Kids Eat in Color Healthy Diet and Eating Recommendations for Children
March 2023
Author:
Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN
Coauthors:
Katie Kaenkumchorn, MD
Laura Petix, M.S. OTR/L
Hyemyung Kim, RD, CDN, CNSC, CLC
Alexandria Delozier, PHD
Stefanie Kain, B.S. M.Ed
Johane Filemon, MS, RDN, CLT
About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Author:
Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN
Coauthors:
Katie Kaenkumchorn, MD
Laura Petix, M.S. OTR/L
Hyemyung Kim, RD, CDN, CNSC, CLC
Alexandria Delozier, PHD
Stefanie Kain, B.S. M.Ed
Johane Filemon, MS, RDN, CLT
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This article focuses on having a healthy lifestyle for your child, specifically diet. We make these recommendations for all children, regardless of their weight.
Regardless of the weight of your child, there are certain habits that help your child with their health.
We encourage all families to do these things as much as you can.
We also know that there can be many things that make these habits difficult or sometimes even impossible. If something is not feasible for you, you can do things that are possible for you.
Here are some habits that will promote health for your child and your family:
Getting enough sleep.
Being active during the day through playing, sports, or activities.
Eating a balanced diet.
Limiting screen time.
Finding support if a child is being bullied.
Getting mental health support.
Having a plan to help food last through the month.
Since we help families with nutrition and feeding, that is the focus of this article.
Offer your child a balanced diet
Serve balanced and satisfying meals that include a food your child is comfortable with. You are in charge of what foods you choose to purchase and make available in your home.
While you can incorporate your child’s favorite foods into your meals and snacks, you can also make sure that a variety of foods are available in your home.
Avoid removing certain food groups, like “carbs” or sweets, or using food as a bribe. Also avoid making snacks or meals very restrictive, such as only serving vegetables for snacks. These may backfire and have negative effects on your child’s health.
Our Big 5 recommendations for a healthful diet for all children
1. Water
Offer water throughout the day, including at meals and snacks. Make water your child’s number one drink. Juice and sugary drinks can be saved for special occasions.
If there is only one thing you focus on with your child’s nutrition, this is the most important one.
If you choose to serve milk, you can offer milk during a meal or snack. If you serve milk, remember that most children should not consume more than 2-3 servings of dairy per day. This includes fluid milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Sports drinks should be avoided for small children and can be offered during intense physical activities when a child is sweating heavily for more than one hour.
As with everything, some children will have special needs. If your child has a medical need, sports needs, or something else, you can make drink decisions based on that.
2. Variety
Serve a variety of foods to help your child get all of the nutrients they need. If your child is a picky eater, you can slowly begin to add foods to their diet.
Especially serve a variety of fruit and vegetables during meals and snacks.
3. Balanced meals and snacks
Include a food with protein and fat, fruits or vegetables, and carbohydrates with every meal and snack.
4. Reduce added sugar
Reduce sugars when possible, but also don’t obsess over them or make them completely forbidden.
Especially don’t forbid your child from eating sweet foods just to try to control their weight. All children benefit from a diet lower in added sugars.
Just because a child is at a higher weight does not mean that they should be deprived of celebration foods or fun foods.
5. Be intentional
Be intentional about eating out versus cooking at home. Use convenience when you need to and learn to add in easy, home-cooked meals the rest of the time
Help your child know when they are hungry and full
Help your child learn to listen to their body, when they are hungry and full. This is important for everyone to learn, but there are things that can make this more difficult for kids.
There are many ways you can help your child tell when they are hungry and when they are full.
One example is to have routine meals and snacks so that your child can depend on when eating will happen and also allow your child to get hungry (not starving) between meals and snacks.
We do not recommend restricting how many portions your child eats during a meal, unless it is medically relevant, as in the case of managing insulin dosing.
This does not mean that your child should “graze” all day long, it means that they should be able to eat until they are satisfied during routine meals and snacks.
If you would like more specific how-to instructions for setting up a meal routine, or all the ways you can help your child learn to tell when they are hungry and full, our Toddler and Child Feeding Course can help (scholarships available when needed).
Model treating your own body with kindness
Speak kindly about your body and talk to your child about any changes to your diet in terms of improving your health.
Here are a few examples:
“My body is strong, look what I can do.”
“My body made you, isn’t that amazing?”
“I’m eating more vegetables to get my body more of the nutrients that it needs.”
“My body doesn’t feel like eating that food tonight.”
“I just learned that I have _____. I am going to be eating differently now because my body needs different things. This will help me be strong and healthy.”
Do not discuss weight or weight loss diets, speak poorly about your body, or weigh yourself in front of your child.
Make changes as a family
If you are changing the way your family eats or something else, make the changes for everyone if possible.
If only one person in the family has a health challenge, it can be easy to want to make changes only for that one family member. Making changes for the whole family, however, may help improve everyone’s health.
For example, if a child has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, they may be advised to stop drinking fruit juice and sugar-sweetened beverages.
Instead of singling the child out, it would probably be more beneficial for the whole family to make this change together.
If you are adding more physical activity into your life, find ways to add physical activity for everyone in your family.
As much as you can, eat together as a family. Even if you cannot eat together every day, find times that you can eat together during the week.
One change at a time
Changing habits at home can feel overwhelming if you are trying to change many things at once. Instead, focus on one thing to work on right now. Instead of doing a complete diet overhaul, start serving more water and less sweet drinks.
Once one change is working for you, start working on another habit that would benefit your family. It is better to slowly make changes that stick, than to make lots of changes that are too overwhelming to keep up with.
About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Jennifer Anderson is a registered dietitian and has a masters of science in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. In 2019, she founded Kids Eat in Color®, a public health resource that improves child and family nutrition and mental health. Prior to starting Kids Eat in Color® she coordinated youth nutrition programs at a food bank, performed research in inner-city food deserts, and consulted for the USDA national office SNAP-Ed program. Her academic background is in public health nutrition, cultural anthropology, and economics.
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How to Talk to Your Kids About Weight & Health: A Parent’s Guide
This article focuses on having a healthy lifestyle for your child, specifically diet. We make these recommendations for all children, regardless of their weight.
Additionally, you can learn more about how to have a successful health-focused medical visit and how to focus on the health of your child instead of their weight.
Healthy lifestyle activities benefit all children
Regardless of the weight of your child, there are certain habits that help your child with their health.
We encourage all families to do these things as much as you can.
We also know that there can be many things that make these habits difficult or sometimes even impossible. If something is not feasible for you, you can do things that are possible for you.
Here are some habits that will promote health for your child and your family:
Since we help families with nutrition and feeding, that is the focus of this article.
Offer your child a balanced diet
Serve balanced and satisfying meals that include a food your child is comfortable with. You are in charge of what foods you choose to purchase and make available in your home.
While you can incorporate your child’s favorite foods into your meals and snacks, you can also make sure that a variety of foods are available in your home.
Avoid removing certain food groups, like “carbs” or sweets, or using food as a bribe. Also avoid making snacks or meals very restrictive, such as only serving vegetables for snacks. These may backfire and have negative effects on your child’s health.
If your child is a picky eater and you are struggling, our free 11-page picky eater guide can help.
Our Big 5 recommendations for a healthful diet for all children
1. Water
Offer water throughout the day, including at meals and snacks. Make water your child’s number one drink. Juice and sugary drinks can be saved for special occasions.
If there is only one thing you focus on with your child’s nutrition, this is the most important one.
If you choose to serve milk, you can offer milk during a meal or snack. If you serve milk, remember that most children should not consume more than 2-3 servings of dairy per day. This includes fluid milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Sports drinks should be avoided for small children and can be offered during intense physical activities when a child is sweating heavily for more than one hour.
As with everything, some children will have special needs. If your child has a medical need, sports needs, or something else, you can make drink decisions based on that.
2. Variety
Serve a variety of foods to help your child get all of the nutrients they need. If your child is a picky eater, you can slowly begin to add foods to their diet.
Especially serve a variety of fruit and vegetables during meals and snacks.
3. Balanced meals and snacks
Include a food with protein and fat, fruits or vegetables, and carbohydrates with every meal and snack.
4. Reduce added sugar
Reduce sugars when possible, but also don’t obsess over them or make them completely forbidden.
Especially don’t forbid your child from eating sweet foods just to try to control their weight. All children benefit from a diet lower in added sugars.
Just because a child is at a higher weight does not mean that they should be deprived of celebration foods or fun foods.
5. Be intentional
Be intentional about eating out versus cooking at home. Use convenience when you need to and learn to add in easy, home-cooked meals the rest of the time
Help your child know when they are hungry and full
Help your child learn to listen to their body, when they are hungry and full. This is important for everyone to learn, but there are things that can make this more difficult for kids.
There are many ways you can help your child tell when they are hungry and when they are full.
One example is to have routine meals and snacks so that your child can depend on when eating will happen and also allow your child to get hungry (not starving) between meals and snacks.
We do not recommend restricting how many portions your child eats during a meal, unless it is medically relevant, as in the case of managing insulin dosing.
This does not mean that your child should “graze” all day long, it means that they should be able to eat until they are satisfied during routine meals and snacks.
If you would like more specific how-to instructions for setting up a meal routine, or all the ways you can help your child learn to tell when they are hungry and full, our Toddler and Child Feeding Course can help (scholarships available when needed).
Model treating your own body with kindness
Speak kindly about your body and talk to your child about any changes to your diet in terms of improving your health.
Here are a few examples:
Do not discuss weight or weight loss diets, speak poorly about your body, or weigh yourself in front of your child.
Make changes as a family
If you are changing the way your family eats or something else, make the changes for everyone if possible.
If only one person in the family has a health challenge, it can be easy to want to make changes only for that one family member. Making changes for the whole family, however, may help improve everyone’s health.
For example, if a child has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, they may be advised to stop drinking fruit juice and sugar-sweetened beverages.
Instead of singling the child out, it would probably be more beneficial for the whole family to make this change together.
If you are adding more physical activity into your life, find ways to add physical activity for everyone in your family.
As much as you can, eat together as a family. Even if you cannot eat together every day, find times that you can eat together during the week.
One change at a time
Changing habits at home can feel overwhelming if you are trying to change many things at once. Instead, focus on one thing to work on right now. Instead of doing a complete diet overhaul, start serving more water and less sweet drinks.
Once one change is working for you, start working on another habit that would benefit your family. It is better to slowly make changes that stick, than to make lots of changes that are too overwhelming to keep up with.