Healthy foods are natural and minimally processed, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Your child should eat these foods as part of a balanced diet. While these foods are healthy, they do contain calories. Consuming too much of any healthy food can increase your child's caloric intake, which can lead to weight gain.
Types of Healthy Foods
Healthy foods undergo minimal, if any, processing. Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy foods that should be plentiful in your child's diet, but they still contain calories. The Centers for Disease Control recommends teaching your child healthy eating habits. In addition to produce, expose him to a variety of lean protein sources, including poultry, fish, beans and lentils. Feed him low-fat dairy products and various types and textures of cheeses. Control his portion sizes so that he can become aware of what he is eating. Exposing him to a variety of healthy foods may entice your child to try other new types of foods.
Free Foods
The American Dietetic Association lists several types of free foods. These foods provide less than 20 calories per serving. Healthy free foods include 1/4 cup of steamed carrots, 1/2 cup of cucumber slices or unlimited amounts of salad greens. These healthy foods provide minimal calories and make great snacks for your child.
Negative Effects
Consuming too much of even the healthiest of foods can have some negative side effects on your child's health. Allowing her to snack freely on veggies throughout the day may cause her intestinal distress due to the high fiber content. She may experience gas, bloating or diarrhea. Feeding her unlimited amounts of healthy food will also increase her calorie intake. It may cause her to gain weight since all foods contain calories.
Balanced Diet
Your child needs to follow a balanced diet that includes healthy foods. A study conducted by the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2009, reported that more than 84 percent of elementary school children follow a diet that needs improvement, 12 percent have a poor diet and less than 4 percent of kids follow a good diet. This research shows that many children do not follow a balanced diet, which leads childhood obesity. A balanced diet includes foods from all food groups, without having too much or too little of any one thing. Feed him 2 to 3 oz. equivalents from the grain group, 1 1/2 to 3 cups of vegetables, 1 to 2 cups of fruit, 2 to 3 cups or equivalents of milk and 3 to 6 oz. of meat and beans.
References
- American Dietetic Association: Exchange Lists for Weight Management, 2008
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Weight
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Assessing children's diet quality in Crete based on Healthy Eating Index: The Children Study. Angelopoulos, P., et al. 2009
- MyPyramid.gov: Inside the Pyramid
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