According to FamilyDoctor.org, an increasing number of children in the United States are overweight. Because obesity can lead to other health conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, it's imperative to offer your child a healthy, balanced diet. Diets designed for adults, however, may not be appropriate for children. Follow established healthy eating standards for children and contact your pediatrician before starting your child on any diet to lose weight.
MyPyramid
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that children consume a balance of nutritious foods daily as part of a healthy diet. Offer whole grain breads, cereals and crackers, and serve dark green and orange vegetables. Give your child a variety of fruit, but offer limited fruit juices, which can be high in sugar. Buy low-fat or fat-free milk and dairy products; they're just as nutritious as the full-fat varieties, but they won't pack on the pounds. Limit fats to small bits of olive oil used on salads and in food preparation and avoid saturated fats like butter, lard and coconut oil.
Portion Size
A healthy diet starts with healthy eating habits. As a child, you may have learned to finish everything on your plate, but MyPyramid recommends allowing a child to eat only what she wants at mealtime. Serve smaller portions of food at first, and tell your child that she may have more if she's still hungry. Small portions may appear skimpy on large plates, so serve them on smaller plates and teach your child to chew each bite thoroughly.
Snack Healthy
Develop healthy snacking habits. Most kids will eagerly devour cookies and chips if they're hungry, but junk food offers little in the way of nutrition, and it contributes to obesity. FamilyDoctor.org suggests stocking up on healthy snacks that include fresh grapes, raisins, chunks of fresh pineapple, apple slices and natural peanut butter, strawberries, whole grain crackers or fat-free frozen yogurt treats. Serve celery or carrot sticks along with fresh cauliflower or broccoli, using salsa as a dip.
Eating Together
Eating together as a family is a factor in a healthier diet for children, according to Kids Health. Because regular family meals discourage snacking on high-fat and sugary junk foods, your child is more likely to eat nutritious foods, including vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products. Include children in grocery shopping and simple meal preparation tasks to teach them to select and prepare healthy foods.
Fad Dieting
Diets that do not include the recommended allowance of healthy foods can be dangerous to a child's health. Kids Health warns that fad diets, which promise quick weight loss through severely restricting caloric intake or eating a single food, are not appropriate diets for children.
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