When to Introduce Low Fat Foods to Children and Don't Forget the Adults
Author: Dr. Anna Kaplan
The epidemic of obesity, both in children and adults, is front page news. There is much evidence that overweight children become overweight adults with all the health consequences of being overweight, from diabetes to high blood pressure and cholesterol. In fact, some of these conditions, like diabetes, are appearing earlier and more frequently in childhood. It is important to remember this when feeding your children. What is more important is that you make healthy choices for your entire family. If you have older children that never took to low-fat milk or other foods, you still need to try to change their eating habits.
This ideally starts very early. While one-year-olds will be eating solid baby food and finger food, milk is still a large part of their diet. The American Academy of Pediatrics has consistently recommended whole milk and whole milk products for children one to two years of age until recently. Recognizing these problems, they now recommend that children in this age group be given 1% or 2% milk instead of whole milk. This will be their first real intake of reduced fat food.
In 2005, The Dietary Guidelines for Americans placed more focus on prevention of obesity and its consequences. The American Academy of Pediatrics updated its food guidelines as the result of this information. In a clinical report called "Lipid Screening and Cardiovascular Health in Childhood," they gave new guidelines meant to replace the old ones, although this did not get very much publicity. The report states, "For children between 12 months and 2 years of age for whom overweight or obesity is a concern or who have a family history of obesity, dyslipidemia (high fats or cholesterol), or CVD (heart disease), the use of reduced-fat milk would be appropriate."
Children under the age of one year should be drinking breast milk or formula, and not cow's milk. Most one to two-year-olds who are at risk of obesity or the other mentioned conditions should get 1% or 2% fat milk. You can try 2% and see if your child will drink it. As your child gets older, you can try reducing it to 1%. Children over the age of two that are overweight or have a family history of risk factors should be switched to nonfat milk. Otherwise they can continue drinking low-fat milk.
If your child absolutely will not drink reduced-fat milk you can try flavoring it with strawberry or chocolate. You can also try what is suggested in the article on introducing cow's milk. Give your 12-month-old child formula mixed with a small amount of low-fat milk, and then gradually increase the proportions until eventually the child is drinking low-fat milk.
Dairy products are important for the duration of your child's life because they are the best source of calcium. They also contain protein. There are reduced-fat cheeses that are usually made from 2% milk. Regular cheese contains 9 grams of fat per ounce. Reduced-fat cheeses have 6 grams of fat per ounce. Naturally low-fat cheeses include part-skim Mozzarella, string cheese, farmer's cheese, and Neufchatel. Goat's milk cheese is naturally lower in calories and fat than cow's milk cheese. Feta is a goat's milk cheese.
Sargento has an entire line of reduced-fat cheeses, including mild and sharp Cheddar, Colby-Jack, Provolone, and Swiss. They have a shredded Italian mix which includes low-fat versions of Mozzarella, Asiago, and Romano in addition to the Provolone. The reduced-fat Mexican blend includes Monterey Jack, Queso Quesadilla, and Asadero, all in low-fat versions.
Other companies make low-fat Brie, Muenster, and American cheese.
These cheeses cook differently than regular cheese. They often come shredded. They can be used as pizza, taco, or salad toppings for older children. Mozzarella or string cheese can be pulled apart and eaten by hand, which young children will enjoy as finger food. A melted-cheese sandwich with reduced-fat cheddar could be a good choice for an older toddler.
As far as other ways to lower fats in food, choices must be made to include less fat. This can mean anything from replacing fried chicken with broiled skinless chicken breast to eating more vegetables and less meat. It all depends on your family's food preferences. Toddlers should have healthy finger food and baby food. If you look at the labels of baby food, you should be able to get an idea of how much fat you are giving your toddler. Adult foods are labeled too.
Everyone should be watching calories and fat. Our entire country is at increasing risk. While children ages one to two will first be introduced to low-fat milk and cheese, their entire diet needs to be lower in fat than Americans are used to eating. That means parents and siblings need to do the same.
