Best diet for kids

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  • posted by StrivingMum
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    I know a major disclaimer is that this diet is not for under 18s, but I am wondering what aspect of it is a problem? Have one child in particular who is a constantly hungry ‘carb addict’ and wanting to transition to a healthier way of eating.

  • posted by Lara
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    Hi StrivingMum – I’m not medically trained, but I suspect the disclaimer is possibly due to the calorie restriction aspect, rather than the types of food recommended on the BSD. I personally can’t see an issue following the healthy principles of eating whole foods and avoiding processed junk, but without the calorie restriction.

  • posted by StrivingMum
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    Thanks for the response Lara, you could be right. I just googled recommended caloric intakes for kids and actually I was shocked at how high they were! I wonder about the quality of the evidence that supports them too. I would have thought these meal plans seem quite reasonable quantity-wise for someone half my size. Anyway, may try to just start offering those foods and letting them choose their own quantities. Good luck with your journey!

  • posted by Snoop
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    Striving Mum, kids need a high calorie intake for their size because they’re growing. That process requires a lot of fuel. Offering them quality food and drink is the best thing you can do for them, but make sure they are getting the calorie intake they need, not too much and not too little. Research also shows that well-fed kids (minerals and vitamins, not just calories) tend to do better at school too.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Hi Striving Mum – think Snoop is right here. Not all calories are equal and it is important that those the children are consuming are good quality, giving good vitamin and mineral content too. Try to wean the children off the sugary carbs and ‘junk food’, but still allow sensible portions of complex carbs – for instance green vegetables, whole grains and foods made from them, such as oatmeal, pasta, and whole-grain breads, potatoes, corn, and pumpkin, beans, lentils, and peas. It’s a good time for them to learn about sensible healthy eating, so well done on helping them to make a start.

  • posted by Theodora
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    Deleted

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    What was deleted Theodora, did you report the previous post because I have.

    Back to the OP question. Children do need more calories but not lots more. E.g. a 13 year old girl needs 1400 calories, while a boy of the same age needs 1600. Certainly not the number of calories recommended for an adult (which I think are ridiculously high anyway) at 2000 for a woman and 2500 for a man. I wouldn’t put a child on 800 calories but make sure they get good nutrition and their 1400 /1600 calories are made up of healthy foods and a snack or treat.

    We have a problem starting with our 9 year old (my grandson) as he is starting to pile the weight on. Mum has control of his meals but it often too tired and choses MackieD or pizza on some days but it is mainly what he is snacking on and able to find in the cupboards like biscuits, crisps etc. I will have him with me for 11 days next month and will try to limit the snacks to lots of fruit instead of ice creams and plenty of exercise swimming etc. But it is not easy for busy mums. In our case, when he goes to dads twice a week he gets takeaways so there needs to be some serious conversations between mum, dad and other grandparents.

    Just on the ‘dieting’ aspect, I think a lot of us here know that diets dont work, they are restrictive and cause cravings and resentment and eating, otherwise we would not all still be overweight. Reduce the carb heavy foods to reduce the cravings but stick with healthy eating and good nutrition and dont forget some treats.

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