The perfect diet for kids is a nutritionally balanced diet that offers a variety of foods. If you have concerns about your child's weight or if you feel he is not eating the proper foods for development, consult with your physician. She can make recommendations on how much and what type of foods the child should be eating at his age.
Fat Intake
Total fat intake for your child over the age of 4 should be between 25 and 35 percent of her daily calories, according to the American Heart Association. To keep fat intake under control for your child, serve lower-fat substitutions at meals. Use fat-free or low-fat spreads instead of butter and cream cheese. Trim off any fat on meats and serve lean cuts. Change the way you prepare foods as well to reduce the child's fat intake. For instance, sauté, bake or broil foods instead of frying them.
Size
Children should receive between three and seven servings from the breads, cereals, rice and pasta food group. Whole grains should be given to children instead of grains that have been refined, states the American Heart Association. Additional dietary recommendations are two to four fruit servings, two to six vegetable servings, two to five servings of meat and four to six servings of dairy.
Considerations
Serving sizes differ depending on the age of the child. The Pennington Biomedical Research Center suggests that a single serving should be equivalent to 1 tbsp. for each year of the child's life.
Snacks
Healthy snacking should be an integral part of your child's diet. Avoid cookies, candy bars and ice cream for snack times. Some suggestions given by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center are fruit pops, string cheese, fat-free pudding, raisins, pretzels, dry cereal and animal crackers.
Warning
Children who do not eat enough calcium are at risk of developing problems with bone growth, according to the Medline Plus website. Dairy foods are good sources of calcium, but you should choose low-fat versions to serve your child, such as low-fat milk, low-fat cheese or low-fat yogurt. Vegetables are also good sources of calcium, such as broccoli and salad greens.
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