Making dieting fun can be a great way to get your kids to stick to healthy eating habits. According to the MyPyramid.gov, on top of eating a healthful diet, kids should avoid food and beverages that have sugar and caloric sweeteners as their first ingredients. Added sugars contribute calories with little or no nutritional value. A balanced diet should include good sources of complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats.
Caloric Considerations
In order to put diet menus to good use, you should assess your child's daily calorie needs and, when necessary, schedule eating times according to this amount. According to Mayoclinc.com, kids should get 10 to 30 percent of their daily calories as protein; 20 to 35 as healthy fats; and 45 to 65 percent should come from carbohydrates. Set up your meals and eating times based on these recommendations and around your daily schedule in order to maximize nutritional intake. Keep eating times as evenly spread throughout the day as possible to help keep metabolism high, prevent overeating and fat accumulation.
The Healthy Snack Menu
If you do allow snacking, make sure to use healthy foods. Snacking may be appropriate if a strict meal time or schedule is difficult to adhere to or there's a chance a meal may have to be pushed back due to special events or time conflicts. Excellent snack choices for protein include hard-boiled eggs, healthy low-fat milkshakes, and chicken fingers with homemade, non-fat dipping sauce. High fiber snacks include most vegetables and fruits. Try cutting them up in eatable sticks or slices. Snacks that offer healthy fats can include peanut butter, almonds, cashews and avocado dips. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, healthy fats are essential for growing children because they promote hormone growth and development.
The Sandwich Menu
Sandwiches are easy to make and eat, which is why most kids enjoy them. A sandwich menu can be a great way to get kids to eat all of the basic nutritional foods. One delicious sandwich can contribute most of your daily calories and nutritional requirements. For breakfast try a whole wheat bagel and egg white sandwich with low-sodium turkey bacon and low-fat cheese. This can provide protein, fiber and calcium. For lunch, use lean turkey or chicken meat on a bed of lettuce. Include vegetables your kids enjoy and if possible include small amounts of ones they aren't sure about. For example, if your child does not like tomatoes, you can try slicing tiny slivers and putting them between the meat and lettuce.
Reward Menu
This diet menu can be a fun way to reward kids for eating healthier more often. You can try setting up a menu of the healthiest foods your child will enjoy. Good examples would include all fruits and vegetables, healthy sources of fats and lean protein sources. Each time they eat a serving of healthy foods they get points. They can redeem these points as extra play time, new toys or desserts. Try and make it fair so that they aren't forced to eat foods they can't stand. Give them healthy choices that taste delicious. Fruits smoothies with some vegetables -- just enough so they can't taste them -- are a great choice. Submarine sandwiches, peanut butter and fruit sandwiches with mashed up fruits can be popular choices, as well.
Considerations
It's important to note that since kids are growing, restricting calories too much may impede their body's normal development. Caloric requirements for children will typically vary depending on age, gender and activity level. According to Mayoclinic.com, boys and girls ages 4 to 8 will require between 1,200 to 2,000 calories while those ages 14 to 18 will need significantly more; anywhere from 1,800 to 3,200 calories. Keep caloric needs in mind when planning meals to give kids the nutrients and calories they need to grow to their potential.
References
- Mypyramid.gov: Team Nutrition
- Mayoclinic.com: Nutrition for Kids
- "NSCA's Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2011
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