Peninsula Pediatrics

Category: Nutrition & Healthy Eating

Heart-Healthy Habits for Kids

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When we think about the risk for heart disease, we often think about it as something for adults to be concerned about. But did you know that the risk for heart disease can start as young as the childhood years? To minimize future heart disease risk, it’s important to make sure that your child is following heart-healthy habits for lifelong wellness. Teaching children good health practices, like eating a well-balanced diet and staying active, helps lay the foundation for strong cardiovascular health into adulthood.

To start with, one of the most impactful ways to ensure heart health is a nutritious diet that is rich in nutrients and low in ingredients that can harm your child’s heart over time. A diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins helps nourish growing bodies while keeping cholesterol and blood pressure in check. Foods high in saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium, commonly found in ultra-processed foods, should be limited, as these can raise cholesterol levels and increase future heart disease risk. A good example of how to think of your children’s meals is to have a colorful plate half-filled with veggies and fruits, choose whole-grain bread over white bread, and serve water or milk instead of sugary beverages. 

In addition to eating healthy, kids should get daily exercise. It is recommended that children and teens get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity most days. Some ideas to keep kids active include taking a walk outside, running, riding a bike, dancing, playing sports, and swimming. Make sure to also limit sedentary screen time, like playing video games or watching TV, to encourage kids to stay active. 

Both eating a healthy diet and getting exercise helps kids manage weight so that their heart doesn’t have to work harder, which can contribute to conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes, all of which are linked to heart disease. If you’re unsure or concerned about your child’s weight or growth, talk with your pediatrician as they can help you understand what a healthy range looks like for your child’s age and build and how best to support them. Regular well visits are also the perfect time to check on cardiovascular indicators like cholesterol and blood pressure.

Some heart-related risks can be inherited. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children with no family history of heart disease have cholesterol checks between the ages of 9 and 12. If close relatives have early heart disease or high cholesterol, it’s best to start screening as early as age 2. Early detection allows families and pediatricians to make changes that can dramatically reduce future risk. Understanding your family’s health history and sharing it with your child’s pediatrician can help guide personalized recommendations for screenings and lifestyle choices.

Beyond food and exercise, simple routines like ensuring good sleep, managing stress, and avoiding exposure to tobacco can also support heart health. A restful night helps regulate appetite and energy, while reducing stress keeps the body’s systems functioning well. Staying smoke-free and avoiding secondhand smoke protects children’s developing cardiovascular systems. 

Children learn best by watching the adults in their lives. If they see their parents choosing fruits and vegetables, being active, and valuing wellness, they are more likely to adopt these habits themselves. Making heart-healthy living a family effort, like cooking meals together or taking evening walks, makes it feel less like a chore and more like a fun part of daily life. 

If you have any questions about healthy lifestyle habits, screenings, or your family’s heart health, don’t hesitate to call our office. We’re here to support you in raising a healthy, thriving child!

Caffeine & Energy Drinks: What Every Parent Should Know

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While a cup of coffee or tea can be healthy for most adults, it’s important to consider the effects of caffeine on your children’s development and growth. Caffeine affects kids differently than it does adults, and there are health risks that should be taken into consideration. Knowing how much caffeine is safe, what to watch out for, and how energy drinks factor in will help you guide your child toward healthier choices.

Caffeine is a stimulant found naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao, and in some plants like guarana. It’s also added to many beverages and energy drinks. In children and teens, their bodies and brains are still developing, which means caffeine can have stronger effects. It can increase heart rate, raise blood pressure, trigger rapid breathing, cause nausea, restlessness, or anxiety, and interfere with sleep. Even hours after consuming caffeine, children may feel its effects, and when it wears off, they might experience headaches, irritability, or tiredness.

Caffeine can also reduce appetite or lead to eating less nutritious foods. When children drink caffeinated beverages, they may be less likely to consume fruits, vegetables, and other important sources of vitamins and minerals, which are essential for healthy growth. Disrupted sleep, poor concentration, or mood changes often follow, and these can affect school performance, emotional well-being, and overall health.

It’s not just coffee and tea that have caffeine. Energy drinks also have caffeine and tend to have higher amounts, along with other stimulants, such as guarana, taurine, or taurine-like ingredients. In fact, most energy drinks contain more than 100mg of caffeine, which is more than the limit recommended for kids ages 12-18. Energy drinks often contain large amounts of added sugar as well, which can lead to weight gain, tooth decay, and spikes in energy followed by crashes. Frequent consumption of energy drinks has been linked to symptoms such as nervousness, shaking hands, stomach problems, headaches, irregular heart rhythms, and sleep disturbances. Kids with underlying health conditions, like heart issues or anxiety, may be at even greater risk.

Many sodas also contain caffeine, although they have less than coffee, tea, and energy drinks. For example, Pepsi Zero has 38mg of caffeine, Diet Coke has 46mg, and Mountain Dew has 54mg. Caffeine can also be found in some foods, like chocolate. A 3.5-ounce dark chocolate bar could have anywhere from 50 to 150 mg of caffeine. Ice cream, protein bars, chocolate chips, energy bars, and chewing gum can also have hidden caffeine.

For children under the age of 12, it is recommended to limit caffeine as much as possible or avoid it altogether. For kids ages 12-18, staying at or under 100mg of caffeine per day is recommended. Pay close attention to labels on beverages your children drink, as caffeine can show up in unexpected places. It’s also important to be aware of caffeine pouches that can be appealing to teens. The caffeine in them is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, producing effects within minutes. These pouches can contain as much as 200mg of caffeine, leading to potentially dangerous doses for kids.

To help kids avoid caffeine, encourage them to drink water instead. Water is the best choice of drink for kids and the best way to stay hydrated. Some kids turn to caffeinated beverages like coffee to stay awake or concentrate in school. To discourage relying on caffeine, make sure your child is getting enough sleep. Caffeine may improve energy levels and alertness, but it is not a substitute for lost sleep.

If your child does overdose on caffeine, it’s important to get them medical help right away. Signs of caffeine overdose include a racing or irregular heartbeat, body shakes and tremors, anxiety, and hyperactivity. If you’re ever concerned about your child’s caffeine use or how it’s affecting their health, please call our office.

How to Help Picky Eaters

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If your child is a picky eater, getting them to eat well-balanced meals and healthy foods can feel like an everyday battle! It’s especially common for toddlers and young children to be picky eaters. Children can develop food preferences from an early age and trying new things can cause mealtime conflicts. However, there are many strategies that can help kids break out of picky eating patterns. 

One tip that is always recommended is to eat together as a family as often as possible and with no distractions, such as using media devices or cell phones or watching television. When you eat together as a family, you have an opportunity to model healthy eating. Children are more likely to develop good eating habits when they see the rest of the family following them. At mealtime, it’s helpful to add at least one food your child likes. This will encourage them to eat their entire meal when they have something on their plate that they enjoy. We advise against offering food bribes, such as a treat or dessert if your child finishes their meal. While it is okay to let your child enjoy an occasional treat or dessert, making it part of a reward system for finishing their meal can turn eating healthy into an unpleasant chore rather than a normal routine.  

Making food fun can entice your kids to eat the foods you give them. Consider cutting foods into fun shapes or arranging them in creative ways so that they’re more exciting. Try adding flavors or mixing up the foods to make them tasty. For example, you might want to offer your child a fun dip to go along with their vegetables or add sauce, herbs, or spices to their meals. Sometimes changing the texture can help. For example, if your child doesn’t like eating raw carrots, you can try heating and mashing them. It might take some trial and error to see what flavors and textures your child prefers. The key is to be patient during the process and keep trying to add new foods as well as foods your child previously had an aversion to. It takes time for kids’ taste buds to evolve. 

When your child refuses to eat the food that you give them, avoid fighting them over it. Pressuring kids can make them more adamant about not eating or dislike the food even more. Substitute the food for something else that provides the same nutrients. For example, if your child hates radishes, try giving them Brussels sprouts instead. Another method that can be helpful is the food bridge method. This is using a food your child already likes as a bridge to introduce a new food. An example is if they like mashed potatoes, serve some with broccoli and cheese. Once they can accept that, you can then offer broccoli with cheese alone.  

Lastly, we recommend involving kids in the meal planning process. Let them have a say in some of the ingredients you use and the fruits and vegetables you pick out. Give them a menu of healthy options and make sure that the different food groups are included, i.e. grains, protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fat, vegetables, etc.  

If you’re still struggling with picky eaters in your household and you’re concerned that your child is not getting enough nutrients, contact our office to speak to our pediatrician for the best course of action to take.