Low-Fat Foods for Kids

To prevent childhood obesity and other problems, design a low-fat meal plan for your child. While thoughts of Brussels sprouts and tofu may terrify the child, low-fat diets can focus on healthier versions of many of his favorite foods instead. Whether you prepare food yourself or rely on quick fast-food options, the right decisions will help to lower your child's fat intake.

Significance

• Although many people who eat unhealthy diets at a young age learn healthy eating habits later in life, others develop bad habits that continue well into adulthood. Furthermore, conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol affect many children well before adulthood. A low-fat diet will thus improve your child's health in both the present and the future. It's easier and more beneficial to begin a low-fat diet as a child than to try to adjust to healthy foods later in life after a lifetime of unhealthy eating.

Breakfasts

• Many popular breakfast foods are high in harmful saturated and trans fats. Healthier, low-fat alternatives to these foods include bran cereal with skim milk, oatmeal and fruit.
  If your child refuses to eat any of these healthier options, make their breakfast favorites lower in fat with a few substitutions. Rather than a cheese and bacon omelet, make her an egg white omelet with lean turkey bacon. Instead of butter on pancakes, use a butter substitute with healthy, non-hydrogenated oils such as Smart Balance.

Lunches

• Unless you pay attention, it's easy to accidentally pack a high-fat school lunch for your child. While sandwiches are potentially great low-fat options, many lunch meats are processed and have high fat content. Ask your local grocery store to show you some of the lower-fat lunch meats such as most cuts of roast beef or grilled chicken. Many grocery stores also have store-roasted turkey, which is low in fat compared with many other lunch meats. Top the sandwich with vegetables and a non-fat cheese. Also make sure to use whole wheat bread and non-fat mayo or mustard.

  As a side, pack carrot sticks or, if the child insists on potato chips, a lower-fat variety. Avoid too many sweets in the lunch. A piece of fruit like a peach or a mango will provide a bit of sugar without the high fat content of a cookie or brownie.

Dinners

• Grilled chicken, lean pork and roast turkey are all solid low-fat dinner options. Check with your local grocery store to see if they carry bison. Bison contains less average fat than most other meats, including beef and even chicken, but it tastes a lot like beef. If you can't find bison for your burgers, make a turkey burger instead. Rather than serve french fries, opt for a baked potato or oven-baked "fries."

  On nights when you don't have time to cook, look for healthy options at local restaurants. Even chain restaurants and fast-food restaurants, often notorious for their unhealthy food, now have low-fat alternatives. Avoid "fried" and opt instead for "grilled" dishes.

Snacks and Desserts

• For afternoon snacks and evening desserts, give your child fruit, salt-free pretzels, nuts low in saturated fat such as almonds or vegetable spears. Rather than high-fat ice cream, look for reduced-fat options such as Skinny Cow or non-fat frozen yogurt. Avoid most cookies, cake and brownies unless the products contain the American Heart Association's seal for heart healthy eating. For a healthier take on classic desserts and pastries, look for recipes that substitute healthier ingredients such as egg whites and olive oil for eggs and butter.