Diets for Children Health to avoid weight gain.

American Heart Association(AHA) recommends this eating pattern for families:

• Energy (calories) should be adequate to support growth and development and to reach or maintain desirable body weight.

• Eat foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

• Keep total fat intake between 30 to 35 percent of calories for children 2 to 3 years of age and between 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years of age, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

• Choose a variety of foods to get enough carbohydrates, protein, and other nutrients.

• Eat only enough calories to maintain a healthy weight for your height and build. Kids should be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.
   
• Serve whole-grain/high-fiber bread and cereals rather than refined grain products. Look for “whole grain” as the first ingredient on the food label and make at least half your grain servings whole grain. Recommended grain intake ranges from 2 oz./day for a one-year-old to 7 oz./day for a 14–18-year-old boy.
   
• Serve a variety of fruits and vegetables daily, while limiting juice intake. Each meal should contain at least 1 fruit or vegetable. Children’s recommended fruit intake ranges from 1 cup/day, between ages 1 and 3, to 2 cups for a 14–18-year-old boy. Recommended vegetable intake ranges from ¾ cup a day at age one to 3 cups for a 14–18-year-old boy.
• Introduce and regularly serve fish as an entrée. Avoid commercially fried fish.
   
• Serve fat-free and low-fat dairy foods. From ages 1–8, children need 2 cups of milk or its equivalent each day. Children ages 9–18 need 3 cups.
   
• Don’t overfeed. Estimated calories needed by children range from 900/day for a 1-year-old to 1,800 for a 14–18-year-old girl and 2,200 for a 14–18-year-old boy.

This eating pattern supports a child's normal growth and development. It provides enough total energy and meets or exceeds the recommended daily allowances for all nutrients for children adolescents, including iron and calcium.

   Reasons to promote healthy nutrition.

1.  Healthy nutrition strengthens the learning potential and well-being of children and adolescents.
2.  Healthy nutrition contributes to decreasing the risk of today's leading health problems in children and adolescents (including obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and eating disorders).
3.  Healthy nutrition in early life enables healthy adulthood and aging.

Your child's health includes physical, mental, and social well-being. Most parents know the fundamentals of keeping children healthy, like offering them healthy foods, ensuring they get enough sleep and exercise, and ensuring their safety.

It is also important for youngsters to urge regular checkups with their health care provider. These visits are an opportunity to see your child's development. they're also an honest time to catch or prevent problems.

Other than checkups, school-age children should be seen for

• Significant weight gain or loss
• Sleep problems or change in behavior
• Fever higher than 102
• Rashes or skin infections
• Frequent sore throats
• Breathing problems

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