An increasing number of children do not eat a balanced diet or get enough exercise, which has led to a significant increase in the number of obese children in society. As a parent, however, you can do your part to ensure that your child consumes the right foods and participates in enough physical activities by making a few simple decisions along the way. Since you purchase food and remain a role model for your child, the power remains in your hands until the child becomes self-sufficient.
Developing Diet
During your child's formative years, he needs certain nutrients to maintain a high level of health. A healthy eating pattern will support your child's growth and development by providing enough energy for the child to function, while supplying essential nutrients. This diet should include foods from all food groups, while eliminating unneeded sugars. Put a particular focus on whole grains, fruits and vegetables, as they will provide your child with energy, without unnecessary calories.
Fat Intake
Keep fat intake to a minimum, as fat should only make up 30 percent to 35 percent of all calories for children 2 to 3 years old, and 25 percent to 35 percent for children between the ages of 4 and 18. These fats should come from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated sources, which includes nuts, vegetables oils and fish. You should also serve your child two cups of low fat milk per day and stick to low fat cheese and yogurt.
Grocery Shopping
Since a child will want to begin making her own decisions, you can let her choose certain foods for herself. Take your child shopping with you and allowing her to make choices between healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables. That way, she will develop positive thoughts about these foods, since she will make the choice to purchase them. You can also use this shopping excursion as a method of teaching your children about nutrition and properly reading food labels.
Exercise
Your child needs to exercise every day to lose weight and every child older than the age of 2 should have at least two hours of activity per day. This activity does not have to occur at once, as you can break it up into 15- or 30-minute activity breaks. Become a role model for your child by participating in physical activities around the house, as this will make this exercise much more desirable for the child. This becomes easier if you limit the amount of television your child can watch to less than two hours per day.
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