The Science of Parenting
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The Science of Parenting
Final Thoughts on Food and Feeding | S.10 Ep.9
In the last episode of the season, the cohosts revisit some highlights of this season and share more tips and insight for raising our kids to be healthy and independent eaters.
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider. For the full non-discrimination statement or accommodation inquiries, go to www.extension.iastate.edu/diversity/ext
Welcome to The Science of Parenting podcast where we connect you with research based information that fits your family. We'll talk about the realities of being a parent and how research can help guide our parenting decisions. I'm Mackenzie Johnson, parent of two littles with their own quirks. And I'm parenting educator.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:And I'm Lyndi Buckingham, a professor of human nutrition, guest cohost, and a mom to one sweet angel baby and one young, dedicated eater.
Mackenzie Johnson:If you haven't been to catching it every week, Lyndi has been changing, not changing what kind of eater, keep changing your description of the kind of eater every week.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Now, there's just so many adjectives for what kind of eater he is.
Mackenzie Johnson:Accurate. So here we are in our season finale of Season 10, which means these episodes with us are kind of coming to a close here, but we have been loving having these conversations with you and so many super real, so much insight, and brought so many research based resources to us. And yeah, we've had a chance to cover a lot of eating and feeding topics.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:I'm always here for that. That's kind of why I got into nutrition is because I just like to talk about foods.
Mackenzie Johnson:So let's do it. Let's talk about well, last week we were talking about picky eating. And then this week, we're gonna kind of, I mean, wrap it up, right?
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, wrap it up. Food pun very much intended, Oh, we love those food puns. But ya know, today, we're gonna wrap it up, we're going to kind of, you know, summarize everything we talked about this season. And then we're also going to talk about recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yes. And we're kind of going back to the big picture, right? Like we've shared really specific information. And we've gotten into like, strategies that related to specific behaviors and right, we've even talked macronutrients and micronutrients, right? Which was important, right? That's important information. But going back to the big picture, it's like, okay, yeah, we've had eight episodes of information. And there's just like, we're talking about general practices, we're talking about daily life things like that. So don't get overwhelmed.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yes, it's Big Picture Day, and very exciting for all of you. Yeah, you can listen to this one on hyperspeed.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yeah, yeah, one and a half. Mackenzie DeJong, I think that's what she likes is one and a half when she listens and watches things. So yeah, let's just kind of, like you said, let's give it a run through of what all we've covered this season. We'll kind of go through the highlights of these different episodes.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yes, yeah. So if you can think back all the way to our first episode, the first thing we talked about really setting the stage for all of our future episodes, was we looked at what influences what our kids eat. And we did this by looking at this model, where you see different parts, different layers of this model that influence what our kids eat. And so at the very beginning, or the very middle part of that model, is our child traits. And then if you look outside of that and what influences what our kids eat directly, you know, that might be their temperament, that could be genetics, that could be those type of things. But then we start to go out, and we think about, okay, well, parents' practices also influenced what our kids eat, right? So our different feeding styles, or different food parenting practices, the way we were raised as parents, what we eat, all influenced what our kids eat. And then we also can look at how our community and culture so access to food, affordability of food, what kind of food the rest of our family eats, what our cultural food is. That all influences what our kids eat.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yes, and I love that model as a way of thinking about, I mean, it gives grace and it gives power, you know. In both ways, some of these things aren't going to be within my control. I can't control my child's temperament. But there are things I can do. And yeah, that model was a beautiful way of all of these things fit together to create the picture of, you know, the things our kids actually. Love
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yes. And again, I think I have said that model. this before, but all of those things are bi-directional. So what our kids do, our kids' temperaments and traits influence our practices as parents in terms of what we're feeding them. So, you know, there's all these different ways these work together. And I think we might talk about it, or if you go back and listen, you'll hear us talk about that when we talk about temperament.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yes, yeah, but it's not just one one way. Like, it doesn't just influence us or we don't just influence them. It goes both directions for sure. And then in our second episode, we talked about what we bring to the table, aka our feeding style, in addition to maybe the food we bring to the table, but that we bring a feeding style. And so these you might remember, really parallel. They aligned with Bomber and Diana Bomber's parenting styles that we often refer to even when we're not talking about food of authoritative, authoritarian, permissive and uninvolved, right? Those four parenting styles are aligned with the four feeding styles. And essentially, what we've looked at in the research was there's a lot of positive outcomes associated with the authoritative, similar to parenting. There's a lot of positive with that style. And so that, again, that's balancing having high responsiveness to our children's needs. And, you know, their experience, as well as balancing that with kind of appropriate control and demandingness and expectations, structure, things like that.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, yeah. And I think that all played perfectly. We even talked about feeding styles that play perfectly into our next episode, where we talked about food parenting practices. So you know, how do I put into practice that authoritative feeding style? Well, the way we do that is through our food parenting practices, and the way that we can really provide that authoritative, that, you know, be responsive but also provide, you know, be responsive, but then also have some demandingness around what we do, our expectations around our kids. When we do that it's providing kids autonomy to make their own decisions. Yes. And we also provide the appropriate structure. So that could be, you know, what kind of food we have in our house, when we eat meals, how we eat meals. But then that also includes avoiding, of course, control. So not controlling what our kids eat, not rewarding our kids for eating a specific thing or punishing our kids for not eating something. So those are all ways that we can have positive food parenting practices or food, yeah, food parenting practices.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yeah, I love how you've described it that way of like, how we put into practice the style, right? The beliefs become the actions. Episode Two was beliefs. Episode Three is we actually practice it. Yeah. All right. And then we moved from kind of those parenting focused, I mean, they're all parenting focused signs of parenting. But we talked about some of the child's specific things that are happening. So that would be like the middle circle of that model we talked about. And so in particular, got to talk about temperament. We ain't skipping it ever. You know, but basically, yeah, every kid that is literally different. We know that if you've listened to season three, and season seven, and every episode, probably ever, because we always talk about temperament. Every kid is different. And it's the case with food, too. In particular, we talked a lot about certain traits, like approach to new things and novelty, high approach child like, yeah, I'm adventurous. With maybe an adventurous eater, but could be prone to overeating versus a low approach child may be prone to some of that more selective eating, you know, versus intensity of reaction, the regularity and rhythm, as well as kind of sensitivity to taste and texture, and those kinds of things. So all those temperamental traits are going to impact our kids' eating habits.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, yeah, definitely. There was some really interesting research if you go back to it, particularly around how it affects picky eating, and then also enjoyment of food. Yeah, yeah. Yes. So we went all the way back to the beginning, before our babies were even born to pregnancy and the first 1000 days. So the first 1000 days encompass that time during pregnancy all the way up to two years old. And we talked a lot about how this is this ideal moment in time. This is an opportune time to really set a strong foundation for our kids, in terms of how they will obviously develop, but then also those healthy eating habits. We're talking about how 80% of brain growth development happens within this first 1000 days. So yeah, so much and so important for those little ones. So that's why it's important to prioritize certain foods and nutrients during this time.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yeah, a great opportunity. Like what a great opportunity for us to set that foundation. And then yeah, we kept looking at this concept of age, how does age play into what our kids eat, what type of habits they have. And so we looked at kind of this preschool age. I mean, like, literally just like kids we talked about. I don't know, I refer to that as kids. But that there's so much development, I feel like at every age. I think that so much development. But across this, we really dove into some of those developmental domains of like, what's happening socially, what's happening with their language, even their motor skills, right? Like what a preschooler can do. They might not be ready to handle a fork and a knife together. But they can do, they can use general little utensils and things like that. And so those developmental domains and how they impact the growth that happens in that age. And the other thing that I remember in this episode was that especially as kids hit that school age, it is when we can really have those conversations around fueling our bodies and really kind of simplified nutrition information of, this helps us grow, or this gives us energy that helps last all day, or this helps keep our tummy full. And that school age is a really great opportunity to start having even like talking about some food groups, because their brain cognitively can start to categorize better. And so again, lots of good stuff. But really, you can start to have more of those conversations in this age, which is great.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, I loved this episode. Because I always know I have great tips about, you know, what to eat, and kind of general nutrition, but it was also nice as a parent of a growing child, you always get worried. It's like, oh, my gosh, are they at the right stage? Are they doing this, you know, the right thing? So this episode was really great to think about, oh, well, I shouldn't be, you know, maybe I don't want to introduce that food or my expectations are wrong at this age, because they don't have the right words to use yet to tell me. You know, they don't like this food for this reason, or I don't have the right words to tell them. I think you should be, you know, I think you should try it for this reason. So you're right. I think this episode hit home for me.
Mackenzie Johnson:Good. Well, it is, it's about what we talked a lot about. What's realistic expectations as we think about how kids typically develop, right? Typically, but there are exceptions to that. And okay, yeah, it didn't occur to me. I mean, I guess I just haven't worried about it yet. Like, at what age should I hand my child a knife? Right? Like, at what age are your motor skills and your consequence developed, your understanding of consequences and risks? Like all those things? So yeah, lots of good stuff in that kids' episode.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yes, yeah. And then we moved right into our teenage years, which I never want to go back to personally. Happy to talk about them. Yes, yeah. But I mean, a lot of the things that are happening to teens, it's, you know, why maybe there's all the angst around teens is why there's angst around feeding and teens, right? You have a different, you have a different peer network, that different social pressure from your friends. So it's going to influence, obviously, what you're eating. You're more independent. You're maybe able to access foods in a different way, buy your own foods. You have a job or a car and you can go out to eat more. And then something we talked about in this episode, too, is body image. Body image, obviously, has a huge influence on what and how kids are eating during this age as well.
Mackenzie Johnson:And yeah, I agree. You don't want to go back to being a teen like, we will get there. Right? We have children. So how teenagers will exist in our realm. But yeah, the whole idea of actually, when we were putting it together was like, we'll do an episode on the first 1000 days. And it's like, well, maybe we'll talk about the rest of the ages. Maybe we won't. And then it was like, okay, hold on. We've got to separate out kids. Okay, hold on. We can't do kids and teens together. There's so much here. And really, yeah, I remember, this was such a big deal. I can remember I've already told the story of my foster sister and I used to like when I got to go get gas to fill up my car. And I could go inside the gas station, we'd get, you know, just like snacks and eat them. Like pop but that was like, yeah, that was such a huge part of being a teen and cooking my own meals sometimes. And yeah, so our teens do have more independence. But also we're setting kind of the precursor, like right after teens is adults, or emerging adults. And so it is, it's a good time. But it is a crucial time too, as we think about that body image and dieting. And you know, it's a prime time for eating disorders. And so there's just a lot to think about with food and teens. And so basically, after every episode that we describe, I'm going to tell you, and don't forget to go listen, and there was so much.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, and a lot of good tips, too. I mean, I know we're talking about a lot of the hard things about it, but I think we're also being realistic that teenagers are gonna be hard. They're gonna be hard for feeding. We know, based off the literature, that teenagers have the worst diet quality. Nobody has great diet quality.
Mackenzie Johnson:But actual worst. Worst, like, not like, yeah, it was really not like the actual worst. Like no, no, actually, the worst. Not good.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, yeah, we actually give age categories grades for diet quality. Yeah, we're all failing, but they are failing the most. They have the worst grade out of all of the class. So be realistic that teenagers, the diet quality is lacking for a lot of these reasons. But like you said, there are strategies and tips and tools, outside of even if you didn't set that strong foundation for your health, you know, to raise that independent healthy eater. That you know, your teen, there's still ways to support that teenager during that time find autonomy in what they eat, but also providing that structure and not being too controlling about what they're eating because we know that has negative impacts for teenagers just like it does for toddlers.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yes, all of them. And then finally in our last episode, we got to picky eating. I do feel like everybody was just like, so you're gonna talk about it, right? We did. We talked about it. And yeah, oh my gosh, there was so many, I mean, the whole episode was strategies, I feel like. It was like, you could do this. Think about this.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Oh yeah, we could have done a season on picky eating, I feel like.
Mackenzie Johnson:So good. I think the thing that really stood out for me kind of, as I went back and looked, what did we talk about? That whole, the key strategy is really repeated exposure. And for some kids, and for some foods even, it'd be like repeated exposure might be like three times and like, or 20. Or it's gonna vary by food by kid. But that, like, keep that in your back pocket is like, I'm offering it. It's offered. And then again, we go back to that division of responsibility of like, I get to offer the food. And yeah, thinking about the, okay, I always get nervous when I actually have to say, we decide when, where, and what is offered, right? Our kids decide how much, what, and whether. No, we decide what.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:How much and whether. How much they're going to eat and whether they're going to eat.
Mackenzie Johnson:And whether they're going to eat. And that yeah, I love the division eventually. But that whole concept of whether they're going to eat has actually been really powerful for me, even with my co-parent and our conversations. Okay, we both grew up kind of in a more, there was some like coercive, right? Like, oh, we want to make sure you get enough to eat, right, which came from very good place. Our parents had experienced food scarcity, but so they're like, oh, eat, make sure you get enough. But sometimes that was coercive and so we are trying to unlearn. And so thinking about as we encourage each other not to, oh, just try a bite. Oh, once you eat that, then you can have this. As we talk about it, it's like, okay, our kids get to decide whether they eat it or not. The how much, I feel like, has been a little more in our vocabulary for a while but whether they eat it has been really powerful. Like you can just say, no thanks. It can sit on your plate. Maybe next time you'll lick it maybe or sniff it or it's not on your plate this time because it's gooey or might touch other stuff but maybe next time like that. There's progress. Yes. In picky eating, that steps beyond just like yeah, and they ate three servings.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yes, yeah, yes, a little bit can be a win too or none of it can be a win if it's on the plate. That exposure is important. And again, that episode is all about different strategies to how to feed your kid but also feed a picky eater who might not even, they might not eat what's on their plate, but how to still feed that child.
Mackenzie Johnson:Well, I'll even say when we had last night, I made like a taco bake recipe. It's just like, we had some meat, browned meat to use. And we do like just tacos all the time but I was like, okay, that's kind of a variation on it. And so it was like more of a bake. And then I served olives alongside it, black olives. Which my kids sometimes will eat.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Olives are very controversial. Olives in general I feel like it's very controversial.
Mackenzie Johnson:You're either here for it or you're not. And my son wasn't. I don't want it. It's yucky. And we talk about the value around that of like, food's not yucky. You can say no, thank you. We're grateful for food. We don't call it gross. But he put it on his finger. Right, like how you put it, I put my finger into it. At least handled it right? Yeah, you weren't interested in eating it. But you touched it, you handled it. It was in your vicinity. It sat on your plate. And it was like, okay, that was progress.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, yes, it is. All those sensory things. It's just one step closer to getting, well yeah, obviously it wasn't like a smell thing and especially we think about it picky eating, it's a sensory thing. Yes. Allow them to, you know, play with their food.
Mackenzie Johnson:Alien fingers. Alien fingers.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:I love to put olives on my fingers. Yeah.
Mackenzie Johnson:This one, that was our win for last night. Oh, yeah. So we did, we covered a lot this season. And yeah, every episode, we're like, oh, I listened to that one and it was so good. We also had a lot of fun talking about it and recording it. So yeah, as we think about this whole season of content. And then like yeah, the big picture, getting back to the big picture. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans which Lyndi hooked me up to. I'm like yep, that's my resource. Now that's the one I love. These four general guidelines in there of like, regardless of age, regardless of race or culture, these were general. Okay, you've been specific, right? Putting olives on your fingers is very specific. And so going back to that big picture, looking at kind of a final tidbit, a little bit of new information, sharing these four guidelines.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, yeah. I mean, I love the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for a lot of reasons. One, it's all evidence based research that has been put together and been vetted by the scientific community, by a scientific committee. They do it every five years so you have the most up to date information. And then they put it out and into this amazing resource that is then used by the masses in America. And what it really talks about, another reason I really love it, is it talks about overall dietary patterns. So it makes it really a really easy entry point for anybody because so much in our society, I feel like we talk about, it's called reductionist theory. Essentially, we reduce everything down. It's like, we have to eat this one, we have to eat broccoli to be healthy, we have to eat a blueberry to be healthy, we have to eat, you know, a certain supplement to be healthy, where that's what we know from the sciences. That's not necessarily the case. Of course, there's foods that maybe might be great for one specific disease state or another. But in general, overall, if there is a dietary pattern that we all can follow, that will help us achieve the best outcomes in terms of our health. So the Dietary Guidelines for Americans presents that information in a really easy, consumable, digestible.
Mackenzie Johnson:I love that word consumable always when I'm talking about teaching people and it fits here. Nothing better than consumable.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, yeah. So we're going to talk about four kind of those overarching tips that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans talks about. So the first one is follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage. So this is all the way from infancy, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans just started in 2020, covers all the way from birth to death when you no longer eat. But yeah, they cover what infants, toddlers, kids, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, women who are lactating, older adults, everybody eats. And something that they talked about, too, is it's never, and very important, it's never too late or too early to start eating healthy. So if you listen to these episodes, and you think, oh, my gosh, I
Mackenzie Johnson:Never too late. And I think the word that have a teenager, and I missed all of those early years, and I didn't do those things you talked about, it's okay. You can still use the same tips and strategies that we talked about with your kid at any point in time. And then also, Mackenzie DeJong pointed out and very appropriately as someone who, I think, has developed her own dietary pattern over her lifetime, and she can share more about that. But it's never too late as a parent to start changing your dietary pattern. I really clung to in this kind of recommendation, this first And I think this gets back to one of those food parenting practices that are so important, the food environment that we present to our child. What food do we have in our house, if we recommendation is pattern. Right? It's like, okay, pattern, as parents maybe aren't making the healthiest decision? I'm not aka general practice, aka, most of the time but not always, aka, saying that you should only have healthy food in your house. But if we have no, you know, if you don't eat healthy food, you don't model those behaviors, then your kid is less likely based off of research to to model or to do that or to participate in this behavior. So as a parent, you can start doing it right now, too. Yes, yeah. right, like broadly in general, because I do think sometimes, I like that reductionist or like, we try to oversimplify, like, it must be this, it's got to be this thing. And so we're talking about a general pattern. And this is kind of a side note but related, and one of my colleagues that also teaches nutrition education, they often talk about when we teach programs for older adults, it's not that older adults are less healthy or whatever. It's that by the time we reach a certain age, right, all of our kind of food choices, nutrition choices have kind of compounded if you will, right. Like, it's been a pattern for lots of time that's established these things. And so as we think about that now like, yeah, okay, I'm in my 30s, even if never up to this point has nutrition, helpful, nutrient dense information crossed my path or been a thing I've been interested in or whatever. Okay, I still have opportunities to make healthful decisions for myself and for my family. Yeah, never too late. And again, general pattern, not I would never have a sugary sweetened beverage again in my life. Right. That's not what we're doing.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:No, no. Yeah. Yes. General pattern, general pattern.
Mackenzie Johnson:Okay, so then the second recommendation is to customize and enjoy nutrient dense food and beverage choices to reflect your personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations. So, what I might choose might be different than what Lyndi might choose. It might be different than what my neighbor might choose. Or you know, I think someone of a different race, someone of a different culture, someone who was raised differently, someone who has different income and all the preferences, all of these things, right? We're each individual. That's why we say there's more than one way. They're saying there's more than one way with food, too, right? I remember you saying, I worry about broccoli being like, that's the green we talked about. And it's like, okay, someone else might be worried about bok choy might be the vegetable that they're like, you've gotta eat this or collard greens or right, there's all these different things. And that's alright, because there's more than one way.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:More than one way, yeah, more than one way to eat. To eat food period. We eat different foods, we might eat food differently, too. So I think that's all really important. And I think that budgetary considerations really stands out to me here, especially as, I mean, I know that my food budget has changed just with changing food prices recently. So you have to think that it's changed for everybody. So you know, no matter what income you are, there are tips and tools to help you to meet and to enjoy nutrient dense foods. And Extension has one great resource for you that's readily available. It's called Spend Smart. Eat Smart. It's so great online and provides tips for budgeting, food budgeting, grocery shopping, recipes, cooking, all of the things that you could think about when you are really thinking about creating a food budget for yourself, and then having it reflect a healthy, nutrient dense diet as well.
Mackenzie Johnson:So if you go online, you can get recipes. One of my favorite things is in their app, they have the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. app is even like how do I choose this produce? Maybe this produce is on sale but it's new to me. How do I choose a good peach? How do I choose a good avocado? How do I know which things? That's also in there? So much good stuff. Like how do I choose these things? Help me with that.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:So go visit Spend Smart. Eat Smart. or download the app. Yes. So the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans tip is focused on meeting food group needs with nutrient dense foods and beverages and staying within calorie limits. So this is looking kind of at that overarching, like when I look at my plate, what is on my plate? So you want to see those food groups like vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, protein foods and oils. And there's certain other foods that you want to eat more of. And some of those foods, you want to make sure you're eating a small, I'm trying to think of the right word. There's what we call maximum requirements. So those are the foods you want to eat the maximum amount of and then there's minimum requirements. Those are the foods you want to maybe limit how much you're eating. And the best way to, the best tool you have to look at meeting these different food groups is a tool called MyPlate. So this is a companion piece to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the visual of what they talked about in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. So if you're actually looking at this plate, what it is, it's half fruit and vegetables, a quarter of it's protein foods, a quarter of it is carbs or grains, and then you have a glass of milk along with it as well. So that's a great way just to think when I have my plate, when I have my dinner in front of me, does it have those? Like if I could divide it out on my plate, does it look like that?
Mackenzie Johnson:Yes. And I love that. I think MyPlate makes it so practical, right? Like, I can just glance and be like, yeah, okay, like I can commit that to memory better than like, how many servings of? And so it is about general food groups, right? We're looking at hitting kind of the broad things, but not as, right we talked about the micronutrients of like zinc, iron, and not that we don't want to think about those things. But it's a simplified way. If we're meeting these food groups, we're likely going to be getting kind of that balance of nutrients and minerals and things like that, right?
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah. Yep. If you are having a diverse dietary pattern, yes, you are going to be meeting those vitamin mineral macronutrient needs.
Mackenzie Johnson:And I also want to highlight, this is not talking about counting macros, right? Nope. Macronutrients is in food groups, not that you have to count, track, manage those things. But all right, a balanced plate, a pattern, a pattern, and I think like a pattern of variety, I think is the thing I hear you saying. Yes, that includes variety.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, yeah, I think we get into very specific details but with your vegetables, like maybe not every day, I've had a lot of sweet corn recently, which is wonderful. But also, you know, maybe the next day I'm having something different than sweet corn as my vegetable so that I'm not having sweet corn every single day.
Mackenzie Johnson:And again, big picture, that's the theme today, right? Wrap it up. Okay, maybe sweet corn at this point of the year maybe. You know, like there's other things at other points of the year. It's the overall pattern. And so we love that. All right. And then our last one, that kind of the fourth strategy they talk about is limiting foods and beverages that are higher in added sugar, saturated fat, sodium, as well as limiting alcoholic beverages. And so yeah, like you said, the maximum and minimum, that there are food groups we want to make sure we're including, and that there's things that we enjoy occasionally. And yeah, even the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is not like, you know what you should never do, rather than how they're looking at it. They're talking about limiting that these things do bring us joy, or they might be a cultural tradition, or they might be these other things that have meaning to us. Or yeah, like I said, like, you might just like it.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah. It's yeah, it's definitely okay. I will always say all food fits in a healthy diet. But also, it's unrealistic that we will never have added sugar because added sugars is in just about everything that we have. And that's because, again, if you listen back to I think our first episode, we talked about, maybe it's our second episode, we talked about how we are predisposed genetically to liking sweet food. It's a survival thing. So added sugar, it's unrealistic that we will not have any of it. But you know, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans does recommend having less than 10% of your total calories come from added sugar. And yeah, maybe you're probably thinking Lyndi, that's ridiculous. How am I, I'm not going to, like I don't count my calories. I don't count. I'm not going to do the math to figure out if I'm having less than 10% of my added sugar from foods every day. But one thing you can do is recently all of our nutrition facts labels started putting added sugar, how much added sugar are in food products. And that includes if you're looking at that label, you see the actual amount in grams, but then you also see the percentage of daily value, how much is in that product. So when you're looking at food, you know, really try to aim for foods that have less than, you know, 10% of your, well, if you're having multiple of those foods, really aim for foods that are lower in that percentage or another way to think about it is to have less than 50 grams of added sugar per day about that. So So nutrition facts labels, I highly recommend reading them.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yeah. Okay, so those were the four recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that we thought were just like a, yeah, this is a nice way to kind of wrap things up, go big picture again. It's like, all right, we're thinking about feeding our kids, we're thinking about having variety, division of responsibility, including some food groups, and limiting some of those things that aren't as nutrient dense for us. And I also like that in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, they talked about, like, okay, so things have to fit within the amount of calories you eat in a day, not necessarily that you need to count the number of calories, but like, let's say, you are having 2000, let's say you were having 2,500 or 3,000 or 1,500, wherever that lands for that day, that varies from day to day, that within that we want to fit in the things that fuel our body, the things that are nutrient dense. And so if we are taking in a lot of other things that can take up that space for where those nutrients need to fit. And I just really liked that as thinking about an adding in method like concepts rather than so often, you know, with diets and fad diets, you know, all this stuff. It's like, oh, cut that out. Don't do this, like restriction. It's like, wait, that doesn't help us. Thinking about adding in the things that fuel our bodies. I think that was just a nice way for me to think about it.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Oh, yeah. That's a beautiful way to think about it. You are speaking dietitian.
Mackenzie Johnson:Okay. Do I get like honorary dietitian status?
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:For sure. Yeah.
Mackenzie Johnson:From this season officially? No. I am not a registered dietitian. But I do want to pause for just a minute and think. I just wanted to ask as you think about the season, I mean, yeah, you're kind of coming in as, I mean, not kind of, you brought in the expertise this season. But I just wanted to like, take pause and I have things that I've definitely I'm like, this has been resonated with me. I've been practicing this. But I wanted to hear what about you, what are your thoughts as you think about wrapping up the season? What you've learned and what we've talked about?
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, no, great question. I think what hit home for me this season is that even though I am the nutrition expert here and I know these things, I know how to prepare healthy food, I know how to structure my home environment to have those options to provide the best, the most supportive way of eating, it's hard. It doesn't make it easy that I know all these things. So I really want you as a listener to know, just because we're giving all these tips and strategies and tools doesn't mean it's going to be easy all the time. I even think about the way that, you know, my co-parent and I talk to our own child when we're eating with them, it's like I still have to catch myself sometimes. I definitely see him catching himself talking and thinking, you know, not saying you need to finish that food or you know, like those kinds of things. So just because I know these things doesn't mean I'm always perfect at practicing them. So don't be too hard on yourself. This is something you're learning over time, it's not something you can shift to and automatically be perfect at. Yeah.
Mackenzie Johnson:I love that. That like there's the reality, right, like, you have the research and there's the reality. Yeah, yeah. Well, my big ones are kind of two things. One, I've been reading more nutrition labels. Um, yeah, Lyndi is like, yeah! Part of it was in our conversations about whole grains. I'm like, you know, I tend to think more about fruit, vegetable, protein, carb and whole grains wasn't really on my radar. And so I've been thinking kind of strategically But not tortellini. about that. And yeah, I'm not doing like, everything we talked about this whole season. But that is one area, I'm like, you know what, let's think about incorporating more whole grains and it's been fun actually. So I shared the bowtie noodle. Did I say that right? Bowtie noodle. All of a sudden, I felt like I said something wrong. That story about my daughter loves bowtie noodles. Not tortellini. That's a no for her. Repeated exposure, we're gonna get there. But we have been kind of playfully, just like exploring other noodles. And so last time, you know, she came to the store with me. And we would usually go buy bowtie noodles. And it's like, you know what, Millie? I've been learning about whole grains and how those fuel our body and I think, looking at pasta that has whole grains would be a great option for us. And so she was there, she helped me pick which shape like, right, we were reading the boxes, because she's kind of learning to read and like, okay, this one says whole grain. This one says whole wheat and we were looking at that. We picked a new one, she picked penne. Right, like, so that was all right, and we tried that. And then the next time we went to the store together, it was like, okay, then she was familiar with that shape. And then it was like, okay, the shape of pasta is now cleared. So we did, we just bought lentil pasta, that's like penne shape this week, because that's a different kind. And so we've just been kind of, gradually is the word I want to use, like we've been gradually kind of exploring it together and having the process like what do we think of this one. And then the second component of that is, I always say, I want my life to be automated. I want to simplify this decision process. And so yeah, I'm not trying to read every single nutrition label in the grocery store right now. I'm focusing on finding more whole grain. And then once we've figured out like, these are the products we tend to like, they can become kind of our regular buying habit, right? Granola bars is another one, where I've been thinking about looking for a whole grain option with less added sugar. And so we're kind of on the hunt for a granola bar that works well for our family that has kind of those goals, because granola bars are a regular thing we eat and have in our house. And so those have been like simple swaps that we're exploring. And then once we've landed, I don't have to read those nutrition labels every time.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yes, right. Yeah. Oh, well, one I have to say I'm just so happy to hear all of that. It just brings me so much joy. Another reason on nutrition because it's so fun to talk and to hear about people making these changes. But then also you bring up such an amazing point about, and I feel this very strongly with diets. I mean, I don't think people should go on diets anyways, I think people should just follow a healthy dietary pattern. But diets fail for so many people because we try to drastically and unrealistically change the way we eat food. And so the way you're doing it with these kind of gradual, sustainable shifts that make it easy for you as a parent, you know, kind of automate your life, but also provide these, you know, you're bringing your child into making that decision with you. You're providing that autonomy to make those decisions. So, you know, just practicing all those positive parenting food styles or practices right there.
Mackenzie Johnson:Well, thanks. But it has been and it's been fun has been the thing. You know, sometimes I feel like I get overwhelmed or negative but like, it's like, okay, I'm not doing everything. Whole grains is our current kind of mission. And yeah, literally, it's been like, pasta. We've done some crackers, like we did a cracker swap of what we might have bought before to something that was whole grain. We didn't love that one. So we're still figuring that out. But then yeah, like looking at granola bars, those are like the three things I was like, alright, we could look for opportunities for whole grains here. Because they're things we already eat. Like, those are already a part of our regular diet.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, I love you even saying these are things, there are things in our regular diet that we can change that are the healthier option.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yeah. And honestly, as I think about yeah, my kids only get so many calories in a day they're going to consume. All right, I'm getting a whole grain in there. That helps. More nutrient density. So yeah, it's been a really, we've had a lot of fun this season. I do want to highlight, you know, kind of here towards the end of our episode, we talked about some strategies throughout this episode, of course, we talked about, I mean, everything we've covered this season. But in particular, highlighting the resources that are available to us, like Spend Smart. Eat Smart., either online or on the app, a great resource from Iowa State Extension. There's also MyPlate that Lyndi talked about, and again, a great visual to help us think about it. And then don't forget about your nutrition labels. So those are great. That's a great resource that you have and a strategy, just reading. I mean, I was appalled to look at some of the things that we buy regularly, that I just had no idea, that I was just uninformed, like I did not know that had that much added sugar. Or I thought this was whole grain and I didn't know it wasn't. And so just learning about some of those things. So great strategies and resources at our fingertips to help implement a more kind of healthful, dietary pattern over our lifetime. So that brings us to our Stop. Breathe. Talk. space with Mackenzie DeJong, our podcast producer. What do we got?
Mackenzie DeJong:Well, um, my first two questions I have written down, you basically already answered.
Mackenzie Johnson:So all right.
Mackenzie DeJong:More to add, you can feel free to add. But if you're good, you can say you're good. So I wrote down your biggest personal takeaway from the season and then the one thing you'd like listeners to keep in mind. Anything else to add based on what you've said? Or you think that you kind of covered that?
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Keep in mind, you can go back and listen to the episodes ago.
Mackenzie Johnson:All right, self promoting, she's in. Lyndi's staying. I think I would just add that, like we're sharing information, and you get to make decisions about it for your family, for your kids based on your culture.
Mackenzie DeJong:Absolutely. All right. Love that. And then thanks to Barb. She inserted another question that is a really great question. We talked briefly about Spend Smart. Eat Smart., but what is each of your favorite things about Spend Smart. Eat Smart.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:I mean, I love the recipes. I've had the privilege of being able to do some recipe testing for that. And I'm just kind of a nut for that, this person who, you know, when I have spare time, I'm looking for different recipes. So if you you can't see me on video, that's me scrolling through my phone for different recipes. So I really like, I personally, what I use the most is for the recipes, but I think the budget tips are spectacular.
Mackenzie Johnson:And yeah, I appreciate that they encourage the choice. I mean, like philosophically, I appreciate that. But even just the reminder of like, I can just buy a frozen bag of veggies to include in something. You know, yeah, I feel like we're on the go and those things. And so ideas that simplify, right, you can buy fresh produce, you can buy frozen, you can buy canned, or, you know you can get those things right, wherever you get food, food pantry, grocery store, gas station, etc. So I love that. And then like I said earlier, I love the produce selection tips. Like oh, I don't usually buy this. How do I know? Like a whole pineapple? Yeah, like what? How do I pick one? All that kind of stuff I love.
Mackenzie DeJong:I was actually going to say so Produce Basics, I think, is one of the cool parts of Spend Smart. Eat Smart. is because they have those tips of how to pick certain ones. But they also have ideas for recipes. So they go back to what recipes have that in it. So if you're like, I have no idea what to do with..
Mackenzie Johnson:Cumquat, naturally.
Mackenzie DeJong:Yeah, the things that look like little aliens that I can't think what they're called. Aliens to me, but now I'm totally blanking on what it is.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:It's a vegetable?
Mackenzie DeJong:Yeah, they grow and they like, the sprouts come out the sides.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, that
Mackenzie DeJong:Yeah, that's it. I don't know if that's on Produce Basics.
Mackenzie Johnson:Only a dietitian. What do you do with this? And I think kohlrabi is pretty good. And it's something people are like, what the heck is this? And I say yeah, it's like an alien. Yeah. So that was one of my favorite parts.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Which kohlrabi is a very it grows well in Iowa. So it's around a lot in the summer. And you're right, it is one of those things, it's like jicama. What do we do with jicamama? What the heck? Yeah, it's another root vegetable. But yeah, yeah.
Mackenzie DeJong:So. All right. Well, thank you. And thanks for answering my question before I even got to it. Yeah.
Mackenzie Johnson:We love to sneak those in and steal your thunder. Oh, yeah.
Mackenzie DeJong:Oh, yeah, I was like, oh, there she goes again.
Mackenzie Johnson:Awesome thanks, Kenz. So, yeah, so that's a wrap on Season 10. This is me like crying but not crying. Hold it together.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:But yeah, we're just gonna have to meet for wraps.
Mackenzie Johnson:Yeah, we're just gonna, like get together and have wraps together. But yeah, because this is kind of our end of our time here with Lyndi on Season 10. Oh my gosh, I've appreciated I mean, the conversation, the resources you've shared. Everything, everything, I'm just going to hang out with Lyndi, guys.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yes, please, please. And yes, I am. I am leaving this side of the podcast. But I will always be a listener. I'll always be on the other side of that podcast.
Mackenzie Johnson:Well, thanks. Well, hopefully there'll be all kinds of opportunities like we'll be hunting you down again. So we do, we've had a lot of fun this season. You know, we've covered you know, we talked throughout the episode on a lot of that. But it has been great to tap into your expertise, you know, both and your experience, you know, as a professional and as a parent, so thank you.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:Yeah, thank you.
Mackenzie Johnson:And thank you listeners for hanging with us today on The Science of Parenting podcast. Don't forget that you can follow us on social media on Facebook and Twitter at scienceofparenting, or scienceofparent, my bad, scienceofparent on Facebook and Twitter. And it's a good way to stay caught up with us between seasons. So before Season 11 you can find us on social media.
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt:So come along with us as we tackle the ups and downs, the ins and outs, and the research and reality all around The Science of Parenting.
Anthony Santiago:The Science of Parenting is hosted by Mackenzie Johnson, produced by Mackenzie DeJong, with research and writing by Barbara Dunn Swanson. Send in questions and comments to parenting@iastate.edu and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. For the full non-discrimination statement or accommodation inquiries go to www.extension.iastate.edu/diversity/ext