Ask an expert mom...

No, not me! My uterus is nice and fist-sized, thankyouverymuch. As such, I often feel a wee bit odd offering nutrition advice to parents. Luckily, we have an expert here to help: Her name is Felicia Stoler, RD, and she is the host of the TLC series “Honey, We’re Killing the Kids!” If the name of the show sounds familiar, it's because you probably saw one of the toe-curdlingly scary ads in which computer imaging is used to balloon real kids up to the size they soon will be if their parents keep shoveling crap down their throats. Or, more passively, if they're simply allowing the kids to shovel said crap down said throats (hello, IHOP WhoCakes?).

Considering May is National Family Wellness Month (it's also Mental Health Awareness Month, Better Sleep Month, National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and Celebrate Older Adults Month, all of which are somehow related to Mother's Day!)

25 million children are affected by childhood obesity...is yours one of them? Do they move more with Wii than on the actual basketball courts or think ketchup counts as a veggie? Or are the little ones starting to make unintentionally absurd comments like, "Mommy, I don't want a banana - my teacher says it has too much sugar!" (True story from a mom friend of mine.) Or do you simply want to ask a nationally recognized expert a burning question about feeding your kids but don't want to fork over th cash to hire a personal nutritionist? Well, then...here's your chance! Type your question in the Comments section and I'll submit a bunch to Felicia, who will provide the As to your Qs.

PS She's a smart cookie: Masters of Science in applied physiology and nutrition education; dietetic internship at Columbia University; doctorate in clinical nutrition from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; mom of two; gets along well in Jersey.)

XOXO and lots of love to all of the fabulous, hardworking moms out there - Charlotte, MizFit, Workout Mommy, Alyssa, FitSugar, Dara and everyone else...you're doing beautifully!

Comments

Great post! And what a great opportunity. I don't have a one myself, but I do have a younger brother. How do you motivate a teenage boy, for who weight and exercise is definitely an issue? My very athletic parents have been struggling with this issue for quite some time now.

Ooh! Ooh! I have a question! *raises hand*

My girls are almost-5 and 2. They are actually great about eating fruit and veg and get plenty of exercise. My question is about protein - it seems hard to get very much of it into them. They don't like meat as a general rule, only sometimes accept nut butters, dairy and legumes. Being the age they are, they also somehow subsist for days on like 3 tablespoons of food and a glass of milk. I try not to make much of their food choices and just keep offering healthy stuff, but I do worry that they don't get enough protein.

How long can a preschooler survive on a carrot and three bites of rice, anyway???

oooooh.
(first, thank you for the kind words.)

Im not sure if she'll know but Im all about the omega 3's (shocking. I know.) and I can not find a definitive answer with regards to whether 2.5 yo is too young to supplement (my daughter loves flax seeds but not any foods which naturally have the fatty acids).

Im a fan of the coromega products but their kids version says it's for the 4 and up crowd.

why?

an could I do a supplement like that NOW and do half a dose?

THANKS for the opportunity to ask!

M.

ack, i remember that show. Those images freaked me out, too.

I have no kids, unless you count my codependent dog, but i will be interested in reading the answers. food, kids and body image is a touchy subject and i think it will be good to hear from a professional.

Oooh, I've got one! I like to keep healthy snacks in the car for the kids - it cuts down on McD's trips & staves off grocery store tantrums - but I need ideas for HEALTHY non-perishable stuff that's will last through hot & cold:) Please don't say granola bars, they're stuffed with sugar. And it would be nice if it didn't require utensils (we're not big on those at my house...) Thanks in advance!

PS> Leslie, I am so honored that you remembered me on Mother's Day!

My mother never told me not to eat junk but she bought high quality "junk" like real dark chcolate and gourmet but lace cookies, not fruit loops and lays potato chips. She never "banned" anyhting, so i never felt the need to eat junk. Lord knows li had the wierdest lunches as a kid (hummus, blue corn chips, edammae, slice mango). It was funny though, we did jane fonda tapes together (i did more step aerobics as a toddler thans i do now!). I think in general, just dont tell kids they cant have something because its rebellion waiting to happen. I wish veggies and fresh foods were more available to low income families. I think a great way to get kids to eat their veggies is to grow them! they get involved and WANT to eat what they produced. Same goes for cooking, cook healthy meals with your kids and its likely they'll be eating it too.

thanks Leslie for thinking of me!

I also would like to know about the protein needs...my son doesn't get much either. I'd also love to know her take on the impact of all the HFCS in our foods. Thanks!

Thanks, Leslie!

Yeah, protein is a big issue here, for my 7 year-old. Does she have any advice for kids with special needs? (He used to eat chicken, turkey, and beef, but not anymore. He'll eat soy, but I'm concerned about giving him too much.)

Thanks for the Mother's Day Wishes! My own diet's gone to sh*t. Never mind my kids...! ;) My almost-three-year-old would live on chocolate and cookies alone if it were her choice. But, she's perf -- not skinny and far from overweight....

That banana comment is appalling, by the way. I hate people who don't eat bananas because they're "high in sugar."

I'm in awe of Moms for so many reasons. I don't know how they deal with kids nutritional needs while being surrounded by junk food options everywhere--it's hard enough to restrain myself, let alone a kid whose friends are all eating crap with impunity. I have SO much respect for moms who take control and raise healthy kids despite our culture!

Here's a question. I'm curious what Ms. Stoler thinks of the Deceptively Simple and Sneaky Chef cookbook ideas of hiding "good" food in "bad" food? (like spinach in brownies for example)

http://doesthisblogmakeuslookfat.com

Leslie, thank you for that lovely Mother's Day shout-out! I've got a question for Felicia: My kids are older (I've got two tweens)and my days of sneaking healthy food past them are long over. What advice would you give for encouraging them to eat healthy foods without making it about weight?

It's a stumbling block for a lot of moms with older kids, especially girls. How do you encourage kids to make healthy choices, without having it turn into "Mom thinks I'm fat so she's serving me salad?"

Yea!! To the fit mom bloggers. My mom is the best. She's a nurse and has been delivering babies for 30 years. I'd love for her to one day deliver mine ;-)