting all the key foods he needs to grow optimally. Start by weaning him off milk and starting each meal with a small bowl of food he has to chew. Start with one meal at a time and gradually build by textures as you would for a baby. It will be difficult at first but it is crucial your son learns these chewing skills in order to expand his diet ASAP.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
I was wondering what age children can start eating tuna? My daughter is almost 11 months old, but I am worried about the mercury levels. What types of fish are safe to eat at her age?
Susie's advice:
Generally speaking, the tinned tuna we have access to is unlikely to have high levels of mercury. At 11 months it is fine to introduce some tuna and as long as you do not eat it more than 2-3 times each week there will be no issues.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My daughter is two-and-a-half-years-old is completely obsessed with food. She doesn't seem to ever get full, never turns down food and her whole life revolves around when she is going to eat next. She reads cookbooks instead of kids books and literally shoves food into my, her dads and her babys sisters mouths if we are not eating fast enough. We have taken her to see doctors and they have all said she just has a big appetite. They also say she does not have Prader Willi Syndrome. Do you see any other kids like this? It has been happening since she started solids. At the moment she is not overweight, just little chubby as is her frame.
Susie's advice:
Some children are not at all interested in food, while others are obsessed – it simply comes down to different personalities and situations. The best things you can do is try and remain unemotional when it comes to feeding your child and teach her that there are times and eat and times not too. In between meal times, offer only plain vegetables and water. Keep her as busy as possible, have firm limits at the table so that she does not touch the food on other people’s plates and slow down her eating at meals. While she may always be interested in food, you can limit her exposure and control her behaviour around it to a certain extent.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
Forget all the pc stuff about five serves of veg etc, does it matter in the short term if a child doesn’t eat veg? He will eat fruit.
Susie's advice:
It does as children are learning eating habits that they maintain for life. Try and identify at least 1-2 different vegetable or salad items that your child will eat and include them in the diet on a daily basis so your child learns that these are foods that we all have to eat every day to keep healthy - and remember that 2 pieces of fruit is more than enough for the average child.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers. Consultant Dietitian and Nutritionist Susie Burrell answers Woman's Day reader's questions about child nutrition.
Question:
My 11-year-old daughter is underweight, however I can not find out what her weight or portion sizes should be. She is 11-years-old, 147cm tall and currently weighs 39kg with shoes. Can you please tell me what her weight and portion sizes should be?
Susie's advice:
I have good news for you – your daughter is in the healthy weight range. To maintain this she will need 5-6 serves of breads or cereals, 3-4 serves of dairy, 2-3 serves of meat, chicken, fish or eggs, 1-2 of fat and 1-2 cups of vegetables or salad.
Click through our list (right) for more child nutrition question and answers.
