Feeding a growing girl...

[Tiny]

May 29, 2014 13:24:13 GMT -5 The Captain said:

May 29, 2014 13:17:57 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Maybe it's more a issue of 'portions'. 2 cups of cereal is at best 2 portions at worse 4 portions depending on the cereal. Maybe you need to pre-emptively read the cereal box and then measure the 'portion' AND measure the milk as well.

I don't have 'emotional issues' with milk - it's a protien and source of calcium and vitamin D in my world - I try to get 3 servings a day. You're list of food for the day has 5 helpings of "calcium" or milk products - I'm going with helpings because a serving of milk is 8ounces - and I suspect each glass is more than 8 ounces. I'm not sure what the recommended amount is for teens. Maybe you can switch to 2% milk - again not sure what the recommendations are for teens?

Maybe the only 'healthy' change you need to make is to meaasure the amounts you all are consuming into appropriate sized servings. That would certainly help your daughter through out her lifetime - knowing what appropriate amounts of food look like...

FWIW: when I started paying attention to servings - I ONLY had 20 ounce glasses and 3 cup "cereal" bowls. My 1 cup serving of Cheerios looked really sad and sorrowful in that 3 cup bowl. and my 8 ounce serving of milk looked dissappointing and unsatisfying in a 20 ounce glass. I swapped alot of my modern dishes for 1940's/1950's era dishware.

All very good points. DH and I (him more successfully then me) do try to watch our weight and routinely measure and weigh out portions. The two cups is really two measuring cups and likely 2.5 servings of cereal. Since we're supposed to get about 11 or so a day of cereals grains etc I think that's about right for a kid. When we cook we measure out serving sizes (the salmon were 6oz precooked each portion).  I don't limit veggies but always make sure there is at least two servings worth on a plate (so 1.5C cooked).

I'm sure they would both LOVE to go to the 2% milk.  Maybe I'll give that a try...

Actually, depending on the cereal   it might be WAY more than 2.5 servings of the "11 or so a day cereal grains".  

I think, in general, 1/2 a cup of a breakfast 'cereal'  counts as ONE of those 11 or so per day grains. 

I'm older so my requirements are a bit different - but fulfilling the "recommended" daily allowances is WAY less than you would think...   I know I keep harping on Portion Distortion.   I'm confronted with stupidly huge portions on a daily basis so I'm more aware of it.   

MY BAD!    1 cup of cereal = 1 grain serving... I usually eat oatmeal and THAT's the 1/2 cup = 1 grain serving

www.choosemyplate.gov 

[greeniis10]

I know you don't want to be the "food police" (which is good!) but could you try a new family rule: "We've got to start drinking more water around here!  Everybody must drink one small glass of water before every meal and snack."  Just gulping down a cold glass of water frequently does wonders for the appetite and health in general.

[Sam_2.0]

May 29, 2014 13:30:49 GMT -5 The Captain said:

May 29, 2014 13:22:05 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

Honestly I would stay away from artificial sweetners as much as possible for a kid. Sugar-free jello and Crystal Light would freak me out. I would rather kids learn to moderate their intake of real sweets than try to overload on the fake ones. That's just my weird hangup though. I also prefer full-fat dairy to skim because I think the fats are good for us and we are satisfied with less, like Mich pointed out earlier.

Would you believe I'm more concerned about the artificial dyes?

Another one to watch out for! But then I feed my kid McDonald's chicken nuggets and fries when we are out and she's screaming for food, so obviously my food concerns aren't all in-line

[zibazinski]

MIO doesn't.

[justme]

May 29, 2014 13:29:30 GMT -5 The Captain said:

BTW - my shoe size = women's 8

Her shoe size - yep women's 8. 

Oh yeah, she's probably going to be tall. I don't think I hit my full shoe size (10) until the end of middle school/beginning of high school. Which was around the same time I stopped growing upwards too. 

[yogiii]

I agree with everything Sam said.  We have 1% milk in the house but I buy full fat yogurt, cottage cheese and regular cheese.  Milk is about the only thing I buy low fat and I actually question myself on that one.

[Wisconsin Beth]

You might want to watch the juice too.  Lots of sugar, even when it's natural fruit sugars. 

I'm about to start the Koolaid at our house - I make a gallon at a time, using 2 of the unsweetened packets of lemonade and then sweeten to taste, which is under 1/2 of the sugar suggested by them.  Keep in the in the fridge and the kids and I will drink it freely.  Growing up, we went though a gallon of koolaid a day and probably 1/2 a gallon of lemonade.  Mom would set up the coffee maker and make the next days' batches before going to bed. 

[Phoenix84]

May 29, 2014 13:09:00 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Cheese is fattening. Go to no or low fat milk. Make sure none of those cereals are sugary. I'd do a small baked potato as opposed to unlimited mashed w gravy. Cool it with desserts that aren't fruit or sugar free jello. 

That's what I was going to say too.  If you want to cut down on anything, cut down on cheese and dairy.  I don't know what type of milk you have, but you may want to do 1% or skim milk if you don't use it already.

[midjd]

I don't know that I'd cut too far back on the dairy. Calcium is very important for young girls. I was never much of a milk drinker and my height/bone density show it. Of course, broccoli (I think?) and some other veggies also have calcium, so you could encourage those. Still, at her age, and probably going through a growth spurt, I'd worry much more about getting all the proper nutrients than I would her total calorie intake (as long as she's not mindlessly snacking on Oreos in front of the TV all summer, and I'm sure she's not).

Based on what you've posted, I really don't think her diet is out of line at all. I wouldn't worry about her being "pudgy" at that age, or do much to stop it. I'm sure you're concerned about peer pressure or teasing, but skinny kids are made fun of too. As are redheads, kids with braces, kids who are richer than most of their peers, kids who are poorer than most of their peers, etc., etc. (so basically - everyone).

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

May 29, 2014 13:45:00 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

You might want to watch the juice too.  Lots of sugar, even when it's natural fruit sugars. 

I'm about to start the Koolaid at our house - I make a gallon at a time, using 2 of the unsweetened packets of lemonade and then sweeten to taste, which is under 1/2 of the sugar suggested by them.  Keep in the in the fridge and the kids and I will drink it freely.  Growing up, we went though a gallon of koolaid a day and probably 1/2 a gallon of lemonade.  Mom would set up the coffee maker and make the next days' batches before going to bed. 

I am very rarely drinking juice myself these days.  When I do buy it, I buy unsweetened grapefruit juice NOT from concentrate.  It has the fewest calories and the least sugar than most.

However, we do go through a LOT of fruit here.  Right now, we've got apples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries on hand.  We're off bananas though.  Bananas are strange in this house, both of us will eat them like crazy, then stop for no reason.  The last 3 bananas I tossed yesterday as they were totally black and neither of us will eat them when they are that ripe, we just don't like that flavor.

[bean29]

I think you are on the right track.  My DD (17) is a water drinker.  She will not drink tap water despite the fact that DH claims we have some of the best water in the country (Lake Michigan) ( I am sure he is correct)  but most municipal water has chemicals in it so you might want to get some sort of filter.  DD just drinks water from the dispenser on the fridge - which has a reverse osmosis filter.  When you move you might want to get a fridge with a water dispenser.  I also notice the fruit juice and the G2(high sugar content) We buy that too, but you might want to buy the smaller bottles - cost more but again portion control might help.

Your DD and her friends will probably get weight concious on her own.  Heck my 20 year old  Son is religiously reading labels (IDK why but he had tested w/high cholesterol so that may be why- it is now in range).  Neither of my kids has ever had a weight problem but Diabetes runs on DH's side. 

As far as clothing goes, this is not a battle I manage super well.  I have given up on the short shorts issue.  So DD is now wearing spandex bike shorts under her other shorts...which makes them longer.  I figure I will go buy her somemore, but they are a little pricey.  She got them at Dunhams.  DD used to like Vanity they are not bad, although I am sure they have plenty that is trashy.  When DD needs to looks somewhat dressy, we head for a store called Dry Goods.  It has what I consider to be more business casual wear.  I don't think they have clothing for kids though so until she thins out, it might be a problem.  They do carry Large, X-Large sizes though.  We have a store in the MIlwaukee area called Tilly's that has kids clothing and Teens Clothing, although it is a store I would bet has a lot of the trashy stuff you are trying to avoid. 

I stopped buying clothing for DD about 2 years ago b/c it was being sent to goodwill with the tags on.  I have made her change clothing to go to a family function though.  She has pretty good fashion sense, so if it is borderline I usually just pick my battles.

My DD Adopted my College Sweatshirt.  She loves sports jerseys and hoodies.  She has a collection of "Fan of" Shirts which are usualy just regular T-shirts.  Since you don't seem to have a financial issue maybe you should buy some stuff like that.  She wears a nylon addidas jacket a lot.  She has one from the Brewers that zips up the front.  We also bought her a Ferrari one at Mall of America a few years ago which she wore a lot.

DD also bought some Mens/Boys Jerseys last year and cut the arms out.  She wears a sports bra underneath so I just don't worry about it - nothing to see anyways.  She also likes the Bandau type bras - can't remember where she buys them but they are just run of the mill ones not real expensive.  My kids both avoid JC Penneys/Kohls/most department stores. 

Good Luck.

[greeniis10]

Juice IS one of those products that cost more if you want to buy the healthy, low sugar versions.  I like the 50 cal. (or whatever it is) grapefruit juice or the Trop50 orange juice, but here it is at least a $1.00 - $1.50 MORE a bottle than the full-sugar stuff.  I've pretty much just given up.  Or, I buy the regular stuff and dilute it 50/50 with water.

As far as age-appropriate clothing?!  (cringe)  I really dislike what I see the vast majority of young girls wearing these days.  It's a constant battle.  Good luck with that. 

[Deleted]

I would cut back on the milk.  Also, for calcium, dairy products are not the best way to get it.  I really wouldn't limit anything except for higher calorie items but try to push more veggies.  and I agree with whichever poster said baked potatoes instead of mashed.  you can put almost anything on them.  same with pizza - use whole wheat crust, low fat cheese and load up on veggies.  you don't want to make food an issue but you want to steer her into better choices while letting her think the better choices are her own.

[The Captain]

The kid hates pizza - no issues there.  DH and I eat it maybe once every 2-3 months?

We usually have more veggies in our diet, but with everything going on in the new house I haven't done as much prep or planning in that area as I usually do.  Right now the fight is to avoid eating out or going for convenient fast food since our schedule is so packed.  So far I'm doing ok with that.

[justme]

If she does get tall, the clothing issue will be compounded on top of all the crap out there. I could wear the exact same pair of shorts as a friend and they would pass dress code and I would fail. It was rough finding clothes that weren't short and my high school days were just before all these stores for younger kids with provocative clothing popped up. It'll be worse if she's all legs. Having a long torso helps at all, but when I wear shorts they look so much shorter because I have so much leg sticking out. Every time I wore shorts to school I got stopped to see if I was in dress code, and it was so hard to find shorts long enough that I spent most of my hs days in jeans.

[alabamagal]

My DD went through a chubby phase before she grew in height.  Wouldn't sweat that too much.

The clothes are a constant problem, probably worse now than when my DD was young teen 10 years ago.  We had trouble finding girl shorts that were long enough for the school dress code.  Then they went to uniforms, the skirts were shorter than the shorts, but approved by the school.  

[Apple]

Honestly, I think she's eating pretty good food, so my focus wouldn't be there.

For water though (and I also hate water), I'd try things like fruit infusing water rather than crystal light and things like that.  I really try to avoid artificial sweeteners (I don't have issue with natural ones though).

My focus would be more toward staying active--riding a bike, going swimming, walking the dog (if you have one), going for walks/hikes as a family.  My son would get pudgy right before a growth spurt, and then he'd thin out again once he got taller.  He did start to have a problem when he became less active though.

[tloonya]

May 29, 2014 13:01:15 GMT -5 The Captain said:

I didn't want to hijack swasat's thread so decided to start my own.


This past weekend when we were doing yard work she had a bowl of cereal (about two cups) with milk for breakfast.  Snack was s large apple and a glass of milk.  Lunch was a banana, hard boiled egg, piece of string cheese, and a glass of milk.  Next snack - another glass of milk.  Dinner was grill planked salmon, broccoli, and mashed taters with a glass of fruit juice.  Dessert - Milk and a piece of bakhlava (sp).

Hon, same exactly problem, though I do not think of it as a problem when kid has health and beauty...
However I read your above daily menu and went like WOW! That is about 3 times more food then 11 y/old must have in one day.
Anyone with me?

Cereal
Milk 5 glasses
Apple
Banana
Egg
Cheese
salmon
broccoli
mush potato
juice
backhlava!!!

See? it is A LOT of food for an adult!

Mine is always eating 'salads'...and we all know what that means.

So, darling, do not worry too much. They will be as chubby as they will be. After all - we ARE! Aren't we?

[Deleted]

Whole milk? Can you reduce to 2%? Focus on non-dairy proteins. More frequent, smaller meals are better for the body and help your metabolism run correctly. Do not let her skip meals to lose weight - it does the opposite. Look into the 'eat clean' movement to help her body be healthy.

Do you have any fitness opportunities that make sense for your daughter. We always did martial arts for body strengthening + personal safety. You could also do weight lifting together. Look on line at some of the core strength building concepts. Focus yourself and your DD on strong & healthy.

[giramomma]

May 29, 2014 13:01:15 GMT -5 The Captain said:

However...she is getting a little pudgy.  Until now she has always be almost perfectly matched in the height to weight percentiles. 

She's between kids's clothes (mostly because of waist size) and juniors (don't get me started on the styles ).   I fought with weight my whole life, had parents who tried to be my food police, and have to take steroids since my teen years to control asthma so weight will always be an issue with me.  I would like to do everything in my power to make sure DD doesn't have to go through the same thing.



Also, any suggestions as to where I can find modest girls clothes in junior small that actually, yanno, provides coverage?

Just a few thoughts.

My girl is 6.5 and pudgy. She's one of the tallest and biggest girls in her class. DH (who is 6 feet) and I (when I was at a healthy weight) are not waifs. I'm 5'4, and my ideal weight for me is 130 lbs. There's no way I can expect my kids to be petite.. I'm also wondering if my DD will end up have PCOS. There's nothing I can do to prevent that, other than not have her.

The peds have watched her, and they are happy with her, even if she is bigger than the other girls in her class. We keep DD very active. So, you do the best you can with what you have.

As for the clothing, have you checked out places like LL Bean, Land's End, maybe even REI for clothing?

[The Captain]

So far she's been in uniforms during the school year and kid's clothes for summer/after school so no problems.  Seriously, I was able to get everything covered at Kohl's (well - no coverage anymore  )

We're going to Old Navy, Land's End, and a few other stores this weekend (we live by a mega mall so I HAVE to find something, right?)

sigh - wish me luck.

[whoisjohngalt]

I am very anti "low fat" "no sugar" things.  I have constant "debates" about low fat milk with our pediatrician.

I would increase physical activity 10 times before I would switch a child to anything low fat.

Their brain needs fat.  Big time!!

P.S.  I didn't read the entire thread, so apologize if this has already been mentioned

[Wisconsin Beth]

Jun 3, 2014 7:02:57 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I am very anti "low fat" "no sugar" things.  I have constant "debates" about low fat milk with our pediatrician.

I would increase physical activity 10 times before I would switch a child to anything low fat.

Their brain needs fat.  Big time!!

P.S.  I didn't read the entire thread, so apologize if this has already been mentioned

LOL Lena, when Dr. N asks about milk I firmly state that the kids are getting 2% and it's not changing because I won't give it up. 

And thecaptain, keep an eye on your juices - I was reading labels over the weekend (since we got to grocery shop without kids) and I don't want the juice my kids DO get to have fruit from China in it.  I have qualms, actually, no, I have issues, nope, I flat out don't trust China's food production. 

[The Captain]

Jun 3, 2014 8:39:13 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Jun 3, 2014 7:02:57 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I am very anti "low fat" "no sugar" things.  I have constant "debates" about low fat milk with our pediatrician.

I would increase physical activity 10 times before I would switch a child to anything low fat.

Their brain needs fat.  Big time!!

P.S.  I didn't read the entire thread, so apologize if this has already been mentioned

LOL Lena, when Dr. N asks about milk I firmly state that the kids are getting 2% and it's not changing because I won't give it up. 

And thecaptain, keep an eye on your juices - I was reading labels over the weekend (since we got to grocery shop without kids) and I don't want the juice my kids DO get to have fruit from China in it.  I have qualms, actually, no, I have issues, nope, I flat out don't trust China's food production. 

We are 100% in agreement there. That is one of the reasons DD has never had Juice from McDonalds. I don't trust any of China's food production as well.

We don't have a lot of juice, but when we do it's Florida OJ.  The juice pouches we send her to camp with are a problem because the juice often is from multiple countries. I hate that!

[Wisconsin Beth]

But at least it's on the label.  We ate lunch out last weekend at a place DH can eat at (bill was $60+ for 4 lunches but that did include cupcakes...) and the kids picked out juice boxes.  One listed where the fruits were from and 1 didn't.  Same company too.  So frustrating. 

[Pants]

captain - I would take others advice about the water, and maybe cutting back on the carbs a bit. But she's 11. She's about to be focused on her body 24/7 for the next several years - let her do what she wants now before she starts putting insane pressure on herself...

[The Captain]

Jun 3, 2014 9:19:07 GMT -5 Pants said:

captain - I would take others advice about the water, and maybe cutting back on the carbs a bit. But she's 11. She's about to be focused on her body 24/7 for the next several years - let her do what she wants now before she starts putting insane pressure on herself...

I agree 100%.  FWIW the kid would live off of milk if I would let her, so yes - I do make her cut back in that area.  True measurement wise she's probably getting at least 6-8 cups a day and that's with me setting limits.

My mother didn't drink milk at all so it's a balancing act, right?  I don't want the kid to ever think about cutting dairy out because it's "fattening".

More water, more activity (which with all the kids in the new area and summer camp won't be a problem) and I'll just monitor the rest.

[Pants]

BTW, I fully expect to be in your shoes in a decade. DD is currently in the 75th percetile for height and 90th percentile for weight. Her dad is 6'4". Both he and I have had weight issues. I struggle with how to feed her healthy food every day, instead of relying on the easy foods that are going to create bad habits... But right now she has this amazing, strong little body and I just want her to stay healthy and be able to use it any way she wants. Your daughter is still at that stage too - enjoy it!

[Wisconsin Beth]

I wish I had advice on how to get more water in her.  My kids happily drink water.  DD likes to drink my Pepsi but only if it's in a tiny cup.  I think it's more of the cup than the soda.  DS doesn't like the carbonation effect.  But the little bugger will drink my ice tea if I'm not careful!  And Lord knows he doesn't need the caffeine...

[Formerly SK]

I would push more nuts.  They are a great source of protein (so they're filling) and good fats.