Childhood obesity and obesity in general are on the rise today. It is at the point where many governments and health organizations are declaring that obesity is now an epidemic. And unlike many other health epidemics, obesity seems to be a problem in both the developed world and the undeveloped world.
The scariest part of childhood obesity is that it tends to stick with people well into adulthood where they are more likely to develop other non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Essentially, an obese child is already lowering their lifespan before they even get the chance to really live and make decisions for themselves.
Childhood obesity does not have to be so devastating though. It is not too difficult to regulate your child’s weight by regulating their diet and teaching them good eating habits that will last them into adulthood. Keep reading to learn what a good children’s weight management diet should look like.
Regulate Your Child’s Weight Via Their Diet
A healthy childhood diet is more or less similar to a healthy adult diet. It should be made up of all the major food groups and have appropriate portion sizes. The biggest difference between an adult diet and childhood diet is that adults tend to have more specialized diets that may restrict some of their food groups. Children need all their nutrients.
Protein
Choose seafood, poultry, lean meat, eggs, and plant-based protein. Limit the amount of red meat your children eat.
Fruits
Make sure your child eats a variety of different fruits. Fruits are very nutrient dense and possess natural sugars that your child will actually enjoy eating.
Vegetables
Serve various fresh veggies to your child. Veggies are very nutrient dense and have many vital nutrients that your child absolutely needs while developing. Vegetables are also low in calories and won’t put weight on your child.
Grains
Make sure your child is eating whole grains. Carbohydrates put on the pounds faster than anything else which is why you shouldn’t waste time on empty carbs. Make sure that the carbs your child is eating have lots of nutrients that their body can make use of
Dairy
You absolutely cannot exclude dairy products due to their calcium and probiotic content which builds strong bones and protects their digestive tract.
