Question 3
A parent voices concern in the amount of added sugar in some RTECs and prefers that their child does not eat them. What would be your response to this?
posted by Unknown @ 6:53 PM
32 comments
ISU Dietetic Internship Journal Club
Objective: To become familiar with current scientific literature on a variety of nutrition topics and to gain experience in gathering, organizing, critically evaluating, presenting and facilitating group discussion of the literature and the implications to practice.
32 Comments:
I would explain to the parent that although there is added sugar in these RTEC, the benefits of consumption would outweigh the harm of extra sugar. Additionally, as long as the RTEC are consumed in moderation it shouldn't be a problem. I would also explain to her that there are RTEC options that are better than other. Education on how to decipher the nutrition facts label would help this parent make smarter choices with less sugar for their child.
I would agree with them for the most part. It is the parents job to provide the choices they feel are appropriate for the child and the child to decide what to eat. I would recommend several cerals that do not have added sugar to them for her to substitute. I would also recommend ones that use dried fruit for a sweetener. Finally, I would suggest that she has other sweet fruits around that the child could put on the cereal if they really want some flavor. If none of these options work usually going for a light almond or soy milk that is flavored with vanilla has much less sugar in it than cereals like fruity pebbles but would still give them a lot of flavor on a cereal with no added sugar.
I agree with Kaitilin if the child was very resistant to taking away their cereal I would suggest that the sugar is not going to hurt them as much as not eating breakfast. So in addition to my comment before I think the child should be a part of this conversation. That way they can hear about why you are looking for lower sugar options and also what is some of their "favorite" foods that might have a little less sugar in them.
First I think that it would be important to inform the mother that it would be better for her child to eat these RTECs than nothing at all but I understand where her concern is coming from. If the mother is concerned with the added sugar than I give her healthier options. There are cereals without added sugars such as Kix. If the parent has time in the morning a warm breakfast is always an option.
First, I would praise the mom for being aware of the nutritional value of the foods she's providing her child. Then I'd do as many of you have already said and discuss the pros/cons of RTECs. Since she's already decided that she doesn't want the child eating them, I'd work with her to find other meal options that fit their lifestyle. There are plenty!
I would emphasize with the parent and their concerns. Explaining the benefits of the cereals and Breakfast consumption is important to understand for the parent. However, if he parent still disagrees, another plan can be chalked out:
Based on what the child likes/dislikes, giving them healthier alternatives is definitely an option.
I agree with several points above:
Kaitlin summarizes the situation very well. I like Nate's point about personalizing the meal. Emily made a great point about acknowledging the parent's awareness level.
Keep in mind that <5% of added sugar in a child's diet actually comes from cereal. The majority comes from sugar-sweetened beverages.
I'd inquire into the parent's concern and see where they are getting their source of information—is it reading food labeling, the media, a friend? Ultimately it is my goal to compliment his/her concern for the nutritional wellbeing of their child and encourage them to focus on food labeling in determining the best breakfast options for their family. Pointing out that not all cereals contain lots of refined sugars and that they often are fortified might encourage him/her to choose RTEC as a breakfast option.
I would point out that, although they have a valid concern, there are a few cereals out there that are not laden with so much sugar. Cheerios are always a good standby but, as a concerned parent, I have found other low-sugar options in the natural foods section of the grocery store. Sometimes I think it is important to weight the pros and cons as well. Yes, there is lot of sugar but does it also provide whole grains, protein, vitamins and minerals? Sometimes its about finding a balance.
I think it is important to let the mother know that it is great that she is concerned about her child's diet. I would give her some ideas on other possible breakfast choices that would be slightly healthier. After that I would ask if her child would actually eat any of those things or if they only want cereal. If she said that the child would most likely refuse any other breakfast I would tell her some better RTEC choices and then explain the importance of breakfast even if it does contain sugar.
I would encourage the parent choose other options that are low in added sugar such as Shredded Wheat or Mini Wheats (unfrosted). Teaching him or her what to look for on the food labels. Also, if they are still unsure about it, no problem. Explain that there are so many breakfast foods and choosing whole grain options, protein sources such as eggs, milk, lean breakfast meats, and peanut butter as well as fruits and veggies should be included.
Moderation and a balanced diet is key and educating the parent on this and providing information showing the benefits of RTEC along with portion sizes may be helpful to ease the parents' concerns about the increased sugar consumption. Also, providing other options that have less added sugar may be beneficial to the parent and give the children the ability to choose amongst an assortment of breakfast items to increase their feelings of autonomy which increases their intrinsic motivation and the likelihood of the child to develop consistent and healthy breakfast habits that accompany them into their adult life and we all know the importance of eating breakfast in overall health.
Sarah S. said...
I would tell the parent that I understand where they are coming from, but that not all RTEC's have a lot of added sugar. I would offer suggestions of some kinds that have less and make sure they understood how to determine the better options. I would also help them come up with options on how their child can still get adequate nutrition without eating RTEC's.
Sarah S. said...
I also agree with Nate that making the child a part of the conversation is important. Understanding their likes and dislikes is an important part of this equation. They have to like what you come up with, or else you have just spent a lot of time on something that isn't very helpful.
I would explain that there are low sugar options available, whether it is the parent's choice at the grocery store or the child's choice at school. Most cereals offered at school are the sweetened varieties, but there are usually regular Cheerios or rice chex available. Some education on label reading to decipher sugar content might also be appropriate and should be pretty simple for the parent to grasp. My 9-year old can figure out how much sugar is in a cereal already. I would also discuss on other healthy breakfast options with the parent. While there is nothing wrong with not eating RTECs, I would not want the child be be served a high fat/sodium breakfast every day.
Alana made a great point to bring into the discussion.. the added sugar in cereals is likely not the greatest source in the child's diet. SSBs are usually the biggest culprit. There are also a lot of what appear to be 'healthy' foods that are loaded with sugar. A lot of the kids yogurts have more than 15g of sugar in a 4oz serving. I would make sure to ask some questions of the parent to better understand the child's diet. It may be that the parent really does try to limit the amount of added sugar in the child's diet, or it could be a case of being misinformed.
For the most part, I would agree with her. RTECs are only nutritious because we have fortified them. There is little protein in them and not too much fiber so they are not very filling. However, if the child does not like other breakfast foods, it is better to let them eat the cereal than nothing at all.
I agree, Alana did make a good point about the added sugar from RTECs, and Angela about about the "healthy" foods also laden with sugar. I also want to point out that I've seen that the schools have been getting RTECs that are 25% less sugar than the what we buy at the store. They're still the same brands, but lower in sugar, which I think is pretty cool.
There are a variety of RTEC that contain high amounts of added sugar so I would agree with the parent voicing their concern. I would provided them with other cereals that do not have high amounts of added sugar or alternatives such as yogurt, nuts, eggs, toast, nut butter, etc. I would also want to emphasis, as many other have mentioned, that it would still be better to eat these RTEC with added sugars than no breakfast at all.
Emily brings up a good aspect of nutrition counseling, we should praise the parent for taking an active role in their child's health. I think we often forget to acknowledge these things.
It is interesting that schools are starting to provide their students with reduced sugar cereals. Obviously sugar consumption is a big problem with children today, so every little step in the right direction helps.
I am glad Alana shared the added sugar stat. I was unaware of the significance of added sugar from sweetened beverages over these cereals and I think it would be a good statistic to share with a concerned parent and use that as a starting point to determine the need for cutting out these sweetened cereals from their child's diet and if there are other more useful things to adjust such as soda, sweetened juices, etc.
Something is better than nothing. Some kids won't eat anything but cereal, so at least they are getting some substance in their stomach in the morning. You can explain to them that it's somewhat like a sugary vitamin since the cereals are fortified. I would suggest trying to buy less sugary cereal for their child, and then loading it with blueberries, strawberries, and/or bananas.
I agree with Angela that the RTEC's are the least of our worries when it comes to sugar. A bowl of Lucky Charms (11 g) vs. a can of Dr. Pepper (41 g); that's a pretty large difference. I'd rather want my child eating sugar rather than drinking it.
There are a number of options for RTECs that do not have such a large amount of sugar. Cheerios, Chex, Kix, & Rice Krispies are just a few that only have 1-3 grams of sugar per serving. There are also "kid popular" brands of cereal like Fruit Loops and Trix that have 25-50% reduced sugar. That said, I would understand if a parent chooses to avoid cereals and I would counsel them to choose options that will still fill the child's nutrient needs. It would be important for them to know that it might be difficult to replace some of the fortified nutrients such as the B vitamins, and I would work with them to create a plan that would provide adequate nutrients.
I agree with Nate and Emily, praising the parent for at least being aware of their child's health is a great start. This means they will be more aware of other issues, open to suggestion, and most importantly, open to change.
I would agree that some RTEC cereals are high in sugars, especially some of the cereals that children may pick out themselves. Next, I would provide some alternative cereals that do not contain a great amount of sugar such as cheerios or unfrosted shredded wheat. If the child refuses to eat cereals that are low in sugar I would recommend that the parents allow them to eat the cereal, because that breakfast will be better than no breakfast. Alternatives to cereal, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat could also be good options for these parents to provide for their children because any added sugars can be controlled by the parents.
Many have stated that it would be important to determine where they are getting the information about high sugars, and comparing a cereal's sugar content to some other popular kid foods would be important. Maybe, since this parent is already concerned about sugar consumption, it would be beneficial to do some label reading education. This way they are better prepared to determine for themselves how much sugar their children are getting from different foods they are eating.
I would explain to the parent that many of the high sugar cereals are being made with less sugar and it would be a good idea to go to read the food labels and choose the cereal that their child will eat with the least amount of sugar. Another idea would be to mix a higher sugar cereal that their child enjoys with a lower sugar cereal so the child can get the best of both worlds.
I love what Emily says about starting off by praising the mom for being aware of her child's nutrition. Many parents just want their child to eat and need a quick breakfast option in the morning so they will give their child just about anything. It would be very nice to see a parent so concerned.
Emily, great point about praising the mother. One of the best things I learned from the internship is when you counsel someone you should always start by commending them for something they are doing well.
I agree with Lynetta that finding out where they got their information may be important and if they got it from an unreputable source to inform them where they can get accurate information about nutrition and health.
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