Fats and Your Child

Like carbohydrates in recent years, fats have been wrongly accused of being "bad." Although some are definitely better than others, certain kinds of fat are actually good for us and are an important part of a healthy diet.

About Fat

Fats, or lipids, are nutrients in food that the body uses to build nerve tissue (like the brain) and hormones. The body also uses fat as fuel. If fats eaten aren't burned as energy or used as building blocks, they're stored by the body in fat cells. This is the body's way of thinking ahead: By saving fat for future use, the body plans for times when food might be scarce.

Fat gives food flavor and texture, but it's also high in calories, and excess amounts of fatty foods (as with excess amounts of any food) can cause many health risks. For kids and teens, desserts and snacks (including potato chips, chocolate, cakes, doughnuts, pastries, and cookies) are a significant source of fat. Kids also get fat from whole-milk products and high-fat meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and nonlean red meat.

Of course, fast-food and take-out meals tend to have more fat than home cooking; and in restaurants, fried dishes are the highest in fat content. Fat also often "hides" in foods in the form of creamy, cheesy, or buttery sauces or dressings.

Still, though, fat is an important part of a healthy diet when we eat the right kinds of fats (especially those from certain kinds of fish) in recommended amounts.

Why Some Fats Are Healthy

Many of today's kids are much less physically fit than previous generations and the percentage of obese children has more than doubled in the United States since 1976, but fatty foods aren't the lone culprit behind the obesity epidemic.

Not exercising, being sedentary (watching TV, spending time on the computer, and playing video games), and larger portions take the lion's share of blame for the obesity epidemic.

But the benefits of fats, in general, are often overlooked. They:

are essential to growth and development. Young kids, especially, need a certain amount of fat in their diets to help the brain and nervous system develop correctly. That's why toddlers need to drink whole milk, which has more fat, whereas older kids can drink low-fat or skim milk.
can't always be manufactured by the body, so they have to be eaten
fuel the body
aid in the absorption of some vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble, meaning they can only be absorbed if there's fat in a person's diet)
are the building blocks of hormones
are necessary for insulating all nervous system tissues in the body
help people feel full, so they're less likely to eat as much
can protect against heart disease

However, there's confusion about the amount of fat that should be in a healthy diet, for both kids and adults. Fat has more than twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrates (1 gram of fat provides 9 calories, whereas 1 gram of both carbohydrates and protein provide 4 grams each). So fat is, therefore, a great source of energy but also adds twice the amount of calories to a meal.

Many different "diets" suggest that different amounts of fat — or even no fat — are healthy. However, some experts think the low-fat/no-fat revolution has gone too far, overlooking the complex nature of fats and how they work in the body. In fact, the new dietary recommendations emphasize healthy percentages of calories in the diet from fats for kids, teens, and adults.

Types of Fats

To help you figure out how to size up fat, here's a look at the three major types:

Unsaturated fats: Found in plant foods and fish, these fats are seen as neutral or even beneficial to heart health. The best of the unsaturated fats are:

monounsaturated, found in avocados and olive, peanut, and canola oils
polyunsaturated, found in most vegetable oils
omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as albacore tuna and salmon

Saturated fats: Found in meat and other animal products, such as butter, shortening, lard, cheese, and milk (except skim or nonfat), saturated fats are also in palm and coconut oils, which are often used in commercial baked goods. Eating too much saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.

Trans fats: Found in margarine (especially the sticks), commercial snack foods and baked goods, and some commercially fried foods, trans fats (also called trans fatty acids) are created when vegetable oils are hydrogenated (meaning that hydrogen atoms are added to the fat molecule so they remain solid at room temperature). Like saturated fats, eating too much trans fat can raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease. Food manufacturers must list trans fats on food labels. Keep an eye out for "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils on the ingredient list.

Looking at Labels

When shopping for food, picking up products, and perusing labels, it's important to understand that kids may eat a portion that is larger than the serving size on the label. For example, a bag of corn chips might list 5 chips as a serving size. But kids might eat 10 to 15 chips instead. So be sure to compare serving sizes.

When it comes to fat, labels can say many things. Low-fat, reduced fat, light (or lite), and fat-free are common terms on food packages. The government has strict rules about the use of two of these phrases. By law:

Fat-free foods can contain no more than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.
Low-fat foods may contain 3 grams of fat or less per serving.

Reduced-fat and light (lite) foods are a little trickier, though, and you may need to do some supermarket sleuthing. Light (lite) and reduced-fat foods may still be high in fat. The requirement for a food to be labeled light (lite) is that it must contain 50% less fat or one third fewer calories per serving than the regular version of that food.

Foods labeled reduced fat must contain 25% less fat per serving than the regular version. But if the regular version of a particular food was high in fat to begin with, a 25% to 50% reduction may not lower the fat content enough to make it a smart snacking choice. For example, the original version of a brand of peanut butter contains 17 grams of fat and the reduced fat version contains 12 grams. That's still a lot of fat!

And don't expect the label to tell all. The percentage of fat in a food isn't always listed on the label. But it is easy to calculate. Divide the number of calories from fat by the number of total calories and multiply by 100. For example, if a 300-calorie food has 60 calories from fat, you divide 60 by 300 and then multiply by 100. The result shows that that food gets 20% of its calories from fat.

How Much Fat Should Kids Get?

Although the tendency for some parents is to try to cut fat altogether or excessively limit it, it's crucial for fat to stay a part of a child's diet. Despite the bad press, fat is not the enemy. In fact, restrictive diets aren't recommended for kids.

For young kids, especially, fat and cholesterol play important roles in brain development. And for those under 2 years old, fat should not be restricted. Starting at 2 years old, kids should eat a varied diet with about 30% to 35% of calories coming from fat. For ages 4 to 18 years, the recommendations are about 25% to 35% of calories.

Fit Fats and Your Family

Although eating adequate amounts of fat is an important part of a healthy diet, it is true that many kids today do eat too much of it. And excess fat in a child's diet may lead to weight gain. Kids who carry excess weight into adulthood have greater risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, and early death, and have a higher incidence of depression and orthopedic problems.

Here are some ways to keep fat intake within the recommended healthy levels:

Serve naturally low-fat foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats, as well as low-fat dairy products.
When cooking meat, opt for broiling, grilling, or roasting (on a rack). These methods allow the fat to drip away during cooking, which cuts down on calories, too. Frying, on the other hand, keeps foods in their own fat or requires added fat.
Resist low-fat crackers, cookies, and other snacks that may be high in calories and easy to overeat.
Pack school lunches and meals for family outings, instead of going to fast-food restaurants or relying on your child to make healthy choices in the school cafeteria.
Plan meals ahead of time to eliminate reliance on fatty foods.
When dining out, help kids make balanced choices that don't include large amounts of fat. For example, make a green salad part of the order and use low-fat dressing on the side. Encourage choosing mustard instead of mayonnaise on sandwiches. Choose stir-fried or steamed dishes rather than fried. If your child wants to skip the burger and just have fries at a fast-food restaurant, order only a small portion of fries and get a salad to go with it.

The most effective way to teach kids healthy eating habits is to set a good example. Make nutritious food a priority in your life by limiting visits to fast-food restaurants and by teaching your kids how to prepare meals and snacks healthfully. If they see you eating junk food, it's likely they will, too. Establishing sensible eating habits, choosing foods wisely, and exercising regularly are the keys to long-term good health.

Reviewed by: Barbara P. Homeier, MD
Date reviewed: January 2005