American Heart Association's Recommendations
Here are some of the American Heart Association's recommendations for kids:
- Eat a diet that primarily consists of foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars.
- Eat only enough calories to maintain a healthy weight for your height and build. Estimated calories needed by children range from 900 a day for a 1-year-old to 1,800 for a 14- to 18-year-old girl and 2,200 for a 14- to 18-year-old boy.
- Total fat intake should be between 30 percent to 35 percent of calories for children 2 to 3 years of age and between 25 percent to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years of age. Most fats should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
- Choose whole-grain/high-fiber breads and cereals rather than refined grain products. Look for "whole grain" as the first ingredient on the food label, and make at least half your grain servings whole grain.
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily, while limiting juice intake. Each meal should contain at least one fruit or vegetable.
- Choose fat-free and low-fat dairy foods. From ages 1 to 8, children need two cups of milk (or its equivalent) each day. Children ages 9 to 18 need three cups.
- Drink water, diet soda or low-fat milk. Soda is loaded with calories you don't need.
- Be physically active for at least an hour a day.
- If you don't like competing against other people in sports, do something else to stay active, such as swimming, horseback riding, dancing, bicycling, skateboarding, yoga, or walking. Make it part of your routine: For instance, ride your bike for 30 minutes before you start your homework.
- Limit your television, computer, and video-game time to no more than two hours a day, and plan it in advance by picking the shows you want to watch. Turn the television on for those shows and turn it off afterwards. Don't just watch whatever comes on next.
