Tips and Tricks for...
Tips for Kids with...
Tips for kids with Cerebral Palsy
Healthy eating is important for all youth, especially for those with cerebral palsy (CP). When you are not nourished properly, your muscle strength can decrease which can lead to weakened motor function and impaired respiratory musculature, making it much more difficult to breathe. Probably the biggest challenge with poor nutrition is related to gastroesophageal reflux, commonly known as heartburn.
Healthy Eating Challenges
Sometimes youth with CP take a long time to eat their meals and snacks. This can make it difficult to eat enough calories and nutrients to stay healthy. Some common nutrient concerns are:
- Energy (kcal/d)
- Protein
- Calcium and Vitamin D
- Copper
- Folic Acid
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B12
- Zinc
- Vitamin E
- Niacin
Suggested Snacks
Here are some healthy snacks and foods you can put together to make nutritious meals. Some of these foods are higher in calories to help a youth with CP get enough calories in for a healthy diet.
- Corn oil or canola oil margarine on bread, vegetables, rice, pasta, hot cereals
- Powdered skim milk added to regular whole milk
- Wheat germ
- Raisins
- Puddings
- Peanut butter
- Custards
- Eggs
- Thick milk shakes
- Cheese
- Ice cream
- Energy (kcal/d)
- Protein
- Calcium and Vitamin D
- Copper
- Folic Acid
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B12
- Zinc
- Vitamin E
- Niacin
Healthy Eating Tips
Having a balanced diet is very important. Your food intake should include protein (foods from the meat and alternatives food group such as meat, cheese or beans); carbohydrates (foods from the grain products food group such as rice, pasta, or bread, especially whole grain varieties for extra fiber); vegetables and fruit for a variety of vitamins and minerals; and some fats and oils, in moderation.
Since it can be difficult to get enough nutrients food supplements or fortified drinks can be added to the diet. Consider adding or mixing different foods together to increase protein, carbohydrates or fat content without adding too many empty calories. For example, try adding banana, honey and cream to breakfast cereal, or consider adding powered milk to cream based soups.
Meals may take a long time to eat. It may be easier to enjoy smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day rather than three meals daily. This way, you can reduce the amount of time it takes to eat without reducing the quantity of food you need to consume.
This project was created with generous support from the Ministry of Health Promotion - Healthy Communities Fund
Copyright 2011