- The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that parents limit dietary fat uptake in children once they hit 2 years old. Specifically, saturated fat should be kept at a minimum. Ideally, no more than 10 percent of your child's total calorie intake for the day would come from saturated fats. This means learning to read labels and limiting foods such as butter and fried goods. Instead, look for fat from poly-unsaturated or mono-unsaturated sources, like nuts and vegetable oils. Total fat for children ages 2 to 3 should be kept between 30 to 35 percent, while children ages 4 and over should keep fats at 25 to 35 percent of their diet. Also, the AHA says to keep your child's cholesterol to under 300 mg per day, and to minimize the use of trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are often denoted on labels by the words "partially-hydrogenated oil."
- The key ingredients to a heart healthy diet for your children are whole foods. Processed foods often contain high levels of sodium and sugar, as well as trans-fats. Also, processed foods tend to contain little in the way of nutritional value, so kids who fill up on crackers and cookies usually don't get enough vitamins and minerals from their food. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and poultry, fish, legumes and low-fat dairy products make up the core of a healthy eating program for your child. The AHA recommends children eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Also, look for "whole grain" as the first ingredient when buying your breads and other grain products. Eating a whole foods diet should help your child meet the AHA's dietary fiber recommendation as well. Their rule of thumb says the age of your child plus 5 equals the grams of fiber that she should consume daily.
- The AHA recommends children avoid high amounts of sodium (salt) and sugar in their diets. Empty calorie foods like soda and candy should be kept to a bare minimum or avoided entirely. Also limit juice, which contains high doses of sugar. Ideally, serve a non-fried variety of fish on a weekly basis, and offer fruits and vegetables with every meal. Stick with skim or low-fat dairy products. Finally, obesity plays a big role in heart disease risk, so only have your child eat enough to fulfill caloric needs. Eliminating junk food from the house will help in this endeavor.
