Infant diet

The family context

Pediatricians are interested in children with a normal weight, without excesses, who reach adolescence and adulthood without being overweight and, therefore, with less risk of cardiovascular diseases, hypercholesterolemia or diabetes, which impair the quality of life in adults .

If a child is overweight, in most cases it is due to poor nutritional habits within the family. The usual thing is that the parents of the also are. The key to success would be modify eating behavior and the diet of the whole family, and for this it is necessary the commitment of all its members with the diets that are indicated. The child, together with the family, must follow a diet according to his age, taking into account the prohibited foods, the permitted foods and the limited foods.

The goal is not for the child to lose weight, but to grow while maintaining the weight that he or she has; This, in the long run, reduces the and improves the degree of overweight.

Diet alone is not enough

Diet alone is insufficient. One of the main causes of childhood obesity is sedentary lifestyle. It is extremely important that children engage in daily physical activity, such as jumping, running, cycling, playing in the park, going up and down stairs or practicing a sport that they like ... The family must also accompany the child in this process of change from sedentary life to active life.

Keys to proper infant feeding

• Eat slowly, without rushing and chewing well.
• Eat several times a day, little and often. Thus, the next meal is not very hungry and binge-eating is avoided.
• Do not watch television while eating, in this way you pay attention to what you eat and how much you eat.
• Do not bring the source to the table to prevent it from repeating.
• Moderate the servings. A child cannot eat the same amount as an adult.
• Drink water and avoid packaged juices and soft drinks, since they have a lot of sugar and do not feed.
• Accompany each dish with a serving of greens or vegetables.

Prohibited and allowed foods for the overweight child

Forbidden food

• Whole milk.
• Yogurt and whole dairy desserts (natural, flavored, with fruit, custard ...).
• Fatty or ripe cheeses.
• Fatty meat.
• Sweet cookies.
• Pastry products.
• Butter.
• Sugar.
• Sweets in general.
• Regular carbonated drinks.
• Avoid excess salt.

ALLOWED Foods

• Skimmed milk, 2 or 3 glasses a day.
• Skimmed yogurt alone, with cereals without sugar, with fruits, 1 unit or in replacement of milk.
• Diet cheese, 1 small wedge, or 4 tablespoons low-fat spread cheese.
• Lean meat, fish, skinless chicken, lean beef, 1 or 2 servings daily.
• Egg, 3 units per week.
• Vegetables: all, just limit potato, sweet potato or corn to 1 small unit.
• Fruits: all, consume 3 fruits daily (banana and grape only 2 times a week).
• Whole wheat or white bread, consume 2 slices for breakfast and 2 for a snack.
• Whole grains (oatmeal, rice, pasta) can replace potatoes. Consume 3 tablespoons of cooked cereal.
• : you can add 2 teaspoons distributed throughout the day. It can be incorporated in soup, yogurt, juices or in water. It is rich in vitamin B and proteins.
• Natural sweetener (fructose, stevia). Use to make a dessert or to sweeten milk, juices, etc.
• Still mineral water, at least 6 glasses per day.
• Homemade vegetable broth.
• Olive oil (it should be the fat of choice), sunflower, corn ...: 4 teaspoons per day.
• Condiments: oregano, nutmeg, bay leaf, etc.

Remember that…

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• As they are growing, being overweight in children has to be approached differently from that of adults.
• Bad nutritional habits within the family and sedentary lifestyle, the most important causes of childhood obesity.
• The child must follow a diet according to his age, taking into account the prohibited foods and the permitted foods.