SERA Office of Pollution Prevention and EPA-747-F-01-004 Toxics (7404) October 2019 United States Environmental Protection Agency Fight with a Healthy Diet Lead Poisoning Prevention Tips for Families ------- Lead and a Healthy Diet What you Can Do to protect your Child Lead's Effects on the Body Lead is a poisonous metal that our bodies cannot use. Lead poisoning can cause learning, hearing, and behavioral problems, and can harm your child's brain, kidneys, and other organs. Lead in the body stops good minerals such as iron and calcium from working right. Some of these effects may be permanent. Lead Awareness and your Child Children with lead poisoning usually do not look or act sick. The only way to know if your child has lead poisoning is by getting a blood test. Ask your doctor or health care provider to test your child under six years of age at least once a year. Lead Hazards Where is Lead Found? Main Sources of Lead Lead-based paint is a hazard if it is peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracking. Even lead-based paint that appears to be undisturbed can be a problem if it is on surfaces that children chew or that get a lot of wear and tear. The older your home is, the more likely it is to contain lead-based paint. Contaminated dust forms when lead paint is dryscraped or sanded. Dust can also become contaminated when painted surfaces bump or rub together. Lead chips and dust can gather on surfaces and objects that people touch or that children put into their mouths. Contaminated soil occurs when exterior lead-based paint from houses, buildings, or other structures flakes or peels and gets into the soil. Soil near roadways may also be contaminated from past use of leaded gasoline in cars. Avoid these areas when planting vegetable gardens. Other Sources of Lead • Contaminated drinking water from older plumbing fixtures • Lead-based painted toys and household furniture • Imported lead-glazed pottery and leaded crystal • Lead smelters • Hobbies • Folk remedies like azarcon and pay-loo-ah • Cosmetics, like kohl and kajal Lead poisoning occurs without any ------- Meal and £nacK Ideas Tips to Help you and Your Children Plan Meals and £nacKs BreaKfast Oatmeal swirlers Sliced banana Orange juice Lunch Grilled cheese and tomato Coleslaw Low-fat milk Dinner Sloppy joes Watermelon Low-fat milk or Cheese omelet Applesauce Low-fat milk or Tuna salad sandwich Cranberryjuice Pear slices or Macaroni and cheese Stewed tomatoes Melon slice or French toast Orange sections Low-fat-milk or Pizza bagel 100% fruit juice Fresh or canned peaches Low-fat milk or Chicken stew Rice Strawberries Between meals offer small snacks, such as cereal with low-fat milk, whole wheat crackers with cheese, apple or pear slices, oranges or bananas, raisins, yogurt, frozen fruit juice pops, and fruit smoothies. Many of the foods listed in this brochure can be bought with food vouchers from the WIC program. To find out more about WIC, call you child's pediatrician or visit www.fns.usda.gov/wic. ------- Ingredients Makes 4-6 servings • 1 1/2 cups of quick cooking oats • 1/3 cup of peanut butter • 1/3 cup of fruit jelly or jam preparation 1. Follow the package directions to cook oats. / / 2. Sppon peanut bu tter and jelly f on top of cooked oatm eal. 3. Stir and spoon into bowls. 4. Serve with low-fat milk. -J> ingredients Makes 2-3 servinss • 3 eggs • 1 tablespoon of low-fat milk • Vegetable oil • 3 tablespoons of cheese preparation 1. Mix eggs and milk in a bowl. 2. Lightly coat pan with vegetable oil. Use medium heat. 3. Add egg mixture and cook. 4. When omelet is cooked on the bottom, add cheese. 5. When cheese is melted, fold omelet in half. 6. Top with salsa if you like. 7. Serve with toast, fruit, and low-fat milk. Brenc Ingredients • 3 eggs, beaten • 1/2 cups of low-fat milk • Vegetable oil Makes 4-6 servings 6 slices of bread Cinnamon 2 bananas, sliced Preparation 1. Mix eggs and milk. 2. Lightly coat pan with vegetable oil. Use medium heat. 3. Dip bread into egg mixture, so that bread is covered. 4. Brown one side of bread in pan. 5. Sprinkle top with cinnamon. 6. Turn over bread and brown the other side. Top with sliced banana. 7. Serve with low-fat milk. Grilled C T©M)i®6> Ingredients • 2 slices of bread • 2 slices of American cheese Makes 1 serving 1 slice of tomato Vegetable oil Preparation 1. Make sandwich using bread, cheese, and tomato. 2. Lightly coat pan with vegetable oil. 3. Brown sandwich on both sides over low heat to melt the cheese. 4. Serve with low-fat milk or fruit -vwL juice. ------- Tung glDDdl ingredients Makes 2 servings • 4 slices of bread • 1 can of water packed tuna • 4 teaspoons of low-fat mayonnaise • Onion and celery, chopped Preparation 1. Mix tuna with low-fat mayonnaise, onion, and celery. 2. Try your sandwich with cheese and tomato. 3. Serve with low-fat milk. * ¦* Ingredients Makes 2-3 servinss • 1 bagel • 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce • Garlic, basil, or oregano • 2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese or part-skim mozzarella preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Slice open a bagel and place on a flat pan. 3. Add tomato sauce, seasonings, and cheese. 4. Bake for 3 minutes or until cheese melts. 5. Serve with fruit juice. Ingredients • 1 pound of lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken • 1 small onion, chopped • 1/2 green pepper, chopped Makes 4-6 servings 1 cup of tomato sauce Your choice of seasonings 5 hamburger buns or pita pocket breads preparation 1. In a pan, cook lean ground meat, onion, 2. and green pepper until meat is well done. 3. Drain fat. 4. Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings. 5. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes. 6. Spoon into hamburger bun or pita. 7. Serve with fruit juice. Ingredients Makes 2-3 servinss • 1 cup of low-fat milk • 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries, mashed • 1 ripe banana, mashed preparation 1. Mix all together in a blender or use a wire whisk. 2. Eat as a snack or for dessert. ------- Makes 6-8 servings 1 stalk of celery, chopped 28 ounce can of stewed tomatoes Poultry seasoning Ingredients • 3 pounds of frying chicken, cut up into small pieces • Vegetable oil • 1 medium onion, chopped preparation 1. Lightly coat pot with vegetable oil. Use medium heat. 2. Cook chicken until it is well done. 3. Add can of stewed tomatoes. 4. Add vegetables and seasoning. 5. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. 6. Serve with rice or noodles aroii C Makes 3-5 servings 2 tablespoons of margarine 2 cups of low-fat milk 2 tablespoons of flour Salt and pepper Ingredients • 4 cups of cooked macaroni • 3 cups of grated cheddar cheese • Vegetable oil preparation 1. Preheat oven to 375° degrees. 2. Lightly coat casserole dish with vegetable oil. Mix cooked macaroni with grated cheese. Pour into casserole. 3. Melt margarine in a pan. Remove from heat, stir in flour. 4. Return to heat. Add low-fat milk slowly, stirring until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 5. Pour over macaroni. Stir and cover. Bake for 30 minutes. 6. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. ------- "Regularly Eat Heaitbiy Foods The importance of iron, Calcium, and Vitamin-C Children with empty stomachs absorb more lead than children with food in their stomachs. Provide your child with four to six small meals during the day. Hie following- nutrients can help protect your child fromlead poisoning: Foods with Iron Normal levels of iron work to protect the body from the harmful effects of lead. Good sources of dietary iron include: • Lean red meats, fish, and chicken • Iron-fortified cereals • Dried fruits (raisins, prunes) Foods with Calcium Calcium reduces lead absorption and also helps make teeth and bones strong. Good sources of dietary calcium include: • Milk • Yogurt • Cheese • Green leafy vegetables (spinach, • kale, collard greens) Foods with Vitamin C Foods with vitamin C and iron work together to reduce lead absorption. Good sources of vitamin C include: • Oranges, orange juice • Grapefruits, grapefruit juice • Tomatoes, tomato juice • Green peppers Afitaflthy d)o< can help protect your child from the harmful effects of ------- Simple Steps you Can TaKe to protect Your Family from Lead Hazards • Get your children tested for lead, even if they seem healthy. • Make sure your children eat healthy, low-fat foods high in iron, calcium, and vitamin C. • Always wash your hands before eating. • Wash children's hands, bottles, pacifiers, and toys. • Run water for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before drinking, espcially if you have not used your water for a few hours. • Use only cold water for making your baby's formula, drinking, and cooking. • Do not use imported pottery to store or serve food. • Regularly clean floors, windowsills, and other surfaces using wet methods that control dust. • Wipe or remove shoes before entering your house. • Get your home tested for lead by a lead-safe certified professional if it was built before 1978. • If you rent, it is your landlord's job to keep paint in good shape. Report peeling or chipping paint to your landlord and call your health department if the paint is not repaired safely. • Take precautions to avoid exposure to lead dust when remodeling or renovating. • Don't try to remove paint yourself! Lead poisoning is completely For More Information on Childhood Lead poisoningprevention Call: • Your child's pediatrician • The National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (424-5323) • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 Visit: • EPA's Lead Program website at www.epa.gov/lead • U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website at www.hud.gov/offices/lead SEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency ------- |