Childhood obesity has become a growing problem over the past few years. This type of obesity in children is a major health hazard that could affect their future as an adult. For parents of obese children, making dietary changes is a must. Luckily, such changes don’t have to be painful for your child. There are ways you can introduce nutritionally balanced foods and meals to your child without making it seem like punishment.

The major issue with having a child that is obese is that this puts them at a higher risk for developing health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure - not to mention the negative effects it can have on your child’s self esteem.

Of course changing over from their favorite meals to “healthier” ones may not be very enticing to them. It is your job as a parent to make sure your child not only follows their new eating regimen but that they understand why such changes are necessary. In order to help your child adjust to this new arrangement, it is best if you begin to eat healthier, too. When your child sees you making an effort to improve your health as well, they’ll feel much more encouraged to follow a nutritionally sound eating regimen. Additionally, this also prevents them from being too tempted to fall back into their old eating habits. Slowly phase out unhealthy, salty, fatty, and sugary foods from your kitchen, pantry, and grocery cart. Learn how to reach for the fruits and veggies and indulge in meals prepared from scratch instead of from a box.

Teach your child how to snack healthier. There’s nothing wrong with snacking in between meals as long as what they’re consuming is good for them. Examples of acceptable snacks for obese children include: whole grain crackers, cereal bars, juice bars, grapes, strawberries, bananas, apples, dried fruit, yogurt, oranges, fat free cottage cheese, celery sticks dipped in peanut butter, and carrot sticks.

When dealing with breakfast, lunch, and dinner make sure the portions are smaller. Snacking on healthy foods in between meals will curb their hunger pangs and will allow them to feel fuller over longer periods of time. Around breakfast time your child should indulge in foods that are rich in fiber. This includes fruit, low fat cheese, whole grain bread, cereal, and yogurt. When it comes to milk, low fat or 2% is better than whole milk. Also make your child a fan of drinking water instead of sugary fruit juices or soda, which can also be high in calories. Have your child carry around a water bottle with them to school and when they are at home. This will train them to reach for that instead of soda or other unhealthy beverages. Lunch should consist of a healthy sandwich and/or a small portion of leftovers from dinner.

In addition to making sure your child has a healthier, more nutritional eating routine, it is also a must to incorporate regular exercise. Eating healthy alone won’t help shed pounds. By combining regular exercise with a better eating regimen, your child can get down to a healthy weight and maintain it.

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