Low fat diets are important to avoid excess weight gain and prevent heart disease in adults, so most parents assume that these strategies are also appropriate for their children. First and foremost there is no evidence that limiting fat in the diets of infants and toddlers reduces their risk of heart disease later in life or aids in weight control.

In fact, research shows that children who gain too little weight during childhood are actually at greater risk of becoming overweight adults because the caloric deficit during childhood tells their body to hold onto calories and body fat stores. In short, it reprograms their metabolism.

There are two main reasons why it is important for your little one to consume adequate dietary fat. Up to the age of 2 years, a diet rich in fat ensures that your baby is getting the essential fatty acids he needs for optimal brain growth and development and healthy eyes. Second, during this stage of rapid growth, your baby has very high calorie needs in proportion to his body size. Since fats are the most calorically dense nutrients available, a diet rich in fat allows us to fit all of those calories into their tiny little tummies.

So, don’t be afraid of fats! As you start to introduce solid foods and are beyond feeding fruits and vegetables, it’s okay to provide fat-rich foods like egg yolk, meats and vegetables oils, as well as add butter and cream to foods like mashed potatoes and mashed peas.

It is also important to note that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast milk or formula for the first full year of life. If your toddler is not going to continue breastfeeding, you should transition to whole milk at 1 year of age and proceed to low fat milk or skim milk at 2 years of age. Remember to make this switch soon after your baby’s 2nd birthday, when children are less likely to notice and be more willing to accept change. It may also be best to make a gradual change at this time, going first to 2% milk, progressing to 1% milk and eventually switching over to skim milk.

It’s up to you as parents to make the most out of this crucial time in your baby’s life. It is completely natural to want to make sure that your baby is consuming appropriate, nutritious foods. Remember, up until 2 years of age, it is important that you DO NOT attempt to restrict the amount of fat in your baby’s diet. Even after age 2, children have different fat requirements than adults. Restrictions may potentially hinder proper growth and development. Such attempts may also lead to struggles between parents and children that can distort eating attitudes, as well as lead to inappropriate eating behaviors that can last a lifetime.

Keep in mind that there are many other important areas to think about when it comes to your child and good nutrition. As you continue to visit BabyMeTV you can expect to discover more about your baby, about nutrition and about how you can do your very best to raise healthy kids that will grow into healthy adults.

Until the next time… I hope that was Goode For You.

– Lisa Goode MS, RD

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