More veggies: Eugene Eclavea reaches for broccoli while shopping ...

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HEALTHY EATING SUGGESTIONS Follow the Dietary Guidelines for healthy eating(www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines).
Guide your family's choices rather than dictate foods.
Encourage your child to eat when hungry and to eat slowly.
Eat meals together as a family as often as possible.
Carefully cut down on the amount of fat and calories in yourfamily's diet.
Don't place your child on a restrictive diet.
Avoid the use of food as a reward.
Avoid withholding food as punishment.
Children should be encouraged to drink water and to limit intake ofbeverages with added sugars, such as soft drinks, fruit juicedrinks, and sports drinks.
Plan for healthy snacks.
Stock the refrigerator with fat-free or low-fat milk, fresh fruit,and vegetables instead of soft drinks or snacks that are high infat, calories, or added sugars and low in essential nutrients.
Aim to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables eachday.
Discourage eating meals or snacks while watching TV.
Eating a healthy breakfast is a good way to start the day and maybe important in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

www.surgeongeneral.gov



IF YOUR CHILD IS OVERWEIGHT
Many overweight children who are still growing will not need tolose weight, but can reduce their rate of weight gain so that theycan "grow into" their weight.
Your child's diet should be safe and nutritious. It should includeall of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for vitamins, minerals,and protein and contain the foods from the major Food Guide Pyramidgroups. Any weight-loss diet should be low in calories (energy)only, not in essential nutrients.
Even with extremely overweight children, weight loss should begradual.
Crash diets and diet pills can compromise growth and aren'trecommended by many health care professionals.
Weight lost during a diet is frequently regained unless childrenare motivated to change their eating habits and activity levels fora lifetime.
Weight control must be considered a lifelong effort.
Any weight management program for children should be supervised bya physician.

www.surgeongeneral.gov