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Chicken Nuggets
Any fast food that’s breaded and fried is bursting with fat. Nuggets and their dipping sauces also have a lot of sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure in *****s. Don’t let your child’s taste buds get used to salty foods. -
Chips
Giving your child a handful of chips with lunch on occasion is fine, but keep in mind that potato chips, corn chips, and cheese puffs are mostly fat, sodium, and empty calories. -
Doughnuts
Most are packed with artery-clogging saturated fat and trans-fatty acids. An average doughnut also has 200 to 300 calories and few other nutrients. -
French Fries
It’s unfortunate that fries are the most popular vegetable dish in the U.S. Kids love them, but they’re extremely high in fat and have few vitamins. If your children clamor for them at the drive-through, at least stick with a small portion. -
Fruit Leather
Most rolled-up dried fruit has a dab of fruit, a teeny bit of fiber, few vitamins except those that have been added, and lots of sugar. Serve fresh fruit instead. -
Hot Dogs
Regular dogs are high in fat (13 or more grams per serving), have lots of sodium, and don’t provide much protein for the calories. They’re also a choking hazard for children 3 and under. Serve only occasionally, look for lower-fat brands (try turkey dogs), and cut into very small pieces for young children. -
Juice-flavored Drinks
Most are no more than 10 percent juice; the rest is water and sweeteners. (Don’t be fooled by 100 percent juices made from grape, pear, or apple concentrate. Much of the nutrition has been removed from concentrates.) -
Prepackaged Lunches
Sure, they’re convenient, but they also tend to be high in saturated fat and sodium (more than 1,200 milligrams in some, about half the recommended daily max) and packed with sugary treats. Most also are nutritionally unbalanced, because they contain no fruits or vegetables. -
Soda
American children drink more soft drinks today than ever. The average 12-ounce can of soda supplies almost ten teaspoons of sugar, which can contribute to obesity and tooth decay. Kids who drink soda instead of milk are also shortchanging their bones of calcium and other nutrients.
10 Toaster Pastries
These contain lots of fat and not much fruit. Instead, make a piece of raisin toast for your child, and serve it with jam. Courtesy Family4Life