Apply the Brakes on Sugar

How bad is sugar? In moderation, it can be part of a healthy diet. Sugar belongs to the carbohydrate group, which also includes starches and fibers. Natural sugars are found in fruit (in the form of fructose) and milk (as lactose). Sugar becomes a dietary culprit when it is added to other foods (usually processed items). Major sources of added sugar are those found in soft drinks, candy, pastries, cookies, ice cream, and other sweets. Although the body does not know the difference between sugar and complex carbohydrates, most sugars are referred to as “empty calories” because they provide calories but very little or no nutritional value. Satisfy your sweet tooth, but do it in moderation.

How Much Is Too Much?

The typical American diet is packed with too much sugar, and nutrition experts agree that Americans need to cut back. The idea behind a healthy pregnancy diet is to eat foods that really count toward your nutritional intake. Eating too many sugary foods means lots of extra calories and very little nutrition. Eating too many of these foods also tends to bump out the more nutritious foods that you should be choosing. Foods with lots of added sugar should only be occasional treats, not regular snacks.

Though there is no established recommended daily allowance (RDA) for sugar, you should concentrate of getting the bulk of your carbohydrates from complex sources-such as breads, rice, and pasta-and most of your simple carbohydrates from fruits and dairy products, which also contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Sweet, Sweet Food Labels

The FDA requires sugar content to be included on all nutrition facts panels. The panel lists total carbohydrates and sugar in terms of grams per serving. Sugar is part of the total carbohydrate amount that is listed. If you purchase a food with added sugar, make sure it also provides plenty of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, and fiber.

When checking the ingredient labels on packaged food, you will find all types of sweeteners listed. The suffix “-ose” (fructose, sucrose, lactose) indicates that an ingredient is a form of sugar. Look for these other ingredients that indicate added sugar: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, molasses, and raw sugar.

If you see a nutritional claim with the word “sugar” on the front of a packaged label, it is important to understand what that claim means.

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) now says that up to 8% of children are affected by food allergy. This equates to roughly 1 in every fifteen children (about 1 in every classroom in America). Parents of children who have life-threatening reactions (also called anaphylaxis) are especially concerned about their children in the school environment, where exposure to potentially fatal substances can occur in any number of situations during the typical school day.

The top eight trigger foods for anaphylaxis are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, fish, shellfish, eggs, and wheat. Food products are also often used during math, science and art. Ann Munoz-Furlong, the CEO of FAAN says, “Often, parents and school staff think about avoiding allergens such as peanuts, milk products, or other foods in the lunchroom. Recent studies have shown the majority of allergy reactions take place in the classroom.”

More likely than not, you know and spend time with at least one child that is at risk for a life-threatening reaction. If you are a teacher or group caregiver, what steps can you take to make school a safer place for many children?


Learn How To Recognize A Reaction
These symptoms may appear immediately or up to 2 hours after exposure:

o Systemic (not localized) itchy skin and/or hives

o Swelling or flushing of lips, throat, tongue, face or extremities

o Wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, hoarseness

o Headache, pallid complexion, blue lips

o Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea

o Loss of consciousness

Children may describe a reaction by saying, “My mouth (or tongue) feels…” “itchy, hot, burning, or hairy” Or, “It feels like there’s something stuck in my throat.” Very young children will put their hands in their mouths and pull and scratch at their mouths and tongue.

Learn What to Do in Case A Reaction Occurs

In the case of severe reactions, the Emergency Action Plan (EAP)* is simple:

1) Administer a shot of epinephrine and

2) Call 911!

Take Steps to Minimize the Risk of Accidental Exposure

o Provide an allergen-free area for snack and mealtimes

o Implement a “no sharing food” rule

o Ask parents of food allergy kids to provide a list of safe snacks or better yet, ask them to provide a supply of safe snacks that can be offered to their child, if necessary

o Make sure all the kids wash their hands after eating, to prevent the spread of food residue on classroom and playground surfaces

o Notify parents of food-allergic kids of events that could bring special food into the classroom.

o Because of cross-contamination in bakeries, most nut allergic kids must avoid non-prepackaged baked goods, even if they don’t contain nuts themselves. So, always ask a parent or caregiver before offering any food to a young child

o Ask the parents to review arts and crafts materials that you intend to use in the classroom

o Avoid edible treats as incentives

o If you see a Check My Tag shirt or any other alert device on a child, be extra vigilant

o Send a note to parents in the classroom to alert them to this concern and ask for their cooperation in maintaining a safe learning environment for everyone.

FOOD ALLERGY SAFETY FACTS

o Experts say that peanuts can kill an allergic person within three minutes after exposure either by ingestion or inhalation

o Peanut residue lingers for hours on clothes and fingers and stay airborne in an enclosed space for days

o Institutions that receive public funding are required to make accommodations for children with food allergy kids in accordance with federal law as outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

*For more on Emergency Action Plans and additional resources on
caring for a child with food allergy, visit http://www.checkmytag.com/downloads.html

Preparing homemade baby food does not have to be one of those unpleasant chores you hate doing, such as the laundry. It is very easy to whip up homemade baby food for your child, especially if you plan on making big batches of different foods for the upcoming months. In as little as 2 hours or less, you can have enough frozen food purees to feed your baby for the next couple of months.

If you are not considering batch making, you can still whip up baby food easily while you are already preparing food for yourself or for your family. Just set aside cooked unseasoned food portions such as vegetables, chicken, fish etc. and pop it in a blender right before you are ready to sit down for your meal.

Cooking Techniques

Steaming – the best way to prepare baby food as it preserves the most nutrients and antioxidants than microwaving or boiling.

Baking – retains lots of nutrients and is a time saver when you want to set it and forget it! Big batches of baby food can be made in the oven such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, chicken parts, fish, meat, squash, zucchini, and more.

Boiling – If you can avoid boiling food, please do. Boiling can destroy nutrients when overcooking and water soluble vitamins often seep out into the water and out your food.

Microwaving – this is the least preferred method when making homemade baby food! Microwaving destroys antioxidants found in fresh produce.

Food & Kitchen Safety

It is important to be careful when making baby food to prevent food poisoning. Baby food must be prepared and stored properly, especially while your baby is very young. When adding water to baby puree, it is important to make sure the water is sterile. Using bottled mineral water is not the same as boiled water! Mineral water can contain bacteria and may contain more sodium than what a baby needs. It is best to use cooled boiled tap water when adding water to purees or when giving water to your baby in general.

Here are a few important tips when preparing food for your baby:

- Wash counter tops, kitchen utensils, and the kitchen sink with soap and water before and after preparing food — this ensures that no bacteria is lurking around. It is better to be safe than sorry.

- Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from fruits and vegetables. Do not use the same kitchen utensils including knives and cutting boards. Be sure to wash all equipment thoroughly.

- Wash your hands! Always, always, always wash your hands before and after preparing food and don’t forget to wash baby’s hands too!

- Always use clean towels to dry off kitchen utensils, equipment, and babyware.

- Date your food when freezing or refrigerating it.

- Use baby food within 24 hours after thawing or storing in the refrigerator.

- Never reheat baby food more than once.

- Throw out food that is half-eaten, unless you scoop out portions with a clean spoon into a container you will feed your baby from.