Children Food Guide: Healthy Food Swaps

The food guide given on this page is good for not only children but also for everybody. If you look at the fat, sugar, and energy contents of the foods your children eat, you will know why your children are overweight. You can always train your children to eat healthy. When your children are young, they depend on you for guidance for foods. You can stop them becoming overweight if you guide them to intake healthy food.

Healthy Food Guide : Food Swaps

Your child observe and follow you and that becomes his habit. If your child is overweight, it is you who are responsible. You should

atleast 3 meals a day.
eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
drink plain water when thirsty, and do not drink soda, coke, etc.
eat takeaways and junk foods once a while. Avoide intake of excessive junkfood.

Food Swaps For Junk Food/Fastfood

The following table gives a few healthy swaps for junkfoods. Swap these junkfoods with healthy foods. These smart swap foods are not only for your kids and teenagers, but also for your whole family.
Also read these topics:
swap healthy foods for junk foods.
Read also Support for overweight/obese children.

The following foods kids should avoid.

Food Item	Swap With
Cake Typical value for 1 slice Energy: 940kJ Fat: 11g	Custard Typical values for low fat Energy: 400kJ Fat: 1g
Donuts Typical value Energy: 1500kJ Fat: 15g Virtually no vitamins	Cereal + Milk Typical values for low fat Energy: 500kJ Fat: nil Loaded with vitamins and fiber.
Chicken Nuggests Typical value for 6 Energy: 1275kJ Fat: 18g	Hamburgers Typical values Energy: 1000kJ Fat: 8g Iron, Fibers, Vitamins
Apple Pie Typical value Energy: 1800kJ Fat: 10g	Fruit Jelly Typical values Energy: 550kJ Fat: 4g
Chocolate Bar Typical value 60g bar Energy: 1100 kJ Fat: 13g	Muesli Bar Typical values Energy: 500kJ Fat: 3g
Soft Drink Typical value Sugar: more than 10 teaspoons Mostly refined carbohydrates.	Cocoa Give with milk or water, Add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar.
Potato Chips Typical value 25g bar Energy: 650kJ Fat: 10g	Popcorn Typical values for 25g Energy: 150kJ Fat: 2g
Hot Chips Typical value medium Energy: 1400kJ Fat: 20g Loaded with saturated fat and salt.	Corn Cob Typical values for 25g Energy: 250kJ Fat: nil
Pizza Typical value 2 slices Energy: 2250kJ Fat: 20g Loaded with saturated fat and salt.	Nachos with low fat cheese Typical values Energy: 1500kJ Fat: 12g
Cheese & Becon Rolls Typical value 2 slices Energy: 1150kJ Fat: 10g Loaded with saturated fat and salt.	Toast with Peanut Butter Typical values 2 slices Energy: 900kJ Fat: 5g
Flavored Milk Typically 500ml contains same amount of energy as a Big Mac and fat same as a chocolate bar.	Milk with Milo Save 650kJ and 15g fat.
Packaged Food Items To Be Avoided
Sunny Delight Orange Drink High in sugar. Typical value Sugar: 27 g per glass	Skim milk Make your own sandwich with whole wheat bread and low-fat meat and fresh veggies.
Earth's Best Organic Mini Waffles High percentage of calories from fat. Typical value: 37% per four-waffle serving	Quaker Oats Less than 17% of total calories per serving
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers Typical value Sodium: 250 mg per serving (very high)	Honey Maid graham crackers Much lower in salt
Kudos Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Typical value Very high in sugar	Cascadian Farms' Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Loaded with whole grains and zero trans fats and much less added sugar.
Campbell Soup Cars Souper Shapes Condensed Soup High in sodium. Typical value Sodium: 580 mg	Earth's Best Organic Elmo Vegetable Soup Cut up orange slices for a wholesome treat that's high in vitamin C.
Betty Crocker Fruit By The Foot High in sugar. Typical value Sugar: 48% of one roll-up by weight.	Real fruit Cut up orange slices for a wholesome treat that's high in vitamin C.
All Star Chicken Breast Nuggets High in sodium. Typical value Sodium: 200 mg more than the recommended maximum for a full meal.	Kid Cuisine's Twist and Twirl Spaghetti with Meatballs Typical values seven vitamins and minerals and much lower in sodium.
Oscar Mayer Lunchables Mini Tacos High in sodium. Typical value Sodium: 790 mg	Oscar Mayer Lunchables Chicken Dunks Make your own sandwich with whole wheat bread and low-fat meat and fresh veggies.
Kraft Scooby-Doo! Macaroni & Cheese Dinner High in sodium.	Uncle Ben's Brown Whole Grain Rice Swap mac and cheese for brown rice as a side dish. You gain fiber, magnesium, vitamins E and B-6, copper, zinc — without all the extra sodium.