Do you count Calories for your kids?

My sons are both on the low side of their healthy weights for their age. I struggle the other way with trying to get them to consume more calories without telling them I'm trying to get them to consume more calories. I want them to always be able to literally trust their guts to eat when they're hungry. They eat healthfully most of the time, and I allow junk food on the weekends.

If your kids are overweight, I'd suggest making changes to their lifestyle. Get them outside more often. I'd also make appealing snacks for them, already set aside in little bags/containers with the proper serving size in them. Carrot sticks or baby carrots with little containers of ranch dressing or Greek dressing veggie dip for dipping, fruit already sliced, mini bags of popcorn instead of full size, any sweets or fatty snacks can be separated into proper serving sizes, etc. At dinner, I'd trade out a starchy side dish and put another veggie side in its place.

This might help you discreetly retrain your child's brain of how much food they should be eating in one sitting without giving them a complex about it. Model your good eating and fitness habits, and then when they eat like kids on the weekends or over at someone's house, it's not such a big deal.

My children right now are on the lower end. So I tend to let their bodies dictate when/how much they eat.

If their weight ever gets to a point it's higher than the doctor we would like, we'll discuss where to go from there.



Kids these days don't go out and play as much as they used to, we really work to make them and our family more active.

No. We try to teach them about eating vegetables, drinking water, sometimes foods and staying active.

My daughter is normal height and weight for a preppie (ie the first grade of primary school)- and asked if she was fat last year, because another little girl in her grade told her that she and other girls were.

No way. I try to give them as much healthy stuff as I can but I don't give their weights very much thought. Growing them big and strong is the name of the game right? So far they are good eaters, like healthy foods as well as treats and I figure their little bodies will tell them when they are full. When we grow up we lose that ability but they still have it loud and clear.

My 10 yr old daughter is not overweight at all. A very active, healthy kid who is actually pretty slim (naturally). However, no matter how slim or not-slim, a kid can always learn healthy eating habits. No, my daughter does not count calories, and probably couldn't tell you how many she needs in a day. She does know how to work our kitchen scale and measuring cups to weigh out her snacks. She knows how to read food labels and look at ingredients. Plus, she also knows moderation. Just because she measures out her goldfish, that doesn't mean she can have 5 different carb/cracker-like snacks in an afternoon. She knows to eat the rainbow and get food from many sources (i.e. dairy, protein, grains, legumes, fruits and veggies). She loves salad, but loves to eat raw cookie dough with me on (very rare) occasions!

Both my husband and I have experienced being overweight (not during childhood), and my husband has diabetes (which also runs rampant in his family). We feel it's important to give her the tools to make her own decisions, just as we teach her about saving money and choices with friends.

But, no, never use the word diet with a kid. Even as an adult, I cringe at that word. Don't count their calories, just be aware and offer many healthy choices.