Low fat products and children?

[springlamb]

What's the current advice on giving children low fat products?
DD will be 9 next month, weighs 4st5 but is rather short with it. I feel she is getting a little podgy round the middle (but would never say so!) despite loads of biking and swimming and general running around. This would follow the pattern of my family. By teens we are podgy all over - some of us lose it, some don't.
She has had semi skimmed milk since she was 5. But I notice she does eat so much cheese. She loves it.
Is it advisable to put her onto half-fat cheese in view of calcium/bone density. She does drink plenty of milk.

[sneezecakesmum]

There is just as much calcium in low fat cheese (just less fat) She is unlikely to have calcium deficiency if she drinks plenty of milk - same applies re calcium to semi skimmed milk.

[joslimmer]

I reckon if your kids eat healthy food and do some exercise you shouldn't worry too much about low fat. They often replace the fat with other stuff to make it taste nice. You also don't want your kids to hear things about low fat food in case they start thinking about what it means. I try really hard to keep my dieting stuff to myself so they don't pick up on it.If your daughter drinks lots of milk maybe just cut down on amount of cheese. Sounds like she has a healthy lifestyle.

[springlamb]

Thanks.
I'm trying the low fat cheese. Have decanted it into a container to ensure she doesn't realise that it's low fat. She hasn't mentioned any difference so far.
Last night I caught her sucking in her tummy in front of the mirror. I told her girls are meant to go straight down not to be concave. She agreed she went straight down and must therefore be perfect.
I can just see the beginnings of a thickening around the waist area and, as I struggle to keep a sensible weight myself (always seems to be a stone to lose), I'd rather keep a close eye on her.

[joslimmer]

I know what you mean, I'm in the middle of a weight crisis and just can't seem to shake the extra pounds and I'm trying to eat healthy food but not let the kids notice which is really tough. Sounds like your daughter has a great attitude and that you're doing everything right so good luck!

[ToothpasteMakesMeGag]

My DS exactly same age and weight and is also short. To me, he is the perfect size and shape but he does love his food! I know that if he stopped moving/running/cycling/football etc that the lbs would pile on. Some of the girls in his class are starting to get that thickening round the waist and I think it is partly due ot the beginnings of puberty as much as anything else.

My kids both have skimmed milk now (their choice, based on taste) and I am careful about food quantities rather than amount of fat. Personally I hate low-fat things, would rather have a bit of butter/cream than a lot of the artificial alternatives. Have talked tokids about this, explained the difference. Like to think they have healthy attitude to food. But girls are very much more susceptible to peer pressure and media images...good luck

[joslimmer]

Far better for kids to love their food than be really fussy and not eat anything. As long as they're getting exercise and the food is mainly healthy, surely that's the best.

[pagwatch]

watch low fat products generally though - often they pack with sugar or sweeetners just to reduce the fat content.

If she is eating too much cheese don't buy it for a while.

One of the biggest predictors of weight issues and health issues is limited food choices.
Make her figure out other things to eat instead ( withyour help of course)

DS1 was eating too much pasta. He would come in from rugby and almost as a reflex start a pan of water to do a bowl of pasta, tuna and cheese or tomato etc.
I didn't buy it for a while. Hes started trying cous cous, brownrice, gnochi etc.
Now he isn't eating it endlessly I can buy it again but he still often chooses other carb.

we all eat the same things too much when mixed diet is naturally better.
I bloody do [sigh]

[nightcat]

fat doesn't make you fat, in fact by going low-fat you are reducing intake of fat-soluble vits (eg A, D, E, K) and eating whatever the manufacturers use instead :(
It's the carb overload that makes you fat, as they say about carbs, "burn them or wear them". So might be OK for an athlete, but unless you are into regular exercise, don't have too many carbs.

[pagwatch]

I agree night

I make sure DCs get good fats. I always look at crap carbs first if I think they/I are not eating well

[joslimmer]

I've been trying to cut down on the carbs for all us at dinner. I know the kids need good carbs for energy but it's easy to just fall back on huge plates of pasta if you don't have time to think about what to cook. I've found meal plans have really helped to focus on more healthy choices.

[joslimmer]

Huge dish of roasted vegetables (peppers, potatoes, courgettes, carrots etc) last night with some brown rice and pesto. Yum!

[colditz]

Why are you trying to mstop your children noticing that you eat healthily and buy half fat cheese????

Cheese is an INCREDIBLY fatty product, you can give even skinny children half fat cheese and they are still getting a high fat product!

And why would you want to HIDE the fact that you eat healthily? Surely this is something to flaunt?

Carbohydrates do not make 9 year old girls fat, that's an insane thing to say. By limiting carbohydrates, you will make her hungry, she will eat more cheese and she will get fat.

how about balancing a diet? instead of cheese on or in things, serve up a chicken breast, a jacket potato with some hoummous and some salad/baked beans