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Maintain a healthy family weight

While parents have a goal weight that they feel is right for them, they also have to make sure their children maintain a healthy weight by eating a moderate portion of healthful food and staying physically active most days of the week.

To help families achieve a healthy weight, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends following these strategies:

• Consume nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The serving size will vary by age. For a 1-year-old, it is 1 tablespoon per serving of fruit or vegetable, while for an adult, it is half a cup.

• Limit the intake of sweet beverages.

• Limit screen time to two hours or less per day for children older than 2, and no screen time for those younger than 2.

• Be moderately to vigorously active a total
of 60 minutes daily.

• Eat breakfast every day.

• Limit eating out, especially at fast food ­restaurants.

• Eat meals together as a family.

• Control portion sizes and pay attention to the number of servings in snack foods.

• Consume higher calcium foods. Milk and other dairy foods seem to curb appetite.

• Eat a higher fiber diet. Besides eating the nine vegetables and fruits, choose mainly whole grains.

• Limit energy dense foods, especially those high in sugar and fat and low in protein, vitamins and minerals.

 

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