Feeding Overweight Kids

If your child is overweight, what can you do? Diets are not recommended for growing kids and teens. Instead of weight loss, emphasize positive eating and physical activity changes. 

Try these suggestions:

• Eat dinner together as a family so you can monitor what your kids are eating daily.
• Sit down at the table, where you can teach kids how to eat more slowly, pay attention to their hunger and avoid the mindless eating that may occur when watching television.
• Involve kids in planning menus, shopping for food and preparing meals.
• Make high-fiber fruits and vegetables a part of every meal.
• Focus on offering lower-calorie, nutrient-rich meals and snacks without severely restricting food intake.
• Buy healthier foods and keep them easily accessible in the fridge and cupboards and on the counter. Keep sweets, chips and soda out of sight or out of the house.
• Limit sweetened beverages, including soda and fruit drinks, to an occasional treat.
• Reduce television watching and computer/video time to less than 2 hours a day.
• Promote physical activity as a family by taking walks, playing outdoor games and riding bikes together.

Quick & healthy after-school snacks

Nutritious snacking is an important part of every kid’s diet. Here are some winning combos to try:

• peanut butter and jelly sandwich topped with sliced bananas or apples
• carrot and cucumber sticks drizzled with low-fat dressing
• apple slices dipped in peanut butter
• grapes and pear slices with cheese cubes
• fruit skewers dipped in yogurt
• whole-grain crackers with low-fat cheese slices
• pita bread with hummus
• air-popped popcorn
• yogurt with granola and banana slices
• homemade trail mix (raisins, peanuts, whole-grain cereal)
• bean burrito