Healthy Low-Fat Diet for Children: A Guide for Parents

The total amount of fat that a child consumes in a day should be no more than 35 percent of their daily calories. Providing a low-fat diet for your kids will ensure a good start at a healthy life.

Whole Grains

• Whole grain foods should be used whenever possible. Look for "whole grain" on the cover of products such as bread, rice, pasta and cereals.

Fruit

• A kid should eat at least 1 cup of fruit per day. Fresh fruit is preferred; fruit juice does not count and should be limited due to being high in sugar.

Vegetables

• At least 1 cup of vegetables should be served daily. Fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables are healthier for a kid than canned vegetables.

Baked, not Fried

• Whenever possible, serve your kid baked food instead of fried. Fried foods contain a considerable amount of fat. Potato chips should also be baked.

Milk

• Once children reach the age of 8, they need to drink low-fat milk. At this age, three cups a day are recommended.

Snacks

• Always choose low-fat snacks such as low-fat Popsicles, low-fat yogurt and reduced-fat crackers. Choose snacks that have "low-fat", "reduced-fat" or "fat-free" on the label.