IS SUMMERTIME DANGEROUS TO OUR KIDS' HEALTH?

Posted by: Cathy Arnst on June 15

Most of us probably mythologize summer as a time when children can run free, eat lots of fruit and fresh-picked vegetables, and generally lead a healthier lifestyle than they do when shackled to their desks and fat-laden school lunches. The reality, though, is that kids put on more weight during the summer than they do during the school year, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Public Health:

A study based on twice-yearly body mass index (BMI) measurements from 5,380 children in 310 schools found that BMI gains were faster and more variable during summer vacation than during the kindergarten and first grade school years. “Do schools contribute to childhood obesity? They may, to some degree, but it appears that other factors are more to blame,” the study’s authors said. They suggested that school-based interventions aimed at helping kids learn healthy habits should “target children’s behavior not only during school hours, but also, and most importantly, after the bell rings.”

In other words, we have met the enemy, and it is us. Home is where children develop bad eating habits, and parents are the ones who have the greatest influence over those habits. And clearly, America’s children need help. Just last week the American Medical Association issued new recommendations for treating childhood obesity in which they said doctors should stop beating around the bush and tell parents straight out if their child is obese, rather than using fuzzy terms like “overweight” or “at risk for overweight.” As the AMA’s expert panel said: “Those categories don’t adequately define the problem.” Here’s how they define the problem: 17% of U.S. children are obese, and one out of every three are overweight. And the numbers keep rising.

I know how hard it is to counteract summertime over-eating. My daughter and I have started going for a walk after dinner now that the weather is nice, and she invariably wants to stop at the a nearby Italian bakery that makes what is possibly the best gelato in the whole city. Being an ice cream addict myself, it’s been hard to say no. Instead, we’ve been trying to take a longer walk and stop at a nearby Tasti D-Lite , a New York chain that claims its “frozen dessert” is only 10 calories. Doesn’t hold a candle to the homemade gelato, but it does seem to satisfy our sweet tooth (especially with the chocolate jimmies we both love, which probably add 100 calories).

This week in the New York Times Jane Brody did an excellent column about how to ensure your kids don't spend the summer sitting around the TV or computer eating junk food, and I have to admit, most of her ideas are better than a daily visit to Tasti D-Lite. For example:

While you should not flatly forbid anything (unless the child is allergic to it), do not keep items like chips, candy, packaged cookies, doughnuts, cakes and sodas in the house if you do not want the children to consume them regularly. If they are not readily available, they will be consumed much less often. I always kept a bowl of fresh fruit on the table and a fruit salad in the refrigerator, and the children could serve themselves.

Also, rethink the use of sugared cereals. Use them as a garnish on more nutritious and minimally sweetened whole-grain cereals, if at all. My sons grew up eating Wheaties and Cheerios with a sprinkling of granola. Add raisins or sliced banana or blueberries for sweetness. Even slivers of fresh pineapple are a delicious addition to cold cereal.

Brody also recommends two books: for very young children, “The ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond,” by Steve Charney and David Goldbeck and for children of all ages (and some adults), “The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals” by Missy Chase Lapine.

In the spirit of Lapine's book, I'd like to recommend a turkey meatball recipe from Rachel Ray that I have seen some the world's most finicky kids gobble down, even though it has (ssshhh) spinach in it. My notes are in italics, and I always skip the sauce, it's too much work and gilding the lily, in my opinion.

Super-Size Turkey Meatballs with Spinach and Cheese

FOUR SERVINGS

One 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed (I use fresh)
2 1/2 to 2 2/3 pounds ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups milk (I use skim milk)
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs (3 handfuls)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (2 generous handfuls) (oh for goodness sakes, use pre-grated)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
One 8-ounce package shredded provolone cheese or Italian cheese blend
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (eyeball it)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I have yet to meet a kid that wants parsley on anything, but if yours is the rare exception, go for it)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Wring the spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel. Place the ground turkey in a large bowl and make a well in the middle of the turkey. Add the spinach, half of the onion, the garlic, the egg, 1/4 cup of the milk, the bread crumbs and the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined, then form the turkey mixture into 12 large balls, arrange on a nonstick baking sheet and drizzle with EVOO. Roast for 25 minutes.

(skip step two if you don't care about the sauce)
2. Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of EVOO and the butter to the pan. Melt the butter, add the remaining onion and cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk and the broth. Bring the liquid to a boil, then stir in the provolone. Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.

3. Place 3 turkey meatballs on each of 4 dinner plates and drizzle with the sauce; garnish with the parsley and serve.

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