If there’s one thing that all parents want to do for their children, it’s to make sure they have a healthy start to life. One of the major ways in which parents influence their children’s health is through nutrition. Children, particularly very young ones, are at the mercy of their caregivers when it comes to what’s for dinner. And yet, we often fail miserably in providing our kids with the healthy meals their growing minds and bodies want and need.

A report published in the International Journal of Cancer claims that such dietary failings may actually increase the risk that our children develop cancer. The study, published in the February issue of the journal, looked at the relationship between foods eaten most frequently by preschoolers and later cancer risk. It found that women who had frequently consumed french fries at preschool age had an increased risk of developing breast cancer as adults, and that the more fries one ate as a pre-schooler, the greater the risk. The study concluded that for each additional serving of french fries eaten per week between the ages of 3 and 5, the odds ratio of developing breast cancer as an adult was 1.27.

That information might not be so frightening if one didn’t realize just how prolific french fries are in our national meal plan. It is estimated that 25% of all vegetables eaten by Americans are french fries (as if they counted as a vegetable).In fact, the average American is said to consume 16 pounds of french fries/year. That’s 98 orders of small fries at McDonald’s! With a direct increase in one’s odds of developing breast cancer and the number of servings of french fries eaten/week, we have reason to be worried about that Happy Meal.

Striving Towards an Anti-Cancer Diet

Start by serving your kids a wide variety of fruits and vegetables from a young age. The younger they are exposed to a wide variety of tastes and textures, the more likely they will be to appreciate variety in their diet. Concentrate on providing brightly colored fruits and vegetables every day, as they contain high amounts of anti-cancer nutrients, such as antioxidants. Guidelines published by the National Cancer Institute recommend eating at least 5 one-half cup servings every day to decrease cancer risk. Make sure that these vegetables are organic whenever possible. Not only are organic foods free from chemical fertilizers, pesticides and growth hormones, all of which are recognized to increase cancer risk, their nutritional quality is also higher.

You can also reduce cancer risk by substituting fish for red meat in your family’s diet. Red meat is high in saturated fat, and diets high in saturated fat are a widely known risk factor for the development of many types of cancer. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, in contrast, are actually protective against cancer.

You can further reduce cancer risk by encouraging regular exercise in your family. Regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight, an important protective factor against cancer. It also improves your body’s ability to process and metabolize environmental toxins. Likewise, it helps maintain healthy blood sugar and insulin levels, both of which may help to prevent cancer.

As the primary providers of nutrition for children, it’s crucial that parents recognize that the foods their kids eat really do affect their health, even as adults! Ask your doctor or naturopath about ways to maximize your family’s intake of healthy foods, and try to resist that Drive-Thru. It really could kill you.

Anti-cancer vegetables: broccoli brussel sprouts cabbage carrots cauliflower eggplant green beans kale onions (red) peppers radishes soy squash sweet potatoes tomatoes yams

Anti-cancer fruits: apricots blueberries grapefruit grapes lemons mangoes oranges papayas peaches persimmons strawberries, organic tangerines

Citations:

International Journal of Cancer. 2006; 118: 749-754.

British Journal of Cancer. 2003; 89: 1672-1685.