While emphasizing moderation is the most practical and successful approach to limiting sweets and fats in your child's diet, there are some calorie-dense foods and beverages that simply have no redeeming nutritional value. These should be severely limited, if not cut out completely from your family meal plan.

The Trouble with Trans Fats

Trans fats, or trans fatty acids, are identifiable by the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” fat on a food label. They are artery-clogging, nonpliable fats that are associated with high total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, low HDL (good) cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic health problems. They're often added to processed foods because of their preservative qualities. These are actually unsaturated vegetable-based fats that are put through a process known as hydrogenation to stabilize them.

Foods that are frequently high in trans fats include stick margarines, packaged high-fat donuts and baked goods, vegetable shortening, fried foods, and many potato and corn chips. In 2003, the FDA enacted new regulatory guidelines that will require food manufacturers to include trans-fat content information on nutrition facts labeling by 2006. Some manufacturers have complied early, and you can find trans-fat information listed on some packaged goods already.

The Hard Truth on Soft Drinks

So-called soft drinks — soda pop, sports beverages, fruit-flavored drink mixes — are stuffed with added sugars, calories, and caffeine. They aren't a significant source of any nutrient that helps build strong bodies. The USDA reports that soft drinks are the number-one source of added (refined) sugars in the processed food chain. Although exact sugar content varies by brand and type, on average a 12-ounce can of soda contains right around 40 grams (or ten teaspoons) of sugar.

According to the National Soft Drink Association, in 2002, the average American consumed almost 53 gallons of soft drinks (over a gallon a week). Even juice-based drinks can be a problem. Many drinks you may assume are primarily fruit juice are full of added sugars and contain little, if any, real fruit juice. Always check the nutrition facts label to find out how much added sugar is in your child's beverage of choice.

Water is always a good choice for thirst quenching, but it can get old fast for kids who were formerly hooked on carbonated sodas. There are many fruit-flavored bottled waters now on the market — both with carbonation and without — that your child may find satisfying. If your child is a die-hard soda junkie, try switching him to a diet version that uses an artificial sweetener instead of refined sugars.