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How to build a better breakfast: Part 2, SUGAR

Mar 21, 20243 min read

My favorite breakfast as child was deep pocketed Belgian waffles. I loved to fill every square to the top with maple syrup and watch it soak into the bread.


image source: wix.com

Then I'd top the entire thing with whipped cream.

image source: https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g53755-d4944687-i135961745-Original_Waffle_Shop-State_College_Pennsylvania.html

Yum.


As an adult, I still love a syrup soaked waffle covered in whipped cream.


But I save that type of waffle for special occasions.


Why?


Eating too much sugar makes me feel yucky, especially at breakfast when the rush of sugar can give me a headache.


I also know that eating too much sugar causes heart disease, cancer and diabetes, so I try to limit how much sugar I eat every day.


Don't get me wrong, I still love sweet treats.


But I treat them as just that: treats. Not something I eat every day for breakfast.


The American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend limiting ADDED sugar to 25 grams/day for kids.


Added sugars are listed on food labels as "added sugars." Natural sugars in milk and fruit are not "added sugars" and don't count toward the 25 grams. Don't limit the amount of fresh fruit your child eats!



It's important to pay attention to how much added sugar you have at breakfast so you can balance it out the rest of the day.


So if you really love to eat a syrup soaked waffle for breakfast, you should probably avoid packing dessert in your lunch too.



Here's a list of the added sugar content of common breakfast foods.


Remember, the limit is 25 grams per day


2 Pop Tarts = 30 grams sugar

1 Blueberry muffin = 25 grams sugar

1 packet hot coco = 23 grams sugar

2 Tablespoons maple syrup = 22 grams sugar

1 Tablespoon Nutella = 19 grams sugar

1 cup chocolate milk = 16 grams sugar

1 glazed donut = 15 grams sugar

1 container strawberry yogurt (6oz) = 13 grams sugar

1 cup Lucky Charms = 12 grams sugar

1 cup Honey Nut Cherrios = 12 grams sugar

1 cup Frosted Flakes = 12 grams sugar

1 capri sun juice pouch = 12 grams sugar

1 Tablespoon grape jelly = 12 grams sugar

1 packet sweetened applesauce = 9 grams sugar

1 cup honey bunches of oats = 9 grams sugar

1 Tablespoon strawberry jam = 9 grams sugar

rice chex, rice crispies, corn flakes = 2 grams sugar

1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter = 2 grams sugar

Plain Cherrios = 1 gram sugar

Eggs, plain milk, plain oatmeal, plain yogurt, fruit = 0 grams added sugar!


My childhood waffle probably had at least 1/4 syrup, which equates to 60 grams of added sugar!


Remember, the limit is 25 grams per day.


See how easy it is to go overboard with sugar at breakfast?


I really hate counting calories or sugar grams, but I do think it's important to be aware of what you are eating.


I still buy syrup and jam, but I almost never buy pop tarts, boxed cereal, or chocolate milk.


They are just too concentrated with sugar, so we save them for special treats.


So if we don't we cold cereal for breakfast, what do we eat?


Here are my top 4 family breakfasts:


#1 Peanut Butter Oatmeal

2 grams added sugar from the peanut butter

2 minutes to make in the microwave



#2 Green Smoothie

2g added sugar from the peanut butter

3 minutes to make in a blender




#3 Raspberry Smoothie

0 grams added sugar

2 minutes in a blender


#4 Scrambled Eggs

0 grams added sugar

5 minutes in a frying pan



Want more healthy breakfast ideas?


Join me for a virtual healthy breakfast cooking class next Tuesday March 26th @ 5:30. Send me an email (nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com) if you want to join and I'll send you the shopping list.





Thanks for reading, I'll be back next week to talk about more healthy breakfast ideas!













How to build a better breakfast Part 1

Mar 14, 20242 min read

Everyone needs something to get them out of bed in the morning: a job, a pet or maybe a beautiful baby to snuggle.



The thing that gets me out of bed every morning is.....eating.


Eating is my favorite.


I love getting up and into the kitchen every morning to whip up something delicious to eat.


But I'm also a Registered Dietitian.


So when I say whip up something delicious, it's not donuts and cinnamon rolls.


To me, something delicious must be:


  1. high in fiber

  2. low in added sugars

  3. high in vegetables or fruits

  4. high in protein


I know that to most people, fiber and veggies don't actually sound delicious at all.😂 But I'm hoping to convince you otherwise.


On the blog this month, I am going to share 4 better breakfast building tips along with recipes I make all the time.


Let's start with FIBER.


Why Fiber?

  • keeps you regular (prevents constipation)

  • keeps you full longer (so you don't overeat)

  • feeds healthy bacteria in your gut (extremely important for overall health)

  • prevents cancer (especially colon cancer)

  • lowers cholesterol (thus preventing heart disease)

  • controls blood sugars (thus preventing diabetes)


How Much Fiber?


Kids age 1-3 need 19 grams per day.

Kids age 4-13 need 25 grams per day

Kids and adults 14+ need between 30 and 40 grams of fiber every day,


Fiber content of common breakfast foods

(click links for recipes):

0 grams fiber

all animal foods (fish, meat, eggs, dairy, butter, oil)

0-1 grams of fiber

white bread, white bagels, white tortillas, white english muffins, corn chex, rice chex, rice crispies, corn flakes, white rice

2-3 grams fiber

1/2 cup most fruits and vegetables, Brown Rice

3-4 grams fiber

1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 slice whole wheat bread, 2-3 whole wheat pancakes or 1 whole wheat waffle, 1/4 cup nuts, 2 Tablespoons nut butter, whole grain muffins

4+ grams fiber

cold cereals with added fiber, beans (7g per 1/2 cup)

Ways to increase fiber:


  • Always use whole wheat flour for pancakes

  • Look for recipes that use at least 1/2 whole grain, preferably 100% whole grain

  • Eat more oatmeal!

  • Add vegetables to eggs

  • Only buy 100% whole wheat bread

  • Use whole wheat tortillas for breakfast burritos

  • add beans to breakfast burritos

  • Add fruit and nuts to yogurt, granola and oatmeal

  • Buy cereal that is high in fiber


High Fiber Recipes I've made in the past week:


Whole Wheat Waffles from King Arthur Flour (5 grams fiber per waffle)


Peanut Butter Banana Cookies (2 grams per cookie)



Berry Oatmeal (7 grams fiber & my son's favorite when he was a baby)



Peanut Butter Oatmeal (6 grams fiber & our most eaten breakfast)



Pumpkin Muffins (4g fiber, I cut the sugar down to 1/3 cup)


Spinach Smoothie (5g fiber)



My Favorite Blogs with High Fiber Breakfast Recipes:



I hope this gets you started on high fiber foods!


Remember, kids need 19 grams of fiber every day, and adults need around 30 grams. Start comparing food labels and choosing higher fiber options today!


Next time on the blog we will talk about lower sugar breakfast options.





How to not fail at the vegan diet

Mar 4, 20247 min read

I have experienced my "parent fails" in my years as a mother.


That kid with the wonky DIY-haircut?


That's my kid (and my lack of cutting skills)


Those girls walking down the street in winter without shoes?


Those are my girls (they own shoes, just choose not to wear them!)


That boy on the hiking trail with a huge tear in the rear of his pants (and no underwear)?


He's mine.


My "parent fails" aren't a big deal most of the time. Just mistakes that teach me to do better next time. Hair grows back, feet warm up, and bare bums can be creatively covered with plastic bags and medical tape.


However, some "parent fails" can cause lifelong damage to your child's health. One of those "permanent parent fails" is a poorly managed vegan diet. Without careful planning, vegan diets can put a child at risk of permanent nerve damage, developmental delays, weak bones, and poor immune systems.


With careful planning, all of those problems can be avoided.


Are you thinking about feeding your child a vegan diet?


If so, keep reading to learn how to "not fail" at this way of eating.


This article is not meant to be medical advice, but a basic guideline to help you plan. If you are thinking about starting a vegan diet, please talk with your medical doctor or pediatrician.


In this blog post:


The 5 main takeaways from this blog post:


Here's basics:


#1. Vegan diets contain no animal foods. Without meat, dairy, eggs and fish it is hard to get enough:

  • Vitamin B12

  • Iron

  • Zinc

  • Calcium

  • Vitamin D


#2. Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D are not found naturally in plant foods. To get enough B12 and vitamin D, Toddlers must:

  1. Eat/drink fortified foods OR

  2. Take a supplement (always ask your doctor for a recommendation) OR

  3. Get it from breastmilk. If your child is less than 1 year and breastfed, make sure the breastfeeding mother eats enough B12 and D


#3. Plant sources of iron are not absorbed as well as meat sources. To get enough iron you should:

  1. Eat a source of iron at every meal (fortified and whole grains, nuts, beans, legumes and dried fruits) and

  2. Eat foods high in vitamin C (like fruits) with every meal (vitamin C helps absorb iron)

  3. Always talk to a doctor before taking iron supplements to avoid iron poisoning

  4. Start iron-fortified infant cereal at 6 months (breastmilk is low in iron)


#4. The best sources of zinc and calcium are:

  • beans

  • nuts

  • leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli)

  • whole grains (like oatmeal)


#5. Raw leafy greens, nuts and seeds are excellent sources of nutrition. They are also choking hazards until age 3. Here are two safe ways for toddlers to eat them:

  • Blending greens, nuts and seeds into a green smoothie

  • Blend beans, nuts and seeds into hummus

  • Stir nut/seed butter into oatmeal


Keep reading for more details about each of these topics!



 


Vitamin B12


Why your child needs it: B12 is an important part of the brain and nervous system, which are developing rapidly during the first years of life. Not getting enough can cause brain damage. It's easy to get enough if you drink soymilk.


Want more info on B12?: click here.


Tips for getting enough:

  • Offer B12 fortified soymilk and cereals. One cup of Silk Soymilk has 3x the amount of B12 your child needs in a day (see chart).


  • Check food labels at the store for foods with B12 content.


  • Notice how B12 content varies between brands. You must frequently check labels to ensure your child gets enough B12 from fortified food sources.

Always ask your pediatrician for help before giving your baby a dietary supplement. If your child eats cereal and drinks soymilk, they probably get plenty.


  • If you are breastfeeding, eat enough B12 so it will be present in your breastmilk (adults need 2.4 micrograms/day)

 




Iron

Why your child needs it: Iron is an essential part of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of your body. Iron is also vital for a baby’s nerve and brain development. Babies who do not get enough iron can have weakness, developmental delays and anemia.


Want to learn more about iron: click here.


Tips for getting enough


  • It's easy to get enough iron if your baby eats fortified cereals.

Without fortified foods, it takes planning to get enough iron from vegan food sources.


  • Plant sources of iron are not well absorbed.

Vitamin C helps with iron absorption. Eat foods high in vitamin C (oranges, kiwis, red bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli) with a source of iron (beans, nuts, cereals, whole grains) to help your body absorb iron.


  • If your baby doesn’t get enough iron from food, ask your pediatrician for help choosing a dietary supplement. Supplements can cause iron poisoning, which can kill an infant, so always ask a physician for help.


 

Zinc

Why your child needs it: Zinc promotes a healthy immune system. It is an important part of your child’s growth and development. Without enough zinc, your baby might get sick more than usual and have developmental delays.


Want to learn more: click here.


Tips for getting enough:

  • Oatmeal is a good source of zinc, providing 50% of a toddler's needs for the day.


  • Blending nut butter or chia seeds into smoothies or oatmeal is an easy way to provide zinc to young children who cannot safely chew nuts and seeds.


  • Breakfast cereals are sometimes fortified with zinc. Check labels to see how much zinc is in the cereal you regularly eat. If there is none, look into a different brand. The amount of zinc varies by brand and variety.









 

Calcium



Why your child needs it: Calcium builds baby’s bones. Without enough calcium, your child could develop weak bones.


Want to learn more? Click here.


Tips for getting enough:


  • Serve 2 to 3 cups of soymilk every day.


  • Offer green vegetables at least twice per day.


  • Green smoothies are the easiest way to eat green leafy vegetables. Making a green smoothie with soy milk, greens and chia seeds is a great way to get enough calcium. I drink a green smoothie every day.










 

Vitamin D


Why your child needs it: Children who do not get enough vitamin D can develop rickets, which is softening of the bones. It is currently thought that getting enough vitamin D might help prevent heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and depression later in life.


Tips for getting enough:

  • Fortified milk, cereal and orange juice are the only vegan food sources of vitamin D.


  • During summer months, the body makes vitamin D from sunlight. The body can't make vitamin D in Utah in winter because the angle of the sun is too low.


  • Every brand has a different amount of vitamin D, you will have to check food labels to know if you are eating enough.


  • Mushrooms sometimes have vitamin D, but only if specifically treated with UV light. Do not count on mushrooms as a reliable source of vitamin D.


  • Ask your pediatrician for help choosing a vitamin D supplement if your child does not get at least 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day.

 


Foods a vegan child should be offered at every meal:


  1. B12 and Vitamin D Fortified soymilk (1 cup, 3 times per day)

    1. Soymilk is better than almond milk. Almond milk is very low in protein! Kids need protein to grow. Almond milk is often not fortified with vitamin B12.

  2. A good source of iron (either iron-fortified cereal, beans or nut butter/ground nuts)

  3. Fruits (vitamin C in fruit helps with iron absorption)

  4. Vegetables (preferably a leafy green or cruciferous like broccoli - the vitamins and minerals are best absorbed from leafy greens + they have more calcium)

  5. Whole grains like cereal, bread, tortilla, oatmeal or other cooked grains


 

Meal Ideas for a Vegan Toddler:


These are simple meal ideas that come from the DDI Nutrition Recipe page. Most are recipes that have been used for our cooking class. Most recipes we make are vegan because vegan meals are actually less expensive than meals with meat and dairy products.


Breakfast Ideas:


#1 Cereal and milk

  • 1 cup silk soymilk

  • ½ to 1 cup iron and zinc fortified cereal (Great Value Toasted O’s are well fortified)

  • ½ cup fruit (strawberries, applesauce, oranges, anything with vitamin C in it)


#2 Oatmeal

  • ½ cup oatmeal cooked in ½ cup soymilk

  • Stir in 2 tablespoons nut butter

  • ½ cup soymilk to drink

  • 1/2 cup orange juice (for vitamin C to help with iron absorption)



  • 1 cup soymilk

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1 cup spinach

  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds

  • ½ frozen banana

  • (blend on high speed)


Snack Ideas:


  • ½ slice of toast

  • 1 tablespoon nut butter (almond butter has more zinc and calcium than peanut butter)

  • fruit smoothie



Lunch Ideas:


  • tortilla stuffed with:

    • hummus

    • chopped spinach leaves

    • chopped bell pepper

    • fruit on the side

OR

  • Iron fortified noodles

    • peanut sauce

    • Baked tofu

    • Cooked collard greens

    • ½ cup fruit - in season

OR

  • LEFTOVERS

  • breakfast foods

  • dinner foods

  • snack foods


Snack Ideas:





Dinner Ideas:












For more great recipes visit my recipe page: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes


  • Be sure to include soymilk and fruit on the side of every meal!




References


Saunders AV, Craig WJ, Baines SK, Posen JS. Iron and vegetarian diets. Med J Aust. 2013;199(4 Suppl):S11-16.


Linus Pauling Institute. Vitamin D. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-D


National Institutes of Health. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/


Linus Pauling Institute. Iron. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/iron


Iron Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/


Zinc. Linus Pauling Institute. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/zinc



Zinc Fact Sheet for Health Professionals https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/



US Deptartment of Health and Human Services. 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Appendix E-3.1.A4. Nutritional goals for each age/sex group used in assessing adequacy of USDA Food Patterns at various calorie levels. https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/dietary-guidelines/previous-dietary-guidelines/2015/advisory-report/appendix-e-3/appendix-e-31a4


J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2003 Apr;49(2):81-6. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.49.81. Effect of soaking prior to cooking on the levels of phytate and tannin of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) and the protein value. Elizabete Helbig 1, Admar Costa de Oliveira, Keila da Silva Queiroz, Soely Marie Pissini Machado Reis



Is iron and zinc a concern for young vegans? Hurrell RF. Phytic acid degradation as a means of improving iron absorption. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2004;74:445–52.


Iron absorption: factors, limitations and improvement factors https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9219084/






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