Lunchbox, Kids and Fats

Alright, back into another week. It was a long weekend. I worked on Saturday, and ended up in Denver Saturday night for a birth. Got home last night, exhausted, with a list of stuff to do.

​I was thinking this morning of a good topic to start the week. I thought it would be nice to talk about the importance of fat for growing children. 
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​Kid's and Fats

Healthy fats are important for all of us, any age, but especially for growing children. On a daily basis, children are needing to burn through enough fuel not only to fuel their un-exhaustable energy levels, but to sustain their every growing bodies; bones, muscles, brains, etc...

I did a blog post a couple of years ago called, "Differentiating your Dietary Fats." If you haven't already, please read this. It is full of good information, that I am going to be pulling from.

In each fat category, there are important fats that are needed by children. 
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The Importance of Saturated Fats

Saturated fats get a bad wrap in the diet world. But, let me be the first to tell you, if this is news to you, Saturated fat is not bad for you! Poor quality fats of any kind are. 

All fats are characterized by their structure. Saturated fats are, well, saturated with hydrogen atoms, and have a straight tail. This makes them solid at room temperature, and more stable when heated.

In the body of a growing in child, it is important for many reasons:

• ​Saturated fat is needed for healthy bone growth: This is not a correlation that many people think of. 90% of our bone mass is created before the age of 18. This means your child is currently building the bones that will be the framework of their body for the rest of their lives. Our bones are like a reservoir. In our childhood, we are putting work nutrition into our bones than we are taking out. After a certain age, our bones structure peaks, and we begin to pull from our reservoir more than putting in. It is important to make sure that the bones we develop in our children, are strong and full on nourishment. Saturated fats not only make up the cell membranes of bone cells, but help increase calcium concentrations in our bones.
• Brain health: Our brains are made up mostly of saturated fat and cholesterol. Quality saturated fat and cholesterol is extremely important for a child's brain. Every nerve in our body and brain has a layer of fat that surrounds it. This provides protection and insulation. 
• Saturated fat is an essential building block: All cells in our body have a fatty lipid cell membrane that is the structure of the cell. Having a balance of saturated and unsaturated fats in the diet is important for the cell structure. Saturated fat give it rigidity and strength, unsaturated fats give it flexibility and lubrication. A our children hit puberty, fats become increasingly important in the formation of hormones. Yes, hormones are made from fats. Many other important chemicals in our body need fat. 
• Saturated fat is essential for our body's energy levels: Children are energetic, any of you with children can agree to this. And they need a constant supply of fuel. Just like putting gas in your care, saturated fats are the gas for our bodies. Our children need instant fuel, and many of the shorter chained fatty acids do not need to be digested by bile, and can be uploaded for instant fuel. 
• Helps in the absorption of essential vitamins: Saturated fats are important for the absorption of Vitamins A, D, E and K. 
• Saturated fat helps with the utilization of Omega 3: Omega 3 is a long, and crooked fatty acid chain. Saturated fats help guide Omega 3 and increase its use and absorption. 
• Boost Immunity: Many forms of saturated fats have antibacterial, viral, and fungal properties. Especially against lipid based organisms. White blood cells need saturated fats to stay strong and to recognize and destroy invaders.

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How to Choose Saturated Fats Wisely

So, please don't skip the saturated fats! But, do choose wisely. Of course there are poor quality saturated fats. Trans fats are the big one. This bad boy is the main reason that saturated fats have a bad rap. Most of the research done on fats, back in the time of low fat diets, was done on hydrogenated fats. Yes, these are technically saturated fats (fats that have been chemically made by taking a non-saturated vegetable oil and binding for hydrogen atoms into it, changing its structure). This process created Trans-Fats. These Trans-Fats are dangerous, no way around it. These "fats" are associated with many, many life threatening diseases and should NEVER BE EATEN!!! They are found in products like; margarine, potato chips, baked goods, processed foods, etc… anything that says partially hydrogenated, or fully hydrogenated is a no-no. 

When choosing a meat source, make sure to choose only the best quality. I do not buy everything organic, but when it comes to my meats, I am very strict. When I do buy meats, I buy only animals that have been raised the way nature intended. I buy grass finished, pasture raised cattle, pasture raised (bugs eaten) chickens, and even my eggs are pasture raised. (Do not fall for the vegetarian fed eggs thing. Chicken eat bugs!). Why? Because what the animal has eaten makes a difference in types, ratios and quality of fats found in the animal. Conventional meat is also full of estrogenic compounds that can mess with a growing child's, growing hormones. Has anyone else read and seen how many children are experience early puberty, and boys who are experiencing no puberty…all due to high levels of estrogen in their bodies reeking havoc on their hormones?
                            NOTE: We are a hunting family, if you have not figured this out, and most all of our meat is wild game, so rarely do we purchase meat from the store. I have a couple of local places that I buy meat if you are interested in some contacts.

We eat a lot of eggs! Eggs to be are a perfect food for growing children. If they are from pasture raised chickens that have a great balance of fats (saturated, omega 3), cholesterol, vitamins, etc… Everything needed to, well, grow a baby right?

What are Monounsaturated Fats

Okay, I thought I would start with the saturated fats, because they are super important and work down the list based on structure. Next up, mono-unsaturated fats. Omega 7 and Omega 9. 

What is Omega 7? It is a little known fat that is important for skin, hair and fingernail growth and health. It is found in some nuts, and sea vegetables.

Omega 9 is the mono-unsaturated fat found in Olive Oil. From the past several years and the vast amount of articles touting Olive Oil, and the Mediterranean diet, I think we all understand that Olive Oil has health benefits. It is also found, it its highest concentration in the Acai Berry.  

Other Monounsaturated fats are found in Avocados and other nuts. These fatty acids, can technically be made in the body if we are consuming enough Omega 3 and 6 in the correct ratios…most of us are not. This does not mean you need a supplement, just good food choices.

There are many benefits to Mono-unsaturated fats;

• Regulated blood sugar: with the growing amount of children with blood sugar issues, not only is dietary changes important, but they are necessary for recovery and prevention of life long disease. 
• They are also important for brain development: specifically those forms found in avocado and olive oil.

Note: There is an exception to the monounsaturated rule. Canola Oil and Mustard Seed Oil: this is a very important note. There are many advertisers that will want you to think otherwise. Canola does contain both Omega 3 and 9. The problem is that the Omega 3 is unstable. During processing the Omega 3 is distorted and it becomes a Trans-fat, and creates free radicles within the oil. The oil is technically sold rancid. For more on rancid oils and how bad they are, see my other blog post on How to Choose Cooking Oils.
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Everyone's Favorites: Polyunsaturated Fats

This includes the Omega 3's and Omega 6's. These are essential fatty acids, meaning they MUST be consumed in the diet, as our bodies are not capable of making them on its own. This is also a touchy subject. There is a balance, as there is in everything in life, and we need to consume a 1:1 ratio of Omega 3:Omega 6. Omega 6 is needed for our inflammatory responses. Which is good, as long as we are balancing them with the anti-inflammatory Omega 3. 

• ALA is the form of Omega 3 found in chia and flax seeds. Unlike animal sourced (and some algae sourced) Omega 3, this form has to be converted into usable forms in the body. ALA is not a usable form on its own.
• EPA is a precursor to prostaglandin 3
• DHA is the main compositional fat for sperm, eggs, brain cells, eye cells, etc… 

Good polyunsaturated fats are just as important in a child's growth as saturated fats. 

• DHA is important for the growth, strength and formation of brain cells. Our children's brains are growing at huge leaps and bounds in the first couple of years of life. This is why DHA in breast milk, and in their early diets is very important. It is also important later in life to keep the brain nourished. Many children with ADD symptoms benefit from DHA supplements. Their brains are not only growing, but we are working it out on a daily basis. Memory function is very important, as they build new connections and are asked to learn new things and remember them.
• Eye health: Polyunsaturated fats lubricate and nourish our eyes. Fat soluble vitamins are needed to keep our eyes healthy. 
• Anti-inflammatory: in a world where many children have allergies, and a world full of toxics, higher amounts of anti-inflammatory fats becomes important in protecting our children and their immune systems. 
• Sex Hormones: Like Saturated Fats, Polyunsaturated fats play a huge role in our sex hormones and sex organs. This becomes important during puberty. 

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How to Get Enough Fat

Because of all the growing and cell replication going on in a child, they need more nutritional fats than we do as adults. Making sure they have enough variety every day is important. Balancing fruits and vegetables with healthy fat and protein sources is important; meats, nuts, seeds, etc...

Main Lunch:

• Elk and Broccoli Stir Fry: Yeah for leftovers, and a good thermos. Nothing like having a hot lunch on a cold day. We eat a lot of wild game, and it is the best we can do (meat nutrition wise) for our kids health. They are getting a balanced, quality fat and protein source.
• Seaweed Salad: I am addicted to this stuff, and buy it when I see it. I am looking forward to eating mine for lunch today. 
• Grapefruit
• Organic Grape Juice: I am usually not a juice fan, but this grape juice looked really good. 

Snack Time:

• Organic Popcorn: Mina's pick.
• Apple and Peanut Butter Packet