Nutrition and Preschoolers - Talk with Kati Chevaux

by Pam Koons

Kati Chevaux is both the Managing Editor and Nutrition Writer for PreschoolRock.com. She holds B.S. and M.A. degrees in Nutrition Sciences from Penn State and Michigan State University, and has worked for many years in the food industry. Kati lives in Seattle and is a published freelance writer, having written for parenting magazines, industry newsletters, and distance learning courses. She believes that “helping little ones develop an appreciation for quality foods is the basis of a life filled with good, healthy eating”.

Pam: Kati, what made you decide to pursue a career in the Nutritional field?

Kati: To be honest, I switched into Nutrition during college because most of the credits I had from the major I was leaving (biology) transferred into it! But, really, I was interested in science and research, and nutrition had this plus an obvious link to everyday health. It’s been a great field to be in!

Pam: What aspects do you find the most interesting about being a Nutritionist?

Kati: Right now, I’m really interested in how our food supply – the foods we see at the grocery store especially - affects what we eat. Food and eating healthy can be a very simple process. But we have so many choices of what to eat in this country, and those choices are marketed to us in order to sell the more food. This makes choosing food pretty complex and dependent on so much more than quality of the food.

Pam: What do you find the most challenging about being a Nutritionist?

Kati: I think it’s hard to keep people’s confidence in nutrition research when they see and hear what seems to be changing advice all the time. Eat ‘low fat diets’ changes to eat a ‘moderately fat diet but with healthy fat’. Is low fat more or less important than eating low carbohydrates? Should you remove trans fat if that means adding saturated fat? Eating fish is recommended, but we also know there are problems with toxic compounds in fish from some locations; etc, etc.

It’s not that nutrition research changes what we know about healthy diets very often, but the story becomes more and more refined, and sometimes that makes it hard to translate.

Pam: Tell me your thoughts about today’s preschoolers and their diet. How can we get children to eat in a healthier manner?

Kati: Let’s see, preschoolers who eat enough calories each day and eat a variety of foods are very likely to get enough of the nutrients they need to grow and develop. There are exceptions for some nutrients that can be hard to get into a preschooler’s diet, like fiber.

At the same time, my feeling is that we tend to rely too much on processed foods to feed our kids. There are an astounding number of products, and new ones introduced all the time, that are targeted directly to young children.

I think the number one thing you can do to get children to eat healthier is to use more basic foods and ingredients. The advice to shop in the perimeter of the grocery store is very good. For instance, focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats, dairy, eggs and breads. Then single-ingredient packaged foods are helpful – dried pasta, rice and beans. But when you get to the center aisles of the grocery store, you get lots of processed foods that are meant to be tasty and convenient, and probably are, but you often lose quality and nutrition in the process. We’re talking about snack foods and even some cereals, cereal bars, crackers.

Pam: You are from Seattle, WA, where seafood is very plentiful. How can parents get their preschoolers to add more fish into their diet?

Kati:

1 – My kids happen to love salmon. But you can choose light flavored whitefish like halibut and cod if your preschooler doesn’t like the taste of salmon or tuna or more ‘fishy’ tasting fish.

2 – While deep fried fish isn’t a great choice, lightly breading fish and sautéing in oil can be a welcoming way to prepare fish that kids will enjoy. Adding a little vegetable oil from a healthy source like canola oil or olive oil doesn’t take away from the health benefits of eating fish. And this version is sure to be fresher and made with more healthy ingredients than frozen fish sticks from the store.

3 – Use fish to make fish salad. I use leftover salmon, tuna of course, and any whitefish to make sandwich spreads. Just mix the cooked or canned fish with a little mayonnaise or yogurt and you have the makings for a healthy sandwich.

4 – Use fish in place of other meats. Fish tacos is one idea.

Pam: What are some other local Seattle foods that parents can add into their preschooler’s diet?

Kati: Seattle has so much to offer. Right now, we are enjoying fresh blackberries from the park – they’re everywhere in my neighborhood! My neighbor’s plum tree is producing tons of delicious plums. Of course, we have a great variety of locally grown apples, too. As you mentioned, fish and other seafood like crabs are fresh and plentiful.

Besides the fresh foods available right now, Seattle has so many options for how you shop for fresh, local, natural and/or organic food. Visit the farmer’s markets which are plentiful here, go to grocery stores that focus on wholesome and natural foods, and try traditional foods from other cultures – which can be found without traveling too far.

Pam: What special Nutritional projects are you working on now?

Kati: Besides writing about nutrition and health, I sometimes work on nutritional databases and software for helping people manage their diet and track food intake. I like the technical aspects of food and nutrient data and making it easier for people to learn about what they are eating.

Pam: Can you please share a favorite fish recipe with us?

Kati: Hmmm. My personal favorite is probably halibut with a simple marinade of soy sauce and sesame oil, sautéed. I don’t do a whole lot of fancy preparation with fish.

For my kids, I often make breaded and lightly fried/sautéed fish often. I start with cod or any whitefish, cut into small pieces of the fillets are too big, dip in beaten egg, and then into bread crumbs. Then I cook them in a pan in just a bit of olive or canola oil (2-3 tablespoons). It’s very fast and my kids always enjoy it. If you are used to buying fish sticks frozen, I assure you these are much better and once you get used to it, the preparation time is insignificant!

Pam: Thank you Kati, for sharing your wisdom and your thoughts!

If you would like to read more about nutrition and preschoolers, visit Kati here!