You can ensure your child's future health by making changes to her diet today. Many of the guidelines for heart disease prevention for adults are the same for children. Educating your child to avoid bad fats, sugar and excess sodium are ways to kick start your child's heart health.
When to Begin
The American Heart Association recommends starting children's heart healthy diets in infancy. This begins with breastfeeding, which provides the baby with adequate nutrients for the first four to six months of life. Do not give your children 100 percent juice until they are around six months old; during this time, their juice consumption should be no more than 6 oz. a day. Try giving your children healthy food options as they grow older; such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains snacks.
Cut the Fat
The American Heart Association suggests eating foods are low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars. The guidelines state that children between the ages of 2 to 3 years old should consume no more than 35 percent of their calories in fat; children aged 4 to 18 should eat no more than 35 percent of their calories in fat and these fats should be heart healthy. Heart healthy fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids; sources of these fats are nuts, fatty fish and vegetable oils.
Grains and Fiber
Whole grains such as oats, whole wheat and brown rice are complex carbohydrates and they contain a large amount of fiber. According to the MayoClinic website, eating a diet that's high in fiber helps to maintain the digestive system, lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar and helps with weight loss.
Fruit and Vegetables
Making sure your child gets the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables per day, ensures they are getting an adequate amount of vitamin C to boost the immune system and reduce the risk of developing certain cancers. Give your children asparagus, spinach, greens and broccoli or give them more orange juice to increase their folic acid intake. Folic acid helps reduce the risk for heart disease, according to the Harvard Medical School.
Considerations
In order to increase the amount of healthy fats that your child consumes, give them fish at least once a week. When you go shopping locate products that read "whole grain" and avoid those that are refined or made from white flour or processed grains.
