A parent asked me this question this week and it got me thinking that maybe other parents wondered this as well.

So here goes…

When I do a Nutrition Assessment, I gather lots of information about your kiddo: medical & growth history, prescription medications, supplements, family culture, sleep patterns, water intake, body movement, screen time, food likes & dislikes, feeding history and development (to name a few). I want to get the best picture of your child’s overall health & eating habits.

Then what?

I also ask you to provide me with a log of 2-3 days of everything your kiddo eats and drinks. This information is compared to the calorie, protein, calcium, vitamin D & iron specific needs for your kiddo. When I report back to you, I always give you a calorie range. This is only as a frame of reference–I don’t want you to worry about each calorie. Calories eaten are only one piece of your child’s overall health habits.

If your kiddo is in a bigger body, you may be tempted to take this information and restrict some foods. If your kiddo is a selective eater who is struggling to stay on their growth curve, you may push your kiddo to eat more and more higher calorie foods. Remember—the calorie count (and other nutrition comparisons) are an only estimate based on the food journal or a 24 hr. recall, where you list off a typical day of eating. Comparing your kiddo’s estimated intake to the daily recommended intake (DRI) is a good way for us to see if there are nutrient gaps. And for kiddos who are picky eaters, there are usually gaps somewhere, such as iron, calcium, Vitamin D, B12, fiber &/or fluid intake.

Paying too close attention to calories (eaten or not eaten) can backfire, which is a topic for another time.

If you’re interested in a Nutrition Analysis for your kiddo, feel free to reach out at 603-674-2479.

Snack Idea: Grilled cheese & green apple slices

Please feel free to share this with someone who may like to learn more about feeding kiddos!