Fat For The Kids

Fat is a component in food. Some foods, including most fruits and vegetables, have almost no fat. Other foods have plenty of fat. They include nuts, oils, butter, and meats like beef.

The name - fat - may make it sound like something you shouldn't eat. But fat is an important part of a healthy diet. And little kids, especially, need a certain amount of fat in their diets so the brain and nervous system develops correctly. That's why toddlers need to drink whole milk, which has more fat, and older kids can drink low-fat or skim milk.

How much fat should you eat? Experts suggest kids who are 6 to 8 eat 48 to 60 grams per day. Older kids, between 9 and 12, should eat about 60 to 75 grams. That's about 27% of a kid's daily calories. Babies need more, but kids older than 2 and adults should get less than 30% of their daily calories from fat, nutrition experts say. You can figure out how many grams of fat are in a food by looking at the food label. Peanut butter, for instance, contains 16 grams of fat in 2 tablespoons.

Dietary fat helps a kid's body grow and develop like it should. Fats fuel the body and help absorb some vitamins. They also are the building blocks of hormones and they insulate nervous system tissue in the body.
So fat is not the enemy, but you'll want to choose the right amount - and the right kind - of fat. If you're getting most of your fat from protein-rich meats, nuts, and heart-healthy oils, you've already made fat your friend!