What is a low carbohydrate diet, and is it safe for children? Could reducing carbohydrate intake benefit overweight adolescents?
A low-carb diet is an excellent method for youngsters to better manage their diabetes, lose weight (if necessary), and develop an appreciation for good food. In recent decades, many children’s diets have become increasingly carbohydrate- and sugar-based.
During this time, we have also witnessed an increase in the number of overweight youngsters. A possible adverse effect of a high-carbohydrate diet is that children with type 1 diabetes struggle to maintain sugar levels under control. A reduction in daily carbohydrate consumption helps combat both weight gain and inadequate diabetic management.
Low-Carb Diets
In a low carbohydrate diet:
- 10 to 20% of the calories are derived from carbs.
- 80 to 90% of remaining calories come from proteins and lipids.
Most low-carb diets also recommend avoiding sugars and simple carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, which can elevate blood sugar more quickly than complex carbohydrates with a high fibre content. Below, we will discuss specific items found on a low carb diet, but first, let’s discuss the use of this diet in children.
Low-Carb Foods
Bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, cereal, and fruit juice are among the carbohydrate-rich foods that children appear to enjoy the most. In contrast, low-carb foods include the following in addition to prepared low-carb meals and snacks:
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Cantaloupes
- Carrots
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Greens, such as lettuce, spinach, and kale
- Green beans
- Lean meats, chicken, and fish
- Low-carb bread
- Low-carb milk
- Low-carb pasta
- Nuts
- Peaches
- Peanut butter
- Strawberries
- Sugar-free Jell-o
- Sugar-free yoghurts
- Sunflower seeds
- Tomatoes
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Unsweetened soy milk
- Watermelon
Benefits
Low-carb diets can assist diabetic children in the following ways:
- Enhance their assurance in their diabetes control
- Help manage sugar levels in diabetic youngsters
- Reduce the danger of severe hypos
- Reduce the sense of failure caused by high or low blood sugar levels.
Diets low in carbohydrates can also assist overweight youngsters lose weight and lessen their chance of acquiring chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A diet limited in carbohydrates can also prevent healthy youngsters from becoming obese.
Is a diet low in carbohydrates healthy for kids?
A healthy low-carb diet is primarily composed of vegetables, contains a suitable amount of protein, and excludes the processed foods that lead to weight gain and bad health.
A low-carb diet helps reduce the risk of severe hypoglycemia and makes diabetes simpler to manage in children with type 1 diabetes by minimising the amplitude of blood sugar fluctuations.
Even extremely low-carb diets (ketogenic diets) are safe for children to follow. Dietary ketosis was once the major treatment for preventing epilepsy in children prior to the discovery of medications that achieved this function.
Although very few studies have been conducted on low-carb diets for children, one study found that overweight adolescents performed better on a low-carb diet than on a low-fat diet. Researchers determined that a low-carbohydrate “Diet looks helpful for short-term weight loss in obese teenagers. ” Do not hesitate to find doctor if you have any questions about a low-carb diet.
Modify Your Child’s Diet
Knowing something and putting it into practice are two different things, as most parents are well aware. Some children are fussy eaters, so how can you maximise your chances of success?
- Introduce dietary adjustments to your youngster gradually, rather than all at once
- The best thing you can do for your child’s food habits is to practise healthy eating
- Make it fun
- There are a plethora of inventive ideas online for making even the most routine dinner more entertaining.
- Remember variety: A surprising conclusion of numerous research is that eating a variety of meals can sometimes be as important as obtaining specific nutrients. Try to feed your youngster “the rainbow’s colours.”
- Remember moderation once more: Some changes, even when highly healthy in moderation, can be harmful when carried to extremes.
