Today’s adolescents, like their parents, lead busier lives than any previous generation. Such hectic schedules are often accompanied by nutrient-poor food choices that are dispensed, vended and sold through a window. “These products are convenient and portable, but usually not loaded with the nutrients that growing bodies crave and need. Filling up on these calorie-dense foods leaves little room or appetite for missing fruits, vegetables and whole grains sorely needed in the diet,” says Carol Berg Sloan, R.D., food and nutrition communication consultant, California Walnut Commission, Folsom.
Adolescents’ erratic meal and snacking patterns require carefully designed products that meet their needs.
What kids are lacking
According to data collected from 1970 to 2005 by USDA’s Economic Research Service, Washington, D.C., dietary habits of America’s youth have changed considerably, and not typically in a positive direction. For example, consider the switch from milk to soft drinks. For each ounce of milk that American children have stopped drinking, they consume another estimated 4.2 oz. of soft drinks. This represents a net gain of 31 calories, a loss of about 34 mg of calcium, and may contribute to what nutritionists see as rising levels of calcium deficiency, especially in female adolescents.
“We know this group does not consume enough calcium-rich foods, which is why food manufacturers during the past 10 or so years have been adding calcium to all types of adolescent-appealing foods,” says Roger Clemens, associate director of the regulatory science program, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and an Institute of Food Technologists expert on functional foods.
Geri Detroy Mertens, R.D., Chicago, adds: “Without a doubt, vitamin D is one of those nutrients that most Americans are not getting enough of on a daily basis. It is very, very important for adolescents to meet their daily requirements for calcium and vitamin D, as these are their prime bone-building years.”
Vitamin D is responsible for helping the body absorb and effectively utilize calcium. Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is produced naturally when the body reacts to sunlight, but skin-cancer precautions (sunscreen, shade, etc.) are reducing vitamin D levels in the body. Only a few foods, such as fatty fish and egg yolks, naturally contain vitamin D. Up to 55% of adolescents may be deficient in vitamin D, according to a recent analysis of children living in the northeastern United States. Researchers believe the trend of soft drinks replacing milk may be one important reason for this trend, as milk has been fortified with vitamin D since the 1930s in an effort to prevent the occurrence of the bone-debilitating disease rickets in young children.
Looking for D
“Formulating foods with egg yolk products is a great way to naturally boost vitamin D levels in prepared foods,” says Elisa Maloberti, director of egg product marketing, American Egg Board, Park Ridge, IL. “Egg yolks also contain choline, a brain-building, memory-enhancing nutrient not found in many foods.”
Clemens adds: “Choline is an essential nutrient, partially met by synthesis in the liver and a few other tissues. It is found in foods such as eggs, chicken liver, wheat germ and human milk ... foods most adolescents are not indulging in on a daily basis. Yet, their bodies desperately need choline in order to effectively think, plan and develop their future.”
Choline is available as an additive, but it is also possible to deliver this micronutrient by formulating with egg yolks. “All-natural egg products provide functionality and nutrition to many food applications, and they contain many of the critical nutrients this demographic requires to grow into a healthful adult,” says Maloberti. “This includes a positive lipid profile, void of trans fatty acids, and high in heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.”
O-K, so what?
For many years, it was thought that vitamin K function was exclusively related to blood coagulation; however, research shows that vitamin K is critical for adolescent bone development. Unfortunately, data indicate vitamin K consumption is dropping in the United States, and many adolescents are deficient.