To what extent do you worry about fat intake for a toddler?

[Pruneau]

eg Do you buy low-fat yogurt for them?
Semi-skimmed milk?
Do you worry about cholesterol intake?
Limit butter, that sort of thing?

[Hulababy]

I don't, no. never did when she was little either. She is nearly 4 now. I just try and make sure that my DD has a fairly balanced diet and has a good range of the good stuff, and now so much of the less good stuff. Fat is quite important in a young child's diet AFAIK.

[SenoraPostrophe]

god, no. they need fat.

If I have a very chunky toddler I might worry about making sure they got more exercise, but that is all i would do.

[Mercy]

Not at all. A diet high in fat is pretty much essential for 2/3 year olds. I believe it aids brain development. After 5/6 i think it's different

[jabberwocky]

Nope, none of that. Ds is so active I feel confident he needs all of the calories he burns off every day.

[Pruneau]

Isn't saturated fat just as bad for them though?

No idea...

[WideWebWitch]

Not at all.

[NannyL]

No and you most definitley must not either

toddlers are small and grwoing extreamly fast...

they need all the calories and fat they can get in order for their bodeis to grwo at one of the fastest rates in their entire life.

Its very important that toodelers are given full fat everything cause if not they will essentially be too full and not consumed enough calories to sustain their rapid growth...

[CarolineLaLune]

no, that's mad IMHO.

why do you ask?

They should be running around enough to be able to get rid of all those calories - they aren't sitting at a desk all day after all.

Don't think their resilient little systems get clogged up with things like cholesterol do they?

Their brains need fat too (but not scary hydrogenated vegetable oil).

[WideWebWitch]

Just avoid hydrogenated fat/oils like the plague. Ditto crap fat.

[Heathcliffscathy]

not

[Surfermum]

DD gets full fat stuff. I thought they were meant to.

[expatinscotland]

She's thin as a rake and the height of most 4 year olds with legs like a gazelle. Even a little girl we met at the mall said she thought she was 4.

I worry about her getting enough fat b/c she's a grazer like me and DH and built like DH - skinny.

I make all desserts and puds she eats at home, full butter, cream, milk, etc.

She still drinks full fat milk - about a pint a day.

I make her yoghurt in a yoghurt maker. Ditto ice cream, which she loves.

[Pruneau]

Phew, then.

It just hit me today when I was buying yogurt that I know at some point I am supposed to think about it, but I wasn't sure when...

Glad it's not yet.

[CarolineLaLune]

and low-fat versions of fattier food are full of all sorts of thickening crap and flavourings. Better to go for the real deal IMO.

[ghosty]

We give only started putting semi skimmed milk on DS' cereal when he turned 6.
The current advice in NZ is full fat everything until 5.

[Yafta]

Full fat milk gives them vitamin D, which is essential to avoid things like osteoporosis when they get older. They cannot get enough from semi skimmed. There has been some research done about it. Organic full fat milk has many times (don't know exactly) the amount of Omega 3 or 6 than non organic.

[motherinferior]

I actually worry if we've run out of full fat and I have to give them skimmed. I'll probably switch them both to semiskimmed when DD2 turns six or so. I ladle cheese into them. DD1, in particular, has a deceptive look of fairy-like fragility about her so really I'd rather keep up their calcium levels (especially since DP's mother had serious osteoporosis) and make the little buggers walk a lot.

[threebob]

Aren't brains fat?

[nulnulcat]

have spoken to peaditrician about this apparently its ok for over 2 to have semi skimmed milk low fat stuff if they are having a healthy well balanced diet. i have a chunky little monster who eats anything i put in front of her so i dont worry she prefers muller light yoghurts to anything else so i let her have them milk not an issue as she wont drink it semi skimmed on cereal. its sounds awful of me but i prefer at this age to give her lower fat stuff as genetically we are not a skinny family on either side and i dont want the problem of childhood obesity she eats healthy food and lots of fruit veg etc so in my case i dont think its a problem, however i have lots of friends whose 2 year olds will hardly eat so in there cases i guess the more full fat food the better

[Pruneau]

I wonder where the fear of fat has been planted in my brain?
I have an American friend who is obsessed witht his sort of stuff, we have kids the same age.

[expatinscotland]

Is your friend overweight, Pruneau? B/c just about every American I know who has a fear of fat is . . . fat.

I have a pal who was like, 'You're giving whole milk to your daughter?' Um, yeah, she's TWO, ffs, and thin as a rake.

[FrannyQuiMangeLaQuinoa]

They need saturated fat Pruni, breastmilk is full of it. I expect Dr Gillian implanted the fear when she took over your brain for a while earlier.

[jane313]

ths food standards agency says semi skimmed is fine after 2 if they are eating a fairly good diet as it does contain all the vitamins needed juts less fat. I wouldn't buy low fat yoghurts (And some other low fat products) though as they are often stuffed full of sugar. I give my 2 year old semi as he eats tons of cheese and would eat butter like cheese if I let him (have found him dipping his fingers in saying "delicious").

[Pruneau]

Nope, she is underweight but seriously smug and control-freaky about food
She eats like a horse but omg fat will kill

[Pruneau]

FZ I guess I could try to relactate?
Right back on the full-fat for us
So glad you're all here