Kids are much less likely to turn screens on if they are off and you are doing something they can get involved in.
Instead, start by making small, gradual steps towards healthy eating —like adding a salad to dinner every night or swapping out French fries for steamed vegetables—rather than one big drastic switch.
As small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices. Eat the rainbow. Serve and encourage consumption of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This should include red beets, tomatoes , orange carrots, squash , yellow potatoes, bananas , green lettuce, broccoli and so on—just like eating a rainbow.
Make breakfast a priority. Children who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight or obese than those who skip the first meal of the day. Look for hidden sugar. Reducing the amount of candy and desserts you and your child eat is only part of the battle. Sugar is also hidden in foods as diverse as bread, canned soups, pasta sauce, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, low-fat meals, fast food, and ketchup.
The body gets all it needs from sugar naturally occurring in food—so anything added amounts to nothing but a lot of empty calories. Check labels and opt for low sugar products and use fresh or frozen ingredients instead of canned goods.
Schedule regular meal times. The majority of children like routine. If your kids know they will only get food at certain times, they will be more likely to eat what they get when they get it.
Not all fats contribute to weight gain. While trans fats have been effectively outlawed in the U. Choose saturated fat wisely. Focus on the source of saturated fats consumed: A glass of whole milk or natural cheese rather than a hot dog, donut, or pastry, for example, or grilled chicken or fish instead of fried chicken.
Add more healthy fats that can help a child control blood sugar and avoid diabetes. Your home is where your child most likely eats the majority of meals and snacks, so it is vital that your kitchen is stocked with healthy choices. Instead, limit the cookies, candies, and baked goods your child eats and introduce fruit-based snacks and desserts instead. Limit juice, soda, and coffee drinks. Soft drinks are loaded with sugar and shakes and coffee drinks can be just as bad.
Keep snacks small. Limit them to to calories. Go for reduced-sugar options. Focus on fruit. Keep a bowl of fruit out for your children to snack on—kids love satsuma or tangerine oranges. And offer fruit as a sweet treat—frozen juice bars, fruit smoothies, strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, fresh fruit added to plain yogurt, or sliced apples with peanut butter.
Experiment with herbs and spices. Use sweet-tasting herbs and spices such as mint, cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg to add sweetness to food without the empty calories. Learn what a regular portion size looks like. The portion sizes that you and your family are used to eating may be equal to two or three true servings. To keep calories in check, try to limit portions to the size of your fist. Read food labels.
Information about serving size and calories can be found on the backs of packaging. You may be surprised at how small the recommended portions are or how many calories are in the dish. Use smaller dishes. Dish up in the kitchen. To minimize the temptation of second and third helpings, serve food on individual plates, instead of putting the serving dishes on the table. Divide food from large packages into smaller containers.
The larger the package of potato chips, for example, the more people tend to eat without realizing it. Cut up high-calorie treats such as cheese, pizza, or chocolate into smaller pieces—and offer your child fewer pieces. Downsize orders. Order half-orders or a medium size instead of a large. Children who sit too much and move too little are at the highest risk for becoming overweight.
Kids need an hour of exercise a day for optimum health. It used to be commonplace to find children running around and playing in the streets of their neighborhoods, naturally expending energy and getting exercise.
Play active indoor games. Involve children in simple food preparation such as making a salad. Let your child decide if they have had enough, even if food is left on their plate.
This encourages children to better understand feelings of hunger and fullness. These habits may help to control appetite and prevent overeating as they grow. Encourage slow eating if yours is a family of fast eaters. Put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls. Offer crunchy foods that need lots of chewing. Help your child recognise if he or she eats when bored, sad or lonely. Try to suggest another activity to help distract them. Try not to punish, reward or cheer your child up with food.
It can be tempting to use food this way sometimes, but it establishes an unhealthy relationship with food. Fun family activity An active lifestyle is important for the whole family, regardless of their age or weight.
Tips to increase everyday activity at home Suggestions include: Be active together. Let your child see you being active too. Encourage lots of free playtime outside. Try to use the car less. Help your child find a balance between organised sport, fun activities and individual sports like swimming and dancing. Be supportive and encouraging. Some children feel embarrassed and uncomfortable about their physical skills or appearance.
Remember, if your child gets hot, puffed and sweaty when active, this is generally a good sign that they are working their bodies and getting some benefit from the exercise. Television and screen viewing Watching too much television is linked closely with overweight in children.
Suggestions include: Limit sedentary activity like TV viewing, watching videos, playing personal screen games and using computers. These activities should total no more than two hours a day for children five years and older and, no more than one hour per day for children aged two to five years. Avoid eating while the TV is on. This may be a distraction from family time together. Getting started Start slowly. Encourage active play and sport. Limit sedentary activities such as TV, screen games and computers to no more than one hour a day.
Australia's physical activity recommendations for 5—12 year olds [online], Department of Health and Ageing, Australian Government. More information here. Give feedback about this page. Was this page helpful? Yes No. View all children Related information. Childhood Obesity NSW. Department of Health. Dietitians Association of Australia. Physical Activity Recommendations for Children years.
Juices, smoothies, beans and pulses also count. For example, if they have 2 glasses of fruit juice and a smoothie in 1 day, that still only counts as 1 portion. Their combined total of drinks from fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies shouldn't be more than ml a day, which is a small glass. For example, if they have ml of orange juice and a ml smoothie in 1 day, they'll have exceeded the recommendation by ml.
When fruit is blended or juiced, it releases the sugars. This increases the risk of tooth decay, so it's best to drink fruit juice or smoothies at mealtimes. Discourage your child from having sugary or high-fat foods like sweets, cakes, biscuits, some sugary cereals, and sugar-sweetened soft and fizzy drinks. Aim for your child to get most of their calories from healthier foods like fruit and vegetables, and starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta and rice preferably wholemeal. Get tips to help your kids enjoy their 5 A Day.
Find out more about healthy drinks for children. Swap high-fat foods for healthier alternatives. Get ideas for sugar swaps when you shop and healthier swaps for breakfast, snacks and puddings. Help your children avoid sitting and lying around too much, as it makes it more likely for them to put on weight. Limit the amount of time your child spends on inactive pastimes such as watching television, playing video games and playing on electronic devices.
There's no hard and fast advice on how much is too much, but experts say children should watch no more than 2 hours of television each day. It also helps children stay trim if they sleep well.
It's been shown that children who don't have the recommended amount of sleep are more likely to be overweight. The less children sleep, the greater the risk of them becoming obese. Lack of sleep can also affect their mood and behaviour. Find out how much sleep children need according to their age.
Learn how screens impair children's sleep. Get sleep tips for children. Find out the hidden causes of weight gain. If you have received a letter about your child's weight after they were measured at school, you can use the contact number on the letter to speak to a health worker and get more information about what you can do and what support is available in your area.
A GP or practice nurse can give you further advice. They also may be able to refer you to a local weight management programme for children, such as those run by MEND and More Life. These programmes are often free to attend through your local health authority, and typically involve a series of weekly group workshop sessions with other parents and their children. You'll learn more about the diet and lifestyle changes that can help your child achieve a healthy weight.
Page last reviewed: 9 August Next review due: 9 August What can I do if my child is very overweight? The truth about carbs. Understanding calories Very low calorie diets Calorie checker. Find out your BMI. How to diet Start losing weight Top diets review 10 weight loss myths Keep weight off Should you lose weight fast?
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