Suggested Feeding Schedule: 2 to 16+ years
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American Heart Association Tips for Healthy Eating:
- Reduce added sugars, including sugar-sweetened drinks and juices.
- Use canola, soybean, corn oil, safflower oil, or other unsaturated oils in place of solid fats during food preparation. Plant sterols and stanols can reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol.
- Use recommended portion sizes on food labels when preparing and serving food.
- Use fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables and fruits and serve at every meal; be careful with added sauces and sugar.
- Introduce and regularly serve fish as an entrée.
- Remove the skin from poultry before eating.
- Use only lean cuts of meat and reduced-fat meat products.
- Limit high-calorie sauces such as Alfredo, cream sauces, cheese sauces, and hollandaise.
- Eat whole-grain breads and cereals rather than refined products; read labels and ensure that “whole grain” is the first ingredient on the food label of these products.
- Eat more legumes (beans) and tofu in place of meat for some entrées.
- Breads, breakfast cereals, and prepared foods, including soups, may be high in salt and/or sugar; read food labels for content and choose high-fiber, low-salt/low-sugar alternatives.
‡Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark green, leafy, red, and orange vegetables and beans and peas.
Healthy snack ideas at any age: whole grain crackers, cheese, yogurt, fruit, vegetables, eggs, smoothies, dry cereals.
Created by the physicians of Howard County Pediatrics. The information contained here represents a compilation of recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association. The purpose of this suggested schedule is to provide a flexible general guideline for feeding children and teenagers. Please speak with your child's physician if you have any additional questions.