Children are growing and developing and require certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals each day to do so properly. If your child is overweight, limiting food isn't recommended, but healthy eating is. It's important not to take away snacking, which prevent overeating during meals and provide needed energy. Offer your child healthy snacks such as whole grain cereals, apples with peanut butter or baby carrots with fat-free dressing rather than cookies and cake.
Since children require specific nutrients for growth, they should be fed healthy foods from all the food groups each day. Children's bodies also require a minimum number of calories each day to provide energy for activities, growth and organ function. An average 2 or 3 year old requires 1,000 calories every day. A 4 to 8-year old girl needs approximately 1,200 calories, while a boy of the same age requires approximately 1,400. A 9 to 13-year old girl requires approximately 1,600 calories and a boy of the same age range requires approximately 1,800 calories. In most cases, it is not recommended that you lower caloric intake in children. This should only be done on the advice of your physician.
Plan your meals so that your child is getting servings from multiple food groups at one sitting. A breakfast of cereal and fresh fruit covers grains, dairy and fruit in one meal. If your child has cereal with milk or yogurt, add a glass of fruit juice. Oatmeal is a very healthy choice for breakfast. Add different fruits to your child's oatmeal for a different taste each time. Whole wheat toast with reduced sugar fruit spread is another tasty and healthy choice. Eggs are also healthy for breakfast and you can prepare them in many different ways to add variety to keep your child interested. However, try to avoid egg preparation that includes added oils and fats. Eating a healthy breakfast can help your child start off the day with the energy he needs. Eating breakfast, especially one containing fiber, can help your child feel fuller for longer and decrease the need to overly snack throughout the day, which can help with losing weight.
A healthy lunch could include a turkey and veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread and a dessert of low-fat yogurt and fruit. Another lunch might include a salad with a choice of healthy toppings such as vegetables, low-fat cheese, fresh fruits and nuts. Salads offer high nutrients and few calories unless you top them with creamy dressings. Tuna on multi-grain bread also makes a good choice if you use low-fat mayonnaise sparingly. You can also add vegetables, such as celery, cucumber, pickles and peppers, to tuna salad. You can teach your child about selecting healthy choices from the four food groups and let him help make selections. Your child may display more enthusiasm for a healthy meal that she creates.
Fish and chicken can be healthy meat choices for dinner. Broil, bake or grill your meat instead or frying it. When buying cuts of beef and pork, look for the leanest cuts of meat and remove any fat before cooking. A lean cut baked pork chop with a baked potato and fresh asparagus offers a wide variety of nutrients. Add some baked apple slices to your pork chops for an additional fruit serving. Vegetarians can try meatless burgers and hot dogs, beans and lentils, and tofu and other soy-based products. A tofu stir fry is a delicious way to get protein, grains, starches and vegetable servings.
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