If you think your child may need to develop healthier eating habits, consult her doctor to create a nutritious diet. The best strategy is to follow general guidelines for childhood nutrition, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Severely cutting back fats, calories or treats will likely lead to health problems and perhaps even an aversion to healthy foods. Instead, focus on boosting your child's activity level and introducing healthy portions from the major food groups.
Food Groups
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid groups foods into protein, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, calcium, fat and discretionary categories. Healthy protein choices include lean meats like chicken and fish, as well as peanut butter, nuts, eggs, beans and dried seeds. The healthiest carbohydrate choices include whole-grain breads and pastas, brown rice, oatmeal, cereal, fruits and root vegetables like potatoes. Calcium-rich foods include milk, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, salmon, leafy greens and almonds. Healthy fats may come from vegetable oils, cold water fish, avocados and nuts. The "discretionary" category is reserved for limited amounts of non-nutritive foods, such as chips, cookies, syrup and other sweet treats.
Portion Control
According to the USDA, kids and teens need between 3 and 7 ounces of whole grains and 2 to 6 oz. of protein each day. They also require 2 to 3 cups of vegetables, 1 to 2 cups of fruit, 2 to 3 cups of dairy products and 3 to 6 teaspoons of oils and fats. What portion your child needs within those ranges depends on his age and activity level. Additionally, recommended portions for boys tend to be larger than those for girls.
Under Age 2
It's normal for babies to be chubby, and restricting fat and calorie intake at this age is inadvisable, according to the MedlinePlus online medical encyclopedia. Avoid low-fat milk or cheese products, because your child needs fats for proper growth at this point. This is also the time to introduce a variety of choices from the food groups, even if they are in pureed or mashed forms. Keep sweet foods like cookies and sugary juice and soda to a minimum to discourage a fixation on them in later years.
Older Children
After toddlerhood, begin reducing the amount of fat in your child's diet. Switch to 1- or 2-percent milk, and look for part-skim cheeses. Children aged 2 to 3 need to consume at least 1,000 calories a day, notes the Mayo Clinic. That figure increases with the child's age, gender and activity level, with girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 13 needing between 1,600 to 2,600 calories a day. A boy of the same height and activity level as a girl of the same age generally requires between 200 to 400 more calories a day. Teens need between 1,800 and 3,200 calories a day, again depending on gender, activity level and height.
Treats
According to the USDA, making room for "discretionary calories" is an encouraged part of a healthy eating plan. This allows even a child who needs to lose weight a treat or two a day. The USDA's food pyramid plan recommends that young children eat treats that total between 160 and 195 calories over the course of a day, while pre-teens take in a maximum of 400 discretionary calories. Teens should have no more than 650 discretionary calories each day. The older and more active a child is, the greater the number of calories from treats she can consume on a healthy meal plan.
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