In the United States today over 33% of our children are over weight to the point of obesity, that comes to around 12.5 million. Is your child or grandchild in that group? What can you do to reverse the effects that obesity has on your child?
Childhood obesity and lack of general physical activity has been found to be a major contributing factor of more than 300,000 children’s deaths each year in the United States. Some those children’s deaths could have been prevented, had they simply had a better diet and more exercise. Of course, no one thinks that it could happen to their child, at least not until it does.
It Seems So Mean To Just Cut My Child’s Food Intake By Such A Dramatic AmountIt may be difficult for you and seem mean to you right now, but be honest with yourself and your child it’s not as difficult as watching your child go through illnesses that are caused by obesity such as:
High blood pressure Childhood diabetes Stroke Heart attack Cancer
And many other illnesses that are caused by or contributed to by obesity.
Below are several lists and tables containing the proper portion sizes of foods and the recommended amounts of key nutrients for children of different ages.
Boys and Girls ages 9 – 13
Bread and Grains
Boys: 6 – 1 ounce servings per day should be split up between meals and snacks each day.
Girls: 5 – 1 ounce servings per day.
At least 2 – 3 servings should be whole grain.
Common one ounce servings
½ Pita Bread ½ cup cooked hot cereal ½ cup cooked rice 1 ounce = ¾ cup cold cereal
Vegetables
2 ½ cups of vegetables per day split up should equal about 1 to 1 ½ cups per meal. Considering the fact that children between the ages of 9 – 13 attend school each day and eat two of their three meals per day while at school 1 – ½ cup is fine for split up between dinner and after school snacks.
Boys: 2 1/2 cups per day
Girls: 2 cups each day.
Common one cup serving examples
1 cup raw or cooked vegetables 2 cups raw leafy vegetables 6 ounces vegetable juice 1 medium potato 1 large tomato 12 baby carrots
Fruits
Boys: 1 – 1 ½ cups per day divided between meals and snacks
Girls: 1 – 1 ½ cups per day divided between meals and snacks
Serving size per meal:
½ cup per meal or snack.
Common one cup serving examples
1 medium fruit 6 – 8 ounces 100% real fruit juice 11 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit (no sugar added) ½ cup dried fruit
Dairy/ Dairy Products
Boys: 3 cups per day
Girls: 3 cups per day
Serving size per meal or snack: ½ cup
Common one ounce servings
1 cup Yogurt 1 -11/2 ounce natural cheese or 2 ounces processed cheese 1/3 cup shredded cheese
Meat or meat Alternatives
Boys: 5 – 1 ounce servings of meat or meat alternatives per day.
Girls: 5 – 1 ounce servings of meat or meat alternatives per day.
Serving size per meal or snack is about 1 – 2 ounces.
Common one ounce servings
1 oz. Meat 1 oz. Poultry 1 oz. Fish ¼ cup cooked beans 1 Egg 1 Tbsp. Peanut butter ½ oz. Nuts or seeds ¼ cup Tofu 2 Tbsp. Hummus