Healthy Eating for Kids

Children who are fifteen and older may be treated as adults for the purposes of diet.

For those children ages fourteen and below, it is best that you consult your pediatrician to find out the appropriate caloric intake for your child.

For smaller children the following applies (but again, it's best to talk to your pediatrician):

The average 5 to 8 year-old needs about 40 calories per pound of weight, or 1,800 - 1,900 calories per day. Activity is going to have a lot to do with this, however. If your child is less active, they might need only 1,400 calories and if they are very active, they will need more.

Most dietitians recommend more than just three meals per day for kids. A good strategy is to use 1,500 calories per day as the baseline and then supplement with nutritious snacks for your children when they are active. This means that your kids can eat the same healthy diet as you with adjustments for healthy snacks.

For healthy snacks consider the following ideas.

For an active day:

A half or whole peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread
A half or whole grilled low-fat cheese sandwich using whole grain bread
Fruit and nut blend trail mixes (check the package for added sugar and salt)
A bowl of healthy cereal
Fresh veggies cut up and served with a dipping sauce and cubes of low-fat cheese
Low fat cottage cheese with diced fresh or canned fruit

For a treat:

Fresh fruit
Jello Sugar Free Pudding cups
Jello Sugar Free gelatin cups
Yogurt cups (make your own with 1/2 cup non-fat yogurt, a teaspoon of honey and fresh fruit
Graham crackers
1/2 cup low-fat sorbet
1/2 cup low-fat frozen yogurt
A root beer float made with sugar free root beer and a half cup of low-fat, low-sugar vanilla ice cream
Frozen sugar-free fruit juice bars

If you have any concerns about your children's weight, do check with their pediatrician. He or she can help you evaluate growth patterns, as well as height and weight for age and activity levels.

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