The Truth About Pediatric Supplemental Beverages

As advocates for children's health, we as healthcare providers often navigating the complexities of encouraging our patients to eat a healthy diet while recognizing the difficulties that families face in following recommendations. Bustling schedules of busy school days followed by extracurricular activities, long parent work hours, early daycare drop offs, and late after-care pick ups leave a limited time for planning and preparation of balanced meals. This is often result in eating breakfast “on the go” and takeout dinners. Making healthy choices is even more difficulty for families who live in “food desert” communities with limited access to unprocessed foods, or those who are suffering from food insecurity. Parents who experience any of these scenarios turn to a supplemental beverage in an effort to provide a nutritious meal and a source of vitamins and minerals. However, not all supplements are created equal, and many contain ingredients that are more concerning than nutritious.

What Is Actually in a Nutrition Supplemental Beverage?

Most of the pediatric options contain the manufacturer’s proprietary blend of nutrients. In most cases, they are intended to be a source of energy, macronutrients, and with the fortification of essential vitamins and minerals. However, a closer look reveals a troubling trend: high levels of added sugars and sodium. As healthcare providers, we know that too much sugar shapes palatability development, increases rates of childhood obesity, and dental caries. The awareness of the long term adverse effects of dietary salt has prompted the FDA to reduce the recommended daily limits on salt intake. In addition to these concerns, many supplemental beverages include ingredients that better suited to a chemistry lab than a child's body.

A Healthcare Provider’s Dilemma

In an ideal world, every child would always eat wholesome diet rich in essential nutrients and includes vegetables, fruits, seeds and grains, quality protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Yet, reality often falls short of this ideal. Frustrated parents often resort to supplemental beverages that are heavily marketed or are suggested by friends or family members. In some cases, even their child’s pediatrician or gastroenterologist recommends a particular product. Common parent worries are that their child “isn’t eating enough,” “looks too skinny,” or “is smaller than classmates.” In reality, many of these children are growing and gaining weight appropriately, but their nutrition needs are not necessarily fulfilled, and many suffer from deficiencies. Other patients may have a medical condition or developmental disorder that prevents them from consuming a sufficient amount of calories. Choosing the right product matters. The first option that comes to mind or is most familiar is not always the best option.

Introducing Else Nutrition Kids Shakes

Fortunately, there is a better option. Else Nutrition innovative approach to children's nutrition. Thew offer a plant-based complete nutrition shakes for children ages 2-13 years formulated much differently than other options. Firstly, they are made from 3 core recognizable whole food ingredients almond, buckwheat, and tapioca, something that is rare in today’s product market. It is fortified with 25 vitamins and minerals. Else Nutrition offers a refreshing departure from conventional supplements that are dairy and soy free with almond and buckwheat as a plant protein source and with no processed protein powders or isolates. We all encounter parents who are giving their child a supplemental beverage. Now, there is a healthier one to recommend for the appropriate patients.

The Power of Choice

What sets Else Kids Shakes apart is not just what they contain but what they omit. By refraining from dairy, soy, and corn syrup, they cater to children with diverse dietary needs and taste preferences. As it comes in kid-friendly flavors vanilla, and chocolate, Else Nutrition empowers parents to make informed, health-conscious decisions for their children's well-being. As pediatric healthcare providers, we wield immense influence in shaping children's dietary habits and promoting optimal health. Let us seize this opportunity to champion alternatives like Else Nutrition Kids Shakes—options that prioritize nutrition without compromising nutrition or taste.

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