Being more specific, The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily allowance of:

•34 grams for 7-13-year-old children

•46 grams for girls ages 14 to 18

•52 grams for boys ages 14 to 18

Many young gymnasts and youth athletes though, even the ones whose parents believe that they have a very healthy diet, are not eating enough protein and their bodies and overall health may suffer because of this. But how do you know if you really should be adding more protein-rich foods into your child’s everyday diet? You don’t need a special book or even your doctor to tell you, as often their bodies will.

Here are just some of the telltale signs that your active child should be eating more protein:

They Crave Sweets and Never Quite Feel Full

One of the first signs that a child’s body is lacking the protein it needs is that they never seem to feel full and that a craving for sweets – a serious craving – occurs at the end of most of the meals they eat.

You might think that a body short on protein would point a person towards steak and eggs rather than the cookie jar but one of the crucial functions of protein within the body is to help regulate blood sugar levels. If kids are lacking in it, their blood sugar levels are likely to become completely erratic, especially after eating a meal, and the sweets craving is an attempt to get a quick energy fix.

Their Thinking is Cloudy

When a child’s blood sugar levels are up and down their concentration and ability to focus is often seriously compromised, leaving them feeling foggy and a bit out of it. This is because protein is essential for energy regulation as well, meaning that a snack might give them a brief up but without a regular intake of protein to stabilize things the fog is likely to almost become the norm.

Their Hair and Nails are a Mess

Not in the sense that they could use a visit to the salon, but in that their hair is thin and brittle – no matter how many expensive products you slather onto it to try to improve it and their nails are prone to easy splits and cracks too.

Many people fail to realize that both hair and nails are made up almost completely of protein. When a body is short on the stuff it will, in an attempt to do the best it can with the limited resources it is being given to work with, divert protein away from non-essential systems like hair and nails in order to keep more vital functions going.

Where to Get More Protein

As there is a lot of conflicting information out there about what you should and should not be feeding your children, in general, it can be rather hard to figure out just how best to add extra protein to their diet. Dairy is a good source, but didn’t you hear that they should be eating less of that? And red meat come to that matter, another good source of protein, isn’t that supposed to be bad for them as well?

Well no, LEAN red meat and low-fat dairy are both still great sources of protein, especially for kids, but so are legumes, quinoa, eggs, edamame and nuts, so even a vegetarian can boost their protein intake rather easily and still enjoy what they eat.

Youth Athletes and Protein Supplements

What those protein supplements that adult athletes are consuming in huge quantities? Nothing is wrong with supplementing a balanced diet with the occasional smoothie that includes a scoop of protein powder. The danger arises when someone, especially a growing youth, uses these powders instead of eating enough whole foods.

Additional risks emerge when a kid consumes large volumes of these processed powders. Many are loaded with sugar and unhealthful ingredients such as artificial flavorings, artificial sweeteners, untested herbs, antibiotics, and heavy metals. Many are not even regulated by the FDA.

Both Consumer Reports and ConsumerLab.com have conducted independent tests uncovering that many brands contain toxic chemicals and other undisclosed ingredients, while other brands were found guilty of exaggerating the amount of nutrients they supply. So, for a growing athlete they really are best avoided, and if they do need to up their protein intake it should come from their food instead.

For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

1. Modern mass agriculture techniques often leave soil lacking in important minerals that it once contained. And if the soil doesn’t have them then neither will the produce that is grown in it. In other words, right from the start, sometimes even vegetables are not quite as healthy as you thought they were!

2. Often the foods you buy in the big stores have traveled long distances to get there. During that time certain naturally occurring vitamins and minerals are depleted, especially B complex and C vitamins that we think they contain lots of.

3. Modern food preparation methods can further deplete the natural benefits of certain foods we think of as very healthy. Freezing, boiling and even microwaving can all remove nutrients from food without us ever realizing it.

4. Some mass produced foods are being genetically altered to make them look more appealing or to grow faster. This may result in them lacking in the vitamins and minerals that their unaltered counterparts possess.

5. The busy lifestyles kids. This leads often result in skipping meals, eating on the go and general extra stress, all of which can interfere with proper digestion and lead to their bodies failing to extract nutrients from food properly.

6. The number of medications, both over the counter and prescription, that the average child regularly takes has increased over the years. Many medications do deplete the bodies of those taking them of certain stored vitamins and minerals.

7. A change in the environmental makeup of the world around us often causes our bodies to use up more of the vitamins and minerals derived from food in order to better protect it from harmful toxins. This is especially true of antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C, and E.

8. Specific times in life call for an increased amount of certain vitamins and minerals. For example, growing tweens and teens need extra calcuim to support their often rapid bone growth.

9. Although we all mean to have our kids follow a healthy diet at all times doing so can be rather difficult, especially when we are very busy and/or away from home and the comforts of our own kitchen. This leads to kids missing out on continuous levels of certain vitamins and minerals.

10. Emerging research is proving that additional amounts of certain vitamins and minerals can be effective in preventing and even in treating, some health conditions.

You do not need to stock a whole medicine cabinet full of different supplements; a single good multivitamin supplement may very well be all your child need. If they do not already take one discuss which might be best for them the next time they visit their doctor.

For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Ask most health professionals, nutritionists and dietitians and they will tell you that added sugar is the single worst component of the modern child’s diet. It can lead to weight gain, even obesity, early onset Type II diabetes, an increased risk of heart disease and more. And worse still, it has absolutely no nutritional value to offset those excess calories. And yet as added sugar hides in all kinds of foods and beverages, and, let’s face it, most of us are very fond of at least the occasional sweet treat, can we really blame our kids who do too?

is there any way that we can allow a child – and ourselves – eat a ‘little bit’ of sugar as a part of a healthy diet or should we all just cut the sugar out of our kids lives completely?

Natural Sugar versus Added Sugar

There is of course such a thing as naturally occurring sugar. It’s what makes strawberries so wonderfully delicious, apples so refreshingly delightful. And natural sugars are OK. It is the added sugar in the 21st century daily diet that is the big problem. And unfortunately there is an awful lot of it, often hiding in places that you actually would never expect to find it, especially in the processed foods that are probably stacked up in your refrigerator, freezer and kitchen cupboards right now.

Tracking Down the Bad Sugars

Figuring out that there is lots of added sugar that your child does not need in cakes and cookies is easy. What is not so easy to determine, until you begin to do a little investigation, is where it is hiding in processed foods. Reading ingredient labels helps, but they rarely list ‘added sugar’

Instead it is disguised as sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dehydrated cane juice, fructose, glucose, dextrose, syrup, cane sugar, raw sugar, corn syrup and even more. It does not matter what it is called though, it’s all added sugar and its only purpose is to add flavor, not any nutrient a kid’s body actually needs.

Ideally cutting all processed food out of a child’s diet and only eating fresh, organic products is the way to the healthiest diet of all and the easiest way to avoid added sugars Sadly however for many people that is simply financially and practically unrealistic. Therefore, when you are in the grocery store, get into the habit of reading those ingredient labels and if one of the sugars mentioned above is any higher than fourth on the list, put it back and choose something else.

But Isn’t a Little Bit of Sugar OK?

Life without sugar doesn’t sound like much fun though does it? According to the current general medical opinion up to 37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons of added sugar daily for boys and men and 25 grams or 6 teaspoons are for girls and women is ‘OK’ for the most part.

However, you also need to realize that for many kids, sugar is just as addictive as alcohol or tobacco is for adults, and sticking to those very low limits can be very hard. In other words, children can handle a diet with just a little bit of sugar, others cannot. Just remember, when it comes to added sugar less is better, and even less is great. You simply have to work out, and work on, what is right for your child in order to be as healthy as possible. And consider setting a great example for them to cut down on sugars by actually doing so yourself too.

For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

But did you know that some fruits have more to offer in terms of nutrition than others? Here are our top picks for summer fruits that taste great and offer some wonderful extra health benefits as well that can be enjoyed all summer long by your whole family, even the pickiest kids.

Pineapple

Pineapple and summer go together naturally, especially as they are usually associated with exotic retreats and tropical locales. Also, because their sweet juiciness is so refreshingly delicious. But pineapple has more to offer than just great taste.

Pineapple is packed with vitamins, antioxidants and even an enzyme called bromelain that helps to protect the body against the damaging rays of the sun. It’s not a sunscreen substitute, but it can offer an all-natural boost to your favorite sun cream’s powers.

Kiwi

Did you know that a single kiwi fruit packs more Vitamin C than a large orange? Or that it contains more fiber than whole-wheat bread? And their very high Vitamin E content is great for your skin, protecting it from the inside out from some of the unflattering aging effects of the sun.

Oranges

Nothing quite says summer like the sweet smell of fresh oranges and freshly squeezed orange juice. Aside from the thing we all know about them, that they are packed with vitamin C, oranges are also rich in potassium, an essential nutrient that can prevent against muscle cramps during vigorous summer swim and sports sessions. On top of this, oranges also contain 80 per cent water so they will also keep you and your kids extra hydrated on the go.

Watermelon

When it comes to the best summer fruits, watermelon may just be the winner. Made up of 92% water and ridiculously low in calories, watermelon is cooling and refreshing at any time, especially if you eat it straight from the fridge. But that is not all it has to offer in the summer. It also has some of the highest levels of Lycopene found in any fruit. Why is that important? Because Lycopene is a phytonutrient that has been found in numerous studies to protect skin against UV damage from within.

Tomatoes

Most people forget that the tomato is a fruit, but it is, and it’s a summer staple for salads and side dishes that is a no brainer inclusion in dozens of summer recipes. But it too offers that all important Lycopene as well as a very low-calorie way, to add extra flavor, and vitamins, to all kinds of warm weather meals.

For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Healthy food and fast food restaurants does not actually sound like a combination that goes together at all. However, perhaps because of all the criticisms they get about how unhealthy their food can be, most of the big fast food chains are making some quite serious efforts to add at least some healthier fare to their menus.

If your kids are fans of fast food, but also you know that you should be paying a little more attention to their diet in terms of just how nutritious – and how calorie laden – the meals they consume are, here are some of the healthier choices being offered by the large chains now that it is OK to treat them to occasionally, or to opt for when drive thru versus an hour in the kitchen really is the most appealing option.

McDonalds Egg White McMuffin with Canadian Bacon

If you really like of a breakfast that is a little heartier and filling than a bowl of granola, then you may be surprised to learn that this classic Egg McMuffin with a twist, the twist being the egg whites that replace the standard ‘egg patty, even with the bacon, is actually a reasonably good choice. And as it is now served all day at most locations, it can make a great supper as well.

At 260 calories, it has fewer than the average breakfast muffin (by quite a long way) and packs 18 grams of protein, providing a nice energy boost, great for kids who have just spent the last few hours giving it their all at the gym.

McDonald’s Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken

You may be surprised to learn that not all the salads offered at the big chain restaurants – McDonald’s included – are as healthy as you think. This one however, even with the tasty balsamic vinaigrette dressing, adds just 230 calories to your daily total and is large enough that it makes a rather nice light dinner.

This is a particularly tasty choice, as the lettuces used are not just iceberg, which has very little nutritional value at all. Instead a fresh spring mix of baby romaine, baby red leaf, baby green leaf, baby red swiss chard, baby red oak, baby green oak, parella, lolla rosa, tango, totsoi, arugula, mizuna, radicchio and frisee is used, all of which have a nice, crisp bite that is rather refreshing. The baby cherry tomatoes make a nice change from withered tomato slices as well.

Subway’s Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki

There are in fact several sandwiches available at Subway that offer fewer than 400 calories and 6g of fat in a six-inch sub. This one however is a favorite of ours, because it is simply so tasty and offers a real change from the standard turkey or tuna sandwich. Even with all the fixings, it is only 380 calories and has only 4g of fat. The tangy chicken is beautifully tender and has just enough of a ‘kick’ to wake up the taste buds without overwhelming them.

The other nice thing about Subway sandwiches is the fact that you get a choice of artisan breads, all of which have the same number of calories. The newer Monterrey Cheddar bread is deliciously savory, so that is the one we’d recommend.

Panera’s Power Mediterranean Roast Turkey Dinner Salad

This is a tasty salad that packs quite a nutritional punch. In addition to just containing 320 calories it also offers 50% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C and 22 grams of energy boosting protein. All that is thanks to the fresh baby spinach, which, when mixed with romaine and a nice blend of fresh peppers is extremely tasty.

To shave off an additional 110 calories, ask for this salad without the virgin olive oil dressing, it’s tasty enough without it, thanks to the nice, tender turkey and the kicky peppers and onions.

For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com