My kids are not eating well (Part 2)

I finally completed this post which I started drafting over 15 months ago. *embarrassed* 

This is supposed to be a continuation of this earlier post. Actually, I forgot all about this draft until several new readers emailed/left comments in this blog with questions on this subject. It's better late than never....  

Since all your questions fall into a few broad categories, I thought I sum them up instead of answering each question via email. 

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Not all food are created equal! Some are miles better in nutrition than others so I always prioritise, even to this day when my sons are eating pretty well. 

If your child is a fussy eater or eats very little per meal, then it is EVEN more important that every mouthful is quality food packed with nutrients.

It helps a lot to be knowledgeable about the nutritional value of different food, to be able to serve up alternatives if one good food is rejected and also to know what to serve first. 

When faced with the challenges of getting my boys to eat a wide range of food, I used to make a list which ranks food by their nutritional value and set about to introduce the most nutritional food to my kids first. This Yale's University Overall Nutritional Quality Index is a good guide.

Basically, food with HIGH levels of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and monounsaturated fats, whole grains, complex carbohydrates and antioxidants top my list.

My theory is if they eat mainly these super nutritious food regularly, then even if they eat none or little of the other food that are of 'lower ranking' in my list, it doesn't matter. 

It is also useful to know that certain food when served together will optimise the absorption of nutrients, whereas other food combination in a same meal may slow or impede the absorption of key nutrients. 

For instance, to aid the absorption of iron in fish/meat/egg yolks, it is advisable to serve them with food rich in Vitamin C, and avoid calcium-rich food like dairy products within 1.5 hr of consumption. The presence of calcium impedes absorption of iron. 

My boys do eat and enjoy a wide variety of whole grain products from bread to pasta and biscuits etc. 

Besides brown rice, they love all types of whole grains like quinoa, spelt, buckwheat etc.. This Eden Organic Spelt Rigati is an example of our regulars. 

I am a firm believer of 'garbage in, garbage out'. So I do pay a lot of attention to what my boys eat. Whatever a child eats will play a big role in affecting his energy level, and his ability to concentrate, in addition to its direct effect to his overall well-being. 

So whenever possible, I prefer complex carbs and low GI food over refined and processed food. Sugary food is also major culprit in burdening the young immune system. 

In the early years, the amount of iron intake is also crucial to brain growth. While I have never given my kids DHA supplements or cod liver oil, I do make sure they eat plenty of oily fish and food rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. The latter being an essential fatty acid which can't be made by our bodies, and yet is so crucial to our overall well-being. 

Now, there is plenty here. And I hope I have answered all your questions. If not, just ask again.