Healthy eating for a five year old?

Question

Hi. I know that some of you are going to say, 'shame on you', but trust me, I have already said worse stuff so you wont hurt me anymore than I have already done. I need some help, real help not some fly by night operation just trying to score some points. My son is five years old and weighs 80lbs. Yes, it is my fault. I am the adult here and I could have said no. I really would like to know what I can do to get his weight off, eat healthy, etc. His dr. says he needs to lose about 20 lbs (he is very tall). How much is enough? He always says that he is hungry. I feel that I should give him something to eat and I know this is wrong. Yes, he wants the junk stuff. Should I just throw away everything in the house and start over? What should he be eating? Acup? 2 ounces? Help me please...

Answer 1

#1 Most important rule ever: NEVER USE FOOD AS PUNISHMENT OR REWARD! Food is not here to make us feel good or punish us. It is here to sustain life, that is all. If he needs a reward for something, buy him a basketball, a game, etc.

Your son has probably developed an emotional bond with food. Yes, you should throw out all the bad food in the house. You should also limit his TV time, since the ads for the junk food will make him want it more.

Explain to him that the two of you are starting a new, healthy liefstyle. Make sure you do everything with him, so he doesn't see it as punishment. Go through your cupboards together and throw out the bad stuff. Then go shopping for healthy food together. DO NOT allow any soda at all. Not even diet. If he drinks juice, it should only be one serving size (4 - 6 ounces) and once per day. Give him milk and water only.

Get him on a plan of three meals and three snacks per day - and make sure it's healthy stuff. Apple slices with a little peanut butter, carrot sticks and hummus, etc. Make sure he gets lots of fiber and protein to stay full. Yogurt is also good, but check the label to make sure it isn't too full of sugar.

Get your son involved in sports. Sign him up for a karate class, buy him a new bike as part of the new "healthy lifestyle," get him some new yard toys, etc.

Make sure that every time he eats, he sits down at the table and eats slowly (15 - 20 minutes per meal). This helps the brain register "I already ate" and "I'm full."

Let's do the math. You may need to count his calories until you get the hang of what a portion looks like. 3,500 calories = one pound of fat. So, in order to lose 1 lb. per week, he needs to cut 250 from his diet and burn 250 through exercise every day.

I think you will be pleased to find how many calories he can burn by playing and how quickly the pounds will come off when he's off the junk food.

It is great that you are tackling this problem before it's too late. Children develop their tastes for food in childhood. So, if he gets used to healthy food, that is what he will crave the rest of his life. If he gets used to salt, sugar and fat, that is what he will crave.

Answer 2

I will not judge!
First and most importantly, get him exercising. It's fun play for him and what he doesn't know is that it's actually healthy. Get him involved in activities that require running, using his bicycle, jumping rope... .
Second, have him drink as much water as you can. Make sure he has about 3 cups of fat free milk per day.
Here's the common sense factor that so many of us forget:
When he keeps telling you he's hungry: That's where you offer him fruits/veggies. If he says he doesn't want it, then he's not really that hungry. When he gets hungry enough, he'll eat it.
If his doctor is the one who said he needs to loos weight, then I would take all the junk food out of the house. The reason for this is because if/when you have moments of weakness (and you will), you will be more apt to just do what's easy and give him the junk when he is testing you (and he will). My husband and I have a basket on our kitchen table filled to the brim with fruit for my daughter. That way, whenever she is hungry, she can just grab a piece of fruit. She also sees us eating veggies, so sometimes she will ask for the veggies instead (we keep the veggies in the fridge).
As for meals, portion the plate as follows:
1/2 the plate is reserved for a green veggie
1/4 the plate is for a lean meat
1/4 the plate is for the starch/carb (can be replaced with fruit or more veggies)
Cut out any/all fast food
Lead by example.
My husband and I were in a similar boat before (the doctor always said that she is height and weight proportionate, but she is clearly a chunky child and my husband developed Type II Diabetes). We made the change from the junk food to the fresh fruit/veggies and it was a struggle at first. She put up some resistence, but eventually, she made the transition. We do let her have some junk sometimes now too but she will often times choose the healthy foods herself. She also knows about health and fitness and she tries to be healthy as much as possible.
I do hope this helps!

Answer 3

ALL good answers so far. Expect a lot of whinning,crying, anger outbursts etc. as you cut down on the junk food. You see I said cut it down? It's like a drug and you have to do it slowly. If you increase fruit and veggies and foods with protein and fiber and decrease the carbs (pasta, bread, junk, etc) he should be less hungry. Also watch what he drinks- water is the best, 1% or skim milk,& watered down juice when necessary. Increase his exercise too because the younger the better. There are lots of ways to sneak veggies into casseroles etc but also look for FUN, pretty, kid friendly receipes. Also have him help you prepare stuff and have him help choose what he wants (from a healthy kids cookbook). You can also explain in simple terms that he needs to make these changes with you so he can grow up to be healthy and strong and you need good foods in your body to do this. GOOD LUCK!!!! Also, try a registered nutrisinist,or dietician to help you out. If all fails he may need to be checked for an unlying medical problem-thyroid, petuitary gland problem,etc.or it may be behavioral which may require some counseling (family).

Answer 4

You should really see a nutrionist to help you with this task, but I'll go ahead an offer some advice anyways, as I have a picky eater and am constantly struggling to help him maintain his weight. Although this is the opposite of your problem, I run into the same issues that you do, in the fact that food is constantly a struggle in our home. Some things I've learned along the way is that I am not responsible for what actually goes into my son's mouth, but rather what choices he has available to him. I provide, fresh fruit all the time, or canned (light) fruit sweetened with Splenda as opposed to sugar. I offer cookies, but they are home made, as opposed to processed. Try whole oatmeal cookies. What you can do is write down what your son is willing to eat and then look at modifying the meals and cutting calories out. IE...if he likes spaghetti...then use ground turkey instead of ground beef and also switch to a pasta that contains whole grains. Start gently...modify one meal a day, or even one snack a day. Then two weeks later, start on the second meal. You'll find that your child will be much more willing to go along with you. Here is a minor example of some of the things we have done. My son would only drink chocolate milk, so instead of just adding chocolate syrup, I started mixing in half syrup and half Ovaltine...I eventually had him on 100% ovaltine and am in the process of switching him over to a sugar free alternative. Doing it slowly means that he hardly know the difference. The other thing you need to be doing is getting your son active. Play ball in the yard, have jump rope contests etc. Excercise is a natural appetite supressant. You cannot starve your child, as you have to remember he is a growing boy. You just need to offer him a balenced meal, watch his fat and sugar intake and offer him as many veggies and fresh fruit as he wants.

Answer 5

It's really good that you are owning up to this, and not trying to say it isn't your fault. That's a great thing when so many parents deny there is a problem, and anyone who gets down on you is just trying to be a jerk....

you shouldn't throw away everything in the house....making things off limits just makes them more desirable. You should set rules though. For example, no eating in front of the television.

it's ok to give him snacks but don't give him too much too often, and be careful about what you consider a snack. Look up ideas on the internet....preschool menus might be a good place to get ideas too. They serve things like "ants on a log" healthy snacks that are fun. (ants on a log are pieces of celery with peanut butter in the middle, and with a few raisins placed on the peanut butter)

As far as the exact measurements go...I don't know. You should ask your doctor I think.

Answer 6

In the first place, I think you need to limit him to three balanced meals a day! Of course a five year old is going to want to eat sweets and junk food, if he's been eating it all along. A piece of fruit is a lot healthier than a candy bar with generally about half the calories, or less. Remember that fruit juices are loaded with calories. What did your doctor suggest that your child eat? I would hope that he would know what a growing child requires to develop properly.

Answer 7

Definitely get rid of all the junk food. Bring in the healthy and yummy food. They make tons of snack food that are good for you. Veggies like carrots, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes are a good snack. Keep the snacks small. A little sugar as a reward or a special treat is fine..but not everyday. Seems he is a young one, major exercise is out of the question...but if you have a yard or a park close by, go and play with him. Kick a ball around, play catch (even if he cant catch well, he gets exercise by fetching the ball), ride a bike. If you do it with him, he won't see it as exercise...he'll see it as quality time with the parent.

Answer 8

I would toss everything in your house that is not natural. He will resist... but lucky for you at age 5 he will adjust. Now is the time to make serious life long changes.

Don't be too hard on yourself. You caught the issue and are taking action... that is what matters! Two times in a child's life is when they are doomed to be overweight for life or struggle. Infancy and puberty is times where there is an increase in actual number of fat cells... other times of gaining fat is when these cells get bigger. So, if you have more cells to fight against... :-(

Dont deprive him of food. Offer him food if he is hungry. A growing child needs food. Give him fruits and vegetables. When he resists... tell him mommy loves him very much and if he continues to eat bad for you foods he will get sick later. Keep telling him the benefits and why you are doing this. Kids are sponges.

Chicken, little olive oil, veggies (not fried), fruits, fat free milk... keep it natural. Provide him fruit juice on a minimal basis. Try to see if he likes home made lemonaide with as little sweetener he can stand.

Teach him that eating "bad" is for special events. Birthday parties, Christmas... a celebration. Don't associate food to daily events. Dont use food as a reward.

Lead by example.

Get him moving. Have him play as much as possible.

Make it kid friendly, and doooooo nooooot tell him he needs to lose weight. Tell him he needs to be healthier. They will gain this perspective throughout life.

Actually... you may have the power to dictate your son's future weight situations by the way you teach him now. Don't be hard on yourself.

Answer 9

My son is the same way so I can empathize with you, first walk to school-no matter what back and forth. He might get mad at you but it will soon boost his confidence- 2nd start packing his lunch-the same lunch that the school district feed our kids, they feed prison inmates. JUNK and EMPTY CALORIES!!!! That will help alot-third is portion control, if it is bigger than a deck of cards it is too much. Intake of calories has to be less that out-take of burning calories. And if you are the one buying groceries-be selective and read labels. Type 2 diabetes is not something we want our boys to have with our assistance! Good luck and be consistent

PS-I have found it helpful to put a small cooler in the car with water and frozen seedless red grapes and whole wheat crackers

Pita bread with cucumbers and turkey are really good
cut-up apples
whole wheat bread
water
frozen banannas
frozen yogurt like mountain high (Tates like ice cream)

Answer 10

What would be good is to encourage exercise. Whanever he's hungry you could give him low-fat jello. You should wait at least 2 1/2 hours before feeding him again. At the end of the week you could give him something sweet. On occasion take him out. And when he loses the weight, balance the exercise and sweets.