Alternative Foods for a Healthy Meal

Check a nutritionist before doing this, he can give you the best advice on which foods he can or should eat.

In the last entry, the subject of drinks and their effect on children was covered with some examples and how harmful they are for special needs children. The point of that entry was to give awareness and start looking towards healthy alternatives. Same should be for foods, this should be a matter to discuss and work on for the sake of the kids.

Parents need to check what their children are eating at all times (snacks included), as for some of the cases the food can cause complications like choking or gagging. Also, most of the kids with special needs take different sorts of medications and most of those are linked to gaining weight. It’s important to make weekly checks on the kid to avoid any risk of obesity.

Consider these alternative foods to help him strive towards a healthy diet:

Linseed: The seed of the flax plant is rich in vegetal fibers which make it a great cereal for kids. It’s a natural source of vitamins from the B group and reduces levels of stress you kid might have.

Almond: Almond has various ways to be consumed, and it’s a great source of essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Although almond seed can be hard to ingest for kids, almond milk is the solution and a great choice for kids who are lactose intolerant.

Rice: A cholesterol-free source of energy. Rice is a great alternative for kids as it improves the immune system. The brain is positively affected by rice as well, as it stimulates the growth and activity of neurotransmitters. To make it easier to ingest, soften the rice with hot water and make a cream with some milk.

Corn: Its health benefits include vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that are vital for a growing kid. Maize contains thiamin, which serves for maintaining nerves and develops the brain. The color of the seeds comes from zeaxanthin, a biochemical that improves eyesight, essential for growing children.

Do not stop with these options and look for more alternatives, you need to have diversity when feeding your kid. But try not to force the kid and make the changes progressively so he doesn’t feel uncomfortable. Also, take a look at all food-related posts here; this might help to decide which fits your kid better. Remember, kids need to be active and exercise too, try with the people of Autism Soccer. They’ve been working with ASD children for a while now, contact with them and give your kid an unforgettable experience.

There are lots of healthy choices for your kid, just make sure you choose the one that fits him.

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3 Drinks That Affect Your Children’s Behavior

Many popular drinks in stores have chemicals that might affect your kids, be cafeful on what you're giving to them.

It has become very normal to consume and eat foods that are widely known and famous for their years in existence; products like soda, hamburgers and even food additives have made their way into people’s minds because of the brands behind them. The only thing that people tend to ignore is the risk and consequences of ingesting products like those, because of the acceptance they get in our society. This gets even worse when talking about children with ASD since they’re more susceptible to becoming addicted and risking their health.

This article’s objective is to bring awareness of the risks of certain drinks and the effects they have on the child besides the dependence they cause.

Soda/Soft drink: This is the main drink that’s consumed almost on every part of the globe. It’s mostly composed of carbonated water, a sweetener, artificial flavoring, and coloring. The main problems with these types of drinks are the sweeteners and artificial coloring:

• Aspartame: An artificial sweetener used as a sugar substitute. Its use has been the subject of many controversies. Known to have caused adverse reactions after its consumption like fatigue, irritability, insomnia, headaches and migraines.
• Artificial Coloring on food: Causes many negative effects that go from chromosomal damage (from Blue #1), to lymphomas and hyperactivity (from Red #40), and most of those are found in drinks.

Sugar Drinks: After soda, these are the next in the list of negative effects on the organism. Sugar ingest can increase the risk of gaining weight on kids, causing heart disease in the long-term. Dental cavities are more likely to happen in children who ingest sugar on a daily basis. All of this without taking the chemicals added to those drinks into account, which make these an option to be put out off their habits for good.

Fruit Juice: Most of the processed juices today have stopped being healthy and are now as harmful as any junk food out there. The main reason for this is because of the amount of sugar found in most of the juices, causing hyperactivity and the risk of type 2 diabetes. It’s better to swap for the natural choices and stop the consumption of those for ASD children (and non-autistic children, too).

There’s no need to add more drinks to the list since those are the worst, and hopefully this information will bring awareness on parents with special needs children to change the drinks kids have, with healthier alternatives to help them in their growth. Autism Soccer also has great tools to allow your children have a change in their routine and become fit to grow properly, in an environment made just for him. Contact with them on their website!

Natural fruit juices are the best option as an alternative to sodas, they're healthy and have a great nutritional value.

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Too Much Candy Is Not Good: Foods For Autistic Children

This doesn't mean he can't eat snacks, just control the amount of candy he eats and make sure he eats well.

When having children, seeing them grow and learn so fast makes you feel proud of how they develop as time passes. Giving rewards is very common when they accomplish all types of challenges; doing well at school, behaving correctly, when they beat your expectations and every little thing you think they deserve a prize for. And what’s the common reward in those cases? Candy.

  

Kids and candy are often a topic of discussion among parents, as they ask themselves if it’s the right thing to give them candies that much. It turns out that in most of the cases you shouldn’t be giving your kid that amount of sweets. The list of reasons to stop this is very long, and it’s even longer than the benefits candy actually have on your kid’s growth.

Candy is actually very addictive to kids, and their daily consumption can make them develop preference for sweets. Also, children who are given too much candy can be in risk of suffering diabetes (directly related to obesity and overeating). The production of insulin when consuming sugar increases, which causes mood swings and hyperactivity in kids. For children with autism this could be a serious issue.

Of course, we cannot forget the tooth decay related to sugar ingestion. Candy is one of the main causes of caries in children. Fortunately, there are some good ways to remove (or reduce) candy from your children’s diet. My first advice is: don’t take candies so drastically from their diet, do it progressively and slow.

Fruits: Mixing fruits like strawberries, bananas, grapes and others can make a great replacement for candies. Since fruits are naturally sweet they offer a great snack for your children.

Granola bars: Filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals, granola bars are one of the best choices for your kid. They also lower cholesterol and blood pressure, excellent for kids who are fighting obesity or have bad blood circulation.

Fat-Free Yogurts: Yogurts are the healthiest source of calcium, proteins and potassium. Mixing yogurt with fruits makes a good replacement for any sugar-based sweet.

Dark Chocolate: Not the sugar-based one, this is the healthier version of chocolate. Dark chocolate has antioxidants which are great for your kid, and they don’t become addictive since they’re sugar free (actually, it’s very bitter and strong).

Loving is not just giving your kid everything he wants at all times; it’s about knowing what to give and why. Don’t just give him sweet candy; think about how this could affect him in the future, that’s what this is all about. There are alternatives to giving food as a prize, too. If he shows excellence in class, why not get him/her to play some sports? With Autism Soccer you’ll have the best choice when it comes to exercising and preparing for what’s to come. This is the best reward you can give your children: a bright future.

The main goal is that they eat properly, check on a nutritionist if necessary to see how they're doing.

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5 Healthy and Time-Saving Snacks

Feed your children with delicious and healthy snacks.
 

Like we have mentioned before in past articles about how many meals kids should have per day, snacks are vital for their correct nourishment. Usually, kids forget to eat when they are having fun by their own or with others. But you, as a parent, need to let them know that when a person stops eating for a long period of time, their organism starts to work incorrectly. That’s why you need to tell them to create a snack menu for those periods of time between each meal to receive a full nutritional feeding during the day. With that in mind, we have gathered 5 healthy alternatives for you and your kids to have a better and healthier life!

What should a snack have?

Before we start to talk about the 5 healthy alternatives, we’d like to tell you about what a snack should have. Not everything can be considered a snack. The point is to find healthy foods not to fill up on them but to satisfy the food cravings between each meal. Here’s a quick list of what to do and not to do when it comes to snacking:

Do:

• Eat fruits and fresh products.
• Prepare them ahead of time.
• Accompany them with water or fresh juice.

Do not:

• Consume sugary snacks, like pastries.
• Eat canned products.
• Eat a full meal.
• Drink soda with it.

Top 5 of snacks your kids should eat

These are 5 of the best alternatives for snack time. Remember that snacks should be fresh fruits for children. And, also, remember that some of these alternatives have ingredients that are incompatible with certain conditions and allergies, that’s why you need to look for the right snacks for your kids.

Rice cake: This is an alternative that can be prepared ahead of time. Combine the rice cake with fresh fruits, bits of nuts, pieces of cheese or tofu. Also, peanut butter and apples or strawberries are the best options for your children.

Smoothie: The fact that smoothies can be prepared ahead of time, makes them a great option. Combinations of fruits, veggies, and proteins are enough to keep a child full of nutrients in a convenient presentation.

Fresh fruit sorbet: Use natural juice to make a sorbet that your child will love. These can be combined with fresh fruits or a bit of protein shake syrup. This is a good choice for hot days.

Homemade gelatin: This is one of the biggest options you will ever have. Kids love this, so you can turn any fruit into a delicious homemade gelatin. Try to make it with watermelon or cantaloupe and I assure you that your children will love it!

Apple and butter sandwich: Combining fresh fruits and nuts, will result in a fresh sandwich that your kids will love. Ideally, cut an apple into slivers, then spread a bit of peanut butter between each layer of fruit. Other alternatives include cream cheese, tahini, and soy nut butter.

You need to make sure the things that you incorporate into your children’s diet are good for their consumption while helping them create healthy habits when it comes to meal time. A good snack habit will help your kids be stronger and have the proper energy to do the things they love. For example, a sport, like the one that they can do with Autism Soccer. They have a professional team that will work with your child by helping them love the practice of a sport in a supportive environment. What are you waiting for? Contact them now!

Offer healthy choices to your children. They will know how to thank you.

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How Many Meals Should Your Child Have Per Day?

Nourishing your children's bodies and minds is essential. Teach them the importance of having the right meals during the day! 

Children need to be correctly nourished to have a proper development. And while most parents and doctors agree on the nutrients they should have in their diet, there’s a problem that ails these people: how many times a day should they eat? The truth is that when it comes to the amount of time between meals, there’s no real consensus because every kid has a particular need. You have to think of your children’s particular needs when it comes to their nourishment. That’s why I’m here to let you know how you can work on your children’s diet to make it perfect for them.

How to determine the amount of meals your children need

Children's dietary habits change according to their nutritional particular needs, as well as levels of activity during the day. Ideally, they should have all the ingredients on a balanced diet per plate, like proteins, vegetables and carbohydrates. You have to consider this to generate the correct amount of meals for their day-to-day. Also, take these things into consideration:

1. Physical activity: Frequently, children that do exercise need to have more proteins in their diets, as well as other nutrients that will help them have the correct energy levels.
2. Individual dietary needs: Take into consideration your children’s particular needs when it comes to nutrition. Some children require more vitamins than others.
3. Digestive system: Children that are prone to problems with their tummies, need to have more fiber into their diets.
4. Routines: Think about the things your children does per day: the amount of hours they spend awake, free times, rest periods, and among other things. Define these routines and work with them in order to generate a better meal plan for them.

The ideal amount of meals per day

Paediatricians consider that children should have several meals throughout the day when it comes to fulfilling their dietary needs. More than creating a healthy menu for children, parents and caretakers need to consider the times of the day where meals are more needed. These are the meals that should be in your children’s menu during the day:

1. Strong foods: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are the main meals, that’s why you have to use a strong menu for each children:

1. Breakfast: Make your kids eat their breakfast between 30 minutes and 1 hour after waking up. Let them know that this is the most important meal for children, because it gives them the proper energy to start the day.
2. Lunch: Incorporate proteins and carbohydrates, and make sure that the food is light and nutritious.
3. Dinner: This meal should be light, that’s why it’s important to be fresh with ingredients that are not going to disturb their sleep pattern.

2. Snacks: Kids should have a snack between their breakfast and lunch, and between their lunch and dinner.

1. Midmorning: This meal is good to prepare your kids for the lunch. Use fruits and other small but nutritious ingredients. Avoid using sweets.
2. Midafternoon: Your kids should have smoothies, light sandwiches and bowls of fruits, which are great for their health.

You need to take into consideration the fact that children that do sports need more protein in their diets to help them replenish their energy. That why Autism Soccer encourages parents to create diets for their children, so it helps them develop and enjoy each day of training. What are you waiting for? Contact them now!

If you are a busy person, you should prepare your kids' meals in advance.

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New Healthy Habits for your Children

Take the first month of the year to organize a better schedule for your children introducing new habits.

We have already talked about the importance of creating routines for children, and how these have a positive impact in their lives. Also, routines help children form a comfortable environment, as well as boost their self-esteem, which is a chance to have a wonderful and healthy life. That’s why you, as a parent or caretaker, need to introduce your children to new ways to increase their well-being. That’s why I’m here to teach you some healthy habits that might help you improve their day-to-day.

1. Healthy food: Children are often picky with their food, because they always want something that looks delicious at first sight. That’s why colorful veggies and fruits are great options for them to boost their appetite. Remember to teach them that veggies and fruits are important for their growth.

2. 8 hours of sleep: Some people argue about the amount of time children need to sleep according to their age. But, specialists say that every single person should rest 8 hours a night, no matter what. So, make sure that your kids are sleeping correctly. Let them know the importance of sleeping 8 hours a night.

3. Taking a bath when waking up and before bed: It’s important to create hygienic habits for your kids, like taking a shower when they wake up and before they go to bed. But sometimes, kids avoid to do this kind of things. So, you need to tell them how important is to be hygienic and all its benefits. You can use toys or do creative activities, like singing in the shower to let them enjoy their bath.

4. Physical activity: Kids are deeply connected to technology and, frequently, it’s caused by the lack of physical activities in their routines. Introduce your children to a sport, or any physical activity to increase healthy habits on them. Remember to let them try some sports until they find the one they feel comfortable with. Do not push your kids into something they dislike.

Let your children know how important it is for you to stimulate new and healthy habits on them, like: sleeping well, having good hygiene, eating healthy food, and among other things to improve their well-being. Also, don’t forget to include sports into that routine and that’s when Autism Soccer comes into play. They are professionals that know how to treat kids with special needs by helping them reach their goals in a friendly and comfortable setting! What are you waiting for? Contact them now!

Children need to have healthy habits to reach their maximum potential.

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