Low Fat OK For Kids

Pediatricians say that a low-fat diet is not just for the grow-ups, and teaching kids to eat foods low in fat will help create habits that will insure a lifetime of good health as a result.

Children under the age of two need more nutrients however, and should not have any limits on fat intake. After that age, parents are smart to monitor the fat their child takes in. Experts say that by the age of 5, your kids should be taking in no more than 30 percent of their total calories from fat and no more than 10 percent from saturated fat.

Parents can cut some fat out right away by going from whole milk to 1 or 2 percent, cooking chicken and other poultry without the skin, and cutting out the fried foods and sugary items. Usually, restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores offer alternative foods with considerably less calories and fat.