Diet Tips for Children

According to the CDC, childhood obesity has tripled over the last 30 years, as of 2008. If your pediatrician has told you that your child is carrying extra weight and should slim down, it's time to take action. Ask your pediatrician to recommend a target weight for your child, and assess his overall health to ensure that there aren't any medical conditions that need to be addressed. Once this has been done, you can start in a new direction to achieve better health for your child.

Empty Calories

• Cut back on empty calories. If your child likes soda, tell her she may still have some, but not the entire can. Pour part of the can into a cup. She may rebel, but if you persist with this new rule, she'll adjust. Tell her that she has the choice between part of a can in a cup, or no soda at all. Continue to allow occasional vending machine treats, but give her only half of the chocolate bar and save the rest for another time. Carry baggies with you to store the uneaten half, and keep it in the fridge when you return home.

Healthy Snacks

• Promote healthy snacks. Have cut-up fruit and vegetables in the fridge, ready for after school. Be more particular about the types of food you bring in the house, so when your child asks for something unhealthy, it simply won't be available. Lead by example, and let your child see you eating raw fruits and vegetables instead of cookies or potato chips. Teach your child about the benefits of healthy food. For example, explain that if he eats an orange instead of a bag of chips, the orange may protect him from catching the cold that's going around his school.

Food Choices

• Help your child make better food choices by being willing to compromise. Give her some caramel sauce to dip apple slices in, if she wants caramel ice cream and won't eat an apple instead. Offer milk with a bit of chocolate syrup added, if she's pleading for soda. Spread peanut butter on banana slices if she wants peanut butter cookies. Try a toasted apple sandwich, if she's craving apple pie: butter two slices of whole grain toast and put between them an apple cut into thin slices, cinnamon, and a light sprinkle of brown sugar.

Portion Control

• If your child is carrying some extra weight, he may not need a second helping of macaroni and cheese at dinner, even if he asks for one. Make his scoop of mashed potatoes smaller, and pour less gravy. Increase his serving of carrots to compensate. His appetite will be used to a certain amount of food, so if you cut back gradually, he'll be less likely to complain of feeling hungry.