KIRSTEN LUPINSKI: Carbs and sugar: What should kids be eating?

Carbohydrates have been given mixed reviews by many nutrition experts, and this leads us to question what exactly are carbohydrates and are they good for you?

Carbohydrates are, essentially, the most important source of energy and are a necessary part of a healthy diet. To explain what carbohydrates are, you need to understand there are two forms: simple (sugars) and complex (starches). Many people simply label these good and bad carbohydrates, which is not exactly true.

Not all food containing carbohydrates would be labeled “bad.” In fact, complex carbohydrates, which include foods such as starchy vegetables, grains, rice, breads and cereals, are important for your body to function properly and supply needed energy.

However, simple carbohydrates are not all bad. They are are found in many nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables and dairy products, which all assist in growth and development. Simple carbohydrates, which include sugars, also are important for your body, but need to be consumed in smaller amounts than complex carbohydrates.

There are some carbohydrate foods that are healthier than others, such as whole-grain cereals, brown rice, whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy.

For kids over the age of 2, a healthy diet should include 50-60 percent of intake from carbohydrates, with the majority of them coming from complex carbohydrate sources. Of course, as with most foods, simple carbohydrates — in the forms of cookies, cakes and other sweets — are all right in moderation. The key here is to remember moderation.

There are many ways to add more complex carbohydrates into your diet. You can switch from white bread to whole wheat or grain; switch from white rice to brown; buy cereals with whole grain as the first ingredient; have snacks that consist of fruits and vegetables, and low fat dairy products.

It is very important, as a parent, to set these standards and offer these foods early on for kids. Making sure that kids get a nutritious diet isn’t that hard, but you need to find foods that offer needed nutrients and that kids like and want to eat. Don’t be afraid to sneak in a few fruits and vegetables. I will talk about this in the next few columns.

Yes, it would be great if you could get your kids to sit down and eat peas, carrots, broccoli and many other vegetables. However, there are many kids who refuse to eat fruits and vegetables and, therefore, we need to sometimes “sneak” them into food. I am going to give you some suggestions and recipes that include fruits and vegetables and are packed with healthy carbohydrates — in a little sneaky way.

Kirsten Lupinski is an assistant professor at Albany State University in the Department of Health and Human Performance. She has a bachelor’s of science in nutrition from the University of North Carolina, a master’s of science in health education from the University of Kentucky and a doctorate in education from the University of Cincinnati. She has worked in the health education field in various capacities (corporate health, community health, college health and wellness and university education) for more than 17 years. She and her husband have three young children (6-year-old twin boys and a 4-year-old little girl).