Eating health foods can help diabetic children live a healthier life. Type 1 diabetics have a higher risk of developing heart disease, having high cholesterol and suffering from a stroke, among other health conditions. The best weapon against these types of side-effects is to live a healthful life. Developing positive eating habits at a young age is a step in the right direction.
Step 1
Feed your child whole grains rather than white flour. Whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and oatmeal, contain fiber, which helps the food be digested slower. White flour can be quickly stored as fat by your body before it can effectively be used as fuel.
Step 2
Serve your diabetic child lean proteins that are cooked in healthful ways such as broiled, grilled, baked or stir-fried. Lean proteins help with energy and concentration. Avoid proteins that are loaded with saturated fats such as bacon or chicken with skin and those that have been fried.
Step 3
Save sugary treats such as ice cream and cake for special occasions and instead give your child fresh fruits to satisfy her sweet tooth. Fruit contains a lot of fiber and minerals that are important for diabetics, such as vitamin C and potassium.
Step 4
Teach your diabetic child to like vegetables by serving them in kid-friendly ways. Vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that diabetics need to replenish regularly, such as magnesium, calcium and potassium. Try carrot sticks and raw green beans with low-fat ranch dressing dip, celery sticks with peanut butter and homemade salsa that contains zucchini, peppers and mango along with tomatoes.
Step 5
Replace saturated fats with healthy poly- and monounsaturated fats. The latter can be beneficial for preventing heart disease and high cholesterol, two medical conditions that diabetics are prone to. Serve olives, avocados and almonds.
Step 6
Make over your diabetic child’s favorite meals with healthy ingredients. For example, replace white macaroni with whole-wheat in Mac and Cheese, pan-fry chicken in olive oil rather than making deep-fried chicken, and whip up a fresh, homemade pizza using whole-grain crust topped with low-fat cheese and lots of veggies.
Things You'll Need
- Whole grains
- Lean protein
- Fresh fruit
- Vegetables
- Poly and monounsaturated fats
