Healthy Diet for 11 Year Old

First of all realize that at this age most kids get a little "thick" as their bodies prepare for puberty & growth spurts. My duaghter who was always skinny got a little thicker around age 11, then had a big growth spurt and thinned out. She did most of her adolescent growing during ages 12 & 13. So don't get yourself too crazy yet.

At this age I would give my kids crudites while they vegged out on the couch as dinner was being made - so slice red pepper (sweeter than green), carrots, slice cucumbers, celery and a small amount of ranch dressing. That way they had their veggies by the time they got to the dinner table, while they were still hungry and they didn't even realize it. Their tummies were less empty and they ate less at the table.

At age 15 my daughter also began some medication that has caused her to gain weight - and it breaks my heart beucase she's a beautiful girl and I know she'll struggle all the more with her weight as an adult. Ultimately though I can't determine her food choices. The most I can do is make certain foods more easily available. The foods in our fridge: berries (excellent for so many reaasons), bananas (potassium & magnesium), nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), cheese, greek yogurt, etc. Try to grill your meats and veggies instead of frying or smothering with butter. The thing is that you want to avoid empty calories and you want to make your calories count. Nuts are higher in calorie than chips - but they are more satisfying and they offer nutiritional value. Also many of us end up drinking more calories than we realize. Juice, soda, whole or 2% milk all have high calories and/or sugar or fat that can add up as the day goes by. We have only skim milk and water in our house and get soda only when we have a party.

Good luck mama.

Some of it isn't the kind of food, but the portions. Buy the 'salad' sized plates to be used for meals. Fill half the plate with veggies, quarter with protein, quarter with starch. Seconds are veggies. Have fruit and veggies and healthy proteins available for snack (the protein will help her feel full longer) like celery sticks and nut butter or apples and thin sliced cheese. Make sure she drinks plenty of water, have her drink a glass full before each meal.

Find an activity for her to do regularly, there are yoga videos available online for free (hulu and youtube both have them). Sign her up for a sport (with dr.'s approval) and don't skip just because of weather.

Mostly focus on healthy lifestyle not losing weight, she is still growing up and shouldn't look for a quick fix that will hurt her development in the long run.

I would ask the doctor if there is anything that can help reverse medication related weight gain. If not, then making changes as a family will help more than just making only her do something different. Portion control is major. Start with small portions, eat slowly. Let the brain catch up to the body getting the food. Balancing the food groups - protein, carbs, vegetables will help. Have a vegetable with lunch and dinner consistently - preferably something green or colorful. Corn/potatoes, etc are starch and too many carbs are not balanced. Protein at breakfast is much better than cereal. My son actually likes a chicken finger, yogurt, and blueberries for lunch - protein/fat/fruit. Have lots of fruit around for snacks. Don't forbid the fun stuff, but have it in moderation. My son will ask for candy, and he can have a lollipop, or a couple of tablespoons of reeses pieces. He's happy and he's not filling up on the less healthy stuff. Involve her in choosing things, trying things. There are some Wii games (like the dance games) that might help. Wii tennis is very active, from what I've heard. If you have one near you, the YMCA is reasonable, and they have zumba classes which is SUPER fun.

I googled and found this website.
http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_children_tee...

Doctors almost never recommend a diet for a child.
That being said, you might want a doctor's/nutritionist's advice about what a healthy eating plan for her would be.
In terms of being hungry all the time - watch the sugar and carbs.
They cause big swings in blood sugar levels which causes hunger to kick in.
Balance these with high fiber and protein - which helps keep hunger at bay.
Have her drink lot's of water and a daily vitamin would not hurt.
A handful of nuts or a piece of cheese can be a great snack.

How much water does she drink? Does she drink water before meals? Do you have big plates? Get smaller ones. Put only one portion on all the plates and put the seconds in the kitchen so you can't just reach over on the table and get more. When you serve a meal, how colorful is it? How many fruits and veg are on the plate? How are they served? Do you add butter or cheese where you don't need to?

You might also find somewhere to walk indoors, like walk the entire mall and window shop. Go to an indoor pool. If you like the Wii, get some active games. It sounds like she needs to get moving and the more she does, the healthier she will be.

I would start out by trying to teach her portion control and to eat only until she is satisfied, not full. If you eat until you feel full, you stretch your stomach out and it takes more the next time to feel satisfied.

Get her into the habit of eating healthy snacks like veggies and lite ranch dip, apples, grapes, etc.

And walk. Go for a good, brisk walk EVERY DAY, even if it's cold. You'll warm up by walking. Increase the distance in short increments. Do a good fast walk, not a stroll and have her swing her arms while walking. Walking is a WONDERFUL and fairly easy way to exercise and it will take the pounds and inches off.

Good luck to your girl!

I had to be on a strict diet for my own health reasons (not weight) but everyone in our family lost weight over time. Essentially, we eat very plain (not covered in sauce or cheese) lean meats like grilled chicken or turkey burgers, lots of veggies (like up to 80% of my plate is veggies), and very few carbs and next to no sugar (including juice). Carbs are so easily "empty calorie" foods with no fiber or protein. I would let my kids eat almost any fruit or veggie for a snack, but I limit things like pretzels, goldfish, etc.
A couple things that I've done to my diet to make it more nutritional:
- Swap canned pumpkin, butternut squash or applesauce for the oil in any muffin, pancake, cake mix. It adds moisture and you sneak in a veggie.
- "Bulk up" fatty foods with other low calorie foods to keep the amount the same reduce the calories. Like I've added chopped portobello mushrooms to ground beef in tacos. There is a cookbook on this, I don't remember the woman's name but saw it on Dr Oz.
- Use whole wheat tortillas or sandwich thins on burgers instead of big fluffy carb loaded buns.

In general, I'd remove as many simple carb foods, all sugar that isn't in a whole fruit, reduce red meat and other high fat foods, and add in as many veggies as possible.