Getting your child to eat a particular food can be overwhelming.  As a matter of fact when you forbid a child to eat a certain food,  the food becomes more desirable to them.  It is important that kids enjoy a variety of food . Fat, salt and sugar in your child’s diet in appropriate proportion is okay when taken in moderation.

Fat, salt and sugar in your child’s diet

FAT : The best time to start eating a heart healthy diet  is during childhood. However you have to note that adults goals such as cutting down on saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol are generally not meant for children younger than  2 years.

Fat should not be severely restricted in a child’s diet. It supplies the energy or calories that the  child needs  for growth and active play.

Dangers of high intake of fat 

However high intake of fats particularly saturated fat can  cause health problems such as heart disease later in life. Saturated fats are found in fatty meats such as pork, beef, ham, veal and lamb. It can also be found in dairy products such as whole milk, cheese and ice cream.

For this reason, it is important to serve children older than 2 years foods that are lower in fat and saturated fat. These include foods such as

• poultry
• low dairy products
• fish
• lean meat (baked, grilled or broiled not fried)
• limit egg consumption
• low saturated fat oils from vegetables

NOTE

Whole milk is recommended for children 12 months to 24 months. Your child’s doctor may however recommend reduced-fat  2% milk if your child is overweight or obese or if you have a family history of  high cholesterol  or heart disease. Check with your doctor before switching from whole to reduced milk.

SALT

Table salt or sodium chloride may improve the taste of certain foods. However, research has indicated a relationship between high blood pressure and dietary salt.  Serve children food low in salt. Minimize the salt used in food preparation and use herb, spices and lemon juice instead. It is also a good idea to take the salt shaker off the diner table.

Take note of these processed food which often contain high amounts of sodium.

• hot dogs
• pickles
• processed cheese
• instant puddings
• canned soup
• cottage cheese
• salad dressings
• certain breakfast cereals
• potato chips

SUGAR

Caloric sweeteners range from  simple sugars like fructose and glucose to honey, table sugar, molasses and high fructose corn syrup. Apart from being a sweeter, sugar has other uses. It can be used as a preservative or to enhance flavor and color.

Sugar  provides calories which is the fuel that supplies energy for daily activities. You should note calories from sugar quickly add up  and lead to weight gain. Sugar can also lead to tooth decay .