High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

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High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
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Nutrition for Children




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An increasing number of children are diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension). Obesity/overweight, eating an unhealthy diet, and living a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk for high blood pressure. Heart or kidney diseases can also cause hypertension in children.

Under the direction of a qualified health care provider, children who have high blood pressure may benefit from regular exercise and dietary changes, including the following:

Eat an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
Reduce saturated fat and cholesterol intake.
Choose foods with less sodium and don't add salt.
Eliminate trans fats (found in foods with hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils).

These dietary changes may be helpful, even if children require prescription medication for high blood pressure. Because high blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, please see nutrition recommendations for Heart Disease and children for more information.

Changes made to accommodate high blood pressure in children can help the whole family eat healthier. However, the amount of fat in the diet should not be restricted in children under the age of 2, unless directed to by a qualified health care provider. Their faster growth rate and developmental needs require more calories from fat.

Adding more fruits and vegetables provides vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium are known to help lower blood pressure. Adding fresh fruits and vegetables to children's diets can help boost the intake of these nutrients. Check with a qualified health care provider before giving vitamin or mineral supplements to children.

Suggestions for adding fruits and vegetables to children's diets include the following:

Allow children to help choose fruits and vegetables at the supermarket.
Give children a choice between 2 or 3 healthy snacks such as:
raw vegetables with salad dressing or low-fat yogurt dip (dressing should be low in sodium and made with canola or olive oil)
apple slices with peanut butter (peanut butter should have no added salt and no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil)
fresh fruit slices
low- or non-fat vanilla yogurt with fresh or frozen berries mixed in
applesauce
Make children's lunches for school.
Involve them in the preparation.
Prepare lunch the night before.

To reduce sodium, check the Nutrition Facts labels on all food. A food that is low in sodium has less than 140 mg per serving. It is especially important to check the sodium content when choosing prepared foods such as frozen entrees, frozen pizzas, flavored seasoning mixes, and canned soups. Also, try seasoning with herbs, spices, citrus, vinegar, or salt-free seasoning blends instead of salt.



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The following tips can help reduce sodium in children's diets:

Let children choose from different salt-free seasoning blends.
Teach children to use the Nutrition Facts label to check for sodium content in:
breakfast cereals
crunchy snack foods
condiments
Help children find low sodium substitutes for favorite foods.

When eating out, ask how foods are prepared. Request that children's food is made without added salt, soy sauce, or MSG (monosodium glutamate). Avoid fast food restaurants and high sodium foods such as smoked meats and fish, pickles, olives, and condiments.

To reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in children's diets, choose lean meats, fish and poultry (without the skin) and substitute beans, lentils, or tofu for meat 2-3 times per week.

Limit children's intake of white or albacore tuna to no more than 6 ounces per week, and avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish due to potentially high levels of mercury. Talk with a qualified health care provider or registered dietician about the safety of fish in children's diets.

Reduce the amount of butter, margarine, and salad dressings that the child uses and switch to low- or non-fat milk and yogurt. Avoid giving children cookies, doughnuts, and other pastries as a snack.

Other sources of saturated fats are cheeses, sour cream, cream cheese, and ice cream. Low- or non-fat substitutes for these items (e.g., non-fat frozen yogurt) may be used; however, products labeled "light" may still be high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Talk with a qualified health care provider, licensed dietician, or nutritionist about how much saturated fat children should have each day.

Many food products targeted to children are made with hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils. These oils contain trans fats, which raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol and decrease HDL ("good") cholesterol and should be avoided.

These fats may be found in French fries from fast food restaurants, some brands of peanut butter, microwave popcorn, cookies, chips, and crackers. Check the Nutrition Facts label and the ingredients lists for trans fats (hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils).

Lifestyle changes can be difficult for children. Be patient and discuss concerns or challenges with a qualified health care provider, registered dietician, or nutritionist.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension), Nutrition for Children reprinted with permission from cardiologychannel.com
© 1998-2009 Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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