There's no lack of media reporting and advertising based on the negatives associated with eating too many high-carbohydrate foods. As a parent, it's your duty to make sure your children aren't gorging on high-carb items and seeing their weight spiral out of control
But keep in mind, you want to simply cut down on your kids' carbohydrate intake, not starve them of carbs. A report by the Partnership for Essential Nutrition said diets lacking sufficient amounts of carbs can negatively influence brain function and development in youths and have been linked to seizures.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal and similar grain products contain carbs, but they're the good kind. These "good" complex carbohydrates don't have the high-glycemic property of "simple carb" foods like white bread and sugary snacks. They also provide longer-lasting energy, an extended feeling of being satisfied in appetite and a boost to metabolism.
Oatmeal is a high-quality breakfast choice for a child's low-carb diet because many kids enjoy eating it with a bit of brown sugar mixed in.
White Grape Juice
A study conducted by Maimonides Medical Center in New York compared two groups of children between the ages of 6 and 18 months. One drank apple juice, and another drank white grape juice. Among the group that drank apple juice, 54 percent showed symptoms of malabsortion, which means their bodies didn't effectively absorb the nutrients contained in the drink. Conversely, only 19 percent of white grape juice drinkers suffered similar symptoms.
The respective tastes of the two drinks aren't overwhelmingly different from one another, so it may be simple to have your kid make the switch.
Whole Grain Pasta
Most kids love pasta, whether it's macaroni and cheese, spaghetti or another type. All pasta items come with their share of carbs, but whole grain pasta is lighter in the carb department and features more complex carbs than its traditional white pasta counterparts.
If your kid likes her pasta with tomato sauce, there's a decent chance the sauce will obscure the slight different in taste and texture.
Mashed Cauliflower
No, it probably doesn't sound like something for which your kid would come running home from the playground. But if he is a big fan of mashed potatoes, you may be able to pull some sleight of hand by preparing cauliflower in much the same way as you do mashed potatoes. A bit of pepper and a dash of salt may help you pull of the devious, but well-meaning, switch. Potatoes are jam-packed with low-quality carbs, whereas cooked cauliflower with a bit of salt contains just 2.5 grams of carbs per serving.
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