With childhood obesity becoming an epidemic in the United States, many parents made resolutions on behalf of their youngsters as the new year arrived. Making the conscious choice to feed children healthier and help them lose weight is an excellent gift to pass on this coming year. Unfortunately, making the resolution and having the follow through and fortitude to stick with it for their betterment is often no walk in the park.

So, how can parents help their kids lose weight and eat right? It is going to take two things on your part. The first is the determination to stick with your decision. It is going to take iron will on your part to stop buying potato chips, candy, sugary cereal and tons of ice cream and soda. These things are all fine in moderation, but they don’t work with a healthy diet and they will not help your little ones lose weight or maintain it. The second thing you’re going to need to do is arm yourself with ideas on what to feed them and how to feed them healthy foods they will eat.

Resolving the first point is up to you. You are the one who buys the food, so just stick to your guns. They will eat healthier if you give them little or no alternative. Steel yourself for the begging, whining and pouting that is likely to come by reminding yourself how much better you child will be for the change. Also, if you start making healthier substitutions in your home that happen to taste great, there’s a very good chance your kids won’t even notice what’s going on.

Now, on the second point, there are tons of ideas. The fact of the matter is that healthy foods often taste fantastic. There are some incredible ways to work healthier choices into the daily diet without them even realizing you’re doing it. Some common ways to make smarter substitutions with kids’ favorite foods by meal include:

Breakfast – Replace the sugary cereals with oatmeal or high grain cereals. Sweeten them up with fresh fruit instead of sugar. Select whole grain breads and use low-fat jams and jellies instead of higher sugar content items.

Lunch – Again, use those whole grain breads and lower fat and sugar jellies. Introduce things like baked pita chips, apple slices, peanut butter and celery and other similar treats to give them the crunchy texture they so crave.

Dinner – When preparing dinners, just remember kids don’t necessarily love all the spices adults do. Bake, broil, grill or boil their foods rather than frying them. Try to include vegetables they like and sides they’ll eat. Avoiding fast food as much as possible, but if it’s a must once in a while, consider the healthier choices now on menus. At home, make substitutes in favorite dishes. Go for chicken tacos instead of beef. Try giving them turkey hotdogs instead of beef or pork. The ideas on this front are endless and they keep foods kids will eat healthier.

Desserts and snacks – Kids love sweets. There is no way around this. Select smarter choices, such as fruit, low-fat pudding, gelatin or even low-fat ice cream or flavored ice. These will help satisfy their cravings without wrecking their diets. For other snacks, try low-fat pretzels, unbuttered popcorn, raw vegetables and more.

Helping children lose or maintain weight in the new year is often a matter of will power on your part. If you stick with your guns and offer them tasty, but healthy choices, you will win the battle.

When the clock struck midnight to herald the arrival of 2008, thousands of people all over the world made the decision to lose weight and eat healthier in the new year. Unfortunately, many of those people will stray from their resolutions almost as quickly as they made them. With temptations abounding and eating unhealthy often seen as the easier choice, the odds just aren’t in their favor. They can, however, be in yours.

If you want to stick to that resolution and lose weight this year, there are some excellent choices you can make in regards to diet. If these choices happen to be combined with exercise and an overall healthier lifestyle, you’ll be all the better for it.

There are some fantastic food choices that taste great and do fit in with a healthier, smarter diet. Some of the best ideas in each food group include:

Grains – Try to select whole grains and non-processed flour whenever possible. Things like whole wheat bread and long grain rice tend to be more flavorful than their processed counterparts anyway and they typically are much better for you. Plus, in many cases, they come with fewer calories attached. Reserve the slice of white flour cake only for special occasions and your body will thank you for it.

Fruits and vegetables – It can be difficult to go wrong with almost anything in this particular group. Just try to avoid frying vegetables and focus a little more on raw or steamed to keep mineral and vitamin content high. Fruits can serve as excellent substitutes to handle a hankering for sweets, too.

Meats and legumes – Select lean, skinless meats and try to add some more fish and shellfish into your diet. Certain legumes are also incredibly flavorful and do meet the muster in regard to protein requirements. When eating meats, leave the greasy cheeseburger for a once in a while treat, and opt for baked, boiled, broiled or broth sautéed instead.

Dairy – Beyond low-fat milk, choose other low-fat, low-cholesterol dairy products. Cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and other items can stay in a healthy diet. So, too, can ice cream as an occasional treat.

Fats – These actually are an important part of a healthy diet, but not in the way most people take them in. When adding fat or using it in cooking, select oils that are low or have no cholesterol and are healthier in composition. Olive, peanut, canola and other similar oils are excellent choices when oil must be used. Heart smart margarine is also a better choice than fatty butter.

Eating healthy in the New Year is not as difficult as many people realize. Choose foods wisely and pay attention to preparations. If you do this, you’ll stick to that resolution and enjoy it, too.