- If the issue is whether children should eat the same type of diet as the typical modern adult, the answer will always be a resounding no. Children should not be subjected to the processed foods that adults ordinarily consume. However, adults should not be subjecting themselves to this type of diet either. Reliance on processed foods in an increasingly sedentary culture has led us into an obesity crisis.
- So what kind of diet should children and adults be eating? Not surprisingly, they should both be consuming a diet rich in natural foods, lean meats, fruit and vegetables. There should not be much dissent about this. Both children and adults require the wealth of vitamins and nutrients present in unprocessed foods to maintain proper health and bodily functions.
- The American Heart Association recommends the following for a child's diet:
-Total fat intake between 25 to 35 percent of calories.
-Consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.
-Consumption of foods low in salt, sugar, and trans-fats.
-Limited intake of grains.
-Consumption of fish and other lean meats. - Canadian nutritionist Dr. John Berardi recommends the following for an adult's diet: -Consume lean meats, fish, eggs, and chicken.
-Consume at least 25 percent of one's daily calories from fat.
-Eat fruit and vegetables with every meal.
-Limit carbohydrates to only fruit and veggies.
-Drink only zero-calorie beverages.
Note: this is not radically different from the AMA's suggestions for children. - The real trick to eating healthy is reprogramming yourself and your family and severing dependence from processed foods. We live in a world where fresh vegetables, fruits, and lean meats have never been more abundant, yet we struggle with weight-control issues. If children and adults were on the same healthy diet, many of the world's health problems would solve themselves.
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