Dieting can be a lonely road, especially when you go it alone. But when you make healthy eating a family affair, lasting success is likelier. The trick is finding an approach that’s suitable for everyone – from the kids to grandpa. “Most diets aren’t about the family, and that really is a fundamental flaw,” says Dr. David L. Katz, founding director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center and president of the global nonprofit True Health Initiative. “It’s typically an every-man-for-himself scenario, and inevitably, people leave their families behind.”
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Although most experts say dieting for weight loss is inappropriate for children, who need ample calories and nutrients. Experts caution against dieting apps that are aimed at kids or teens and say using these can lead to eating disorders. Fortunately, for parents who wish to shed pounds while guiding kids to eat well minus the focus on weight, there are plenty of family-friendly eating plans that accomplish both weight and health goals. A family-friendly approach to eating must be safe and nutritionally sound enough to meet the needs of all family members, whether they’re 12 or 72. That disqualifies low-calorie and super-restrictive diets that skimp on important vitamins and nutrients, like carbs or calcium.
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Katz – as well as Teresa Fung, a nutritionist at Simmons University in Boston, and Jill Weisenbergera registered dietitian nutritionist based in Yorktown, Virginia – are on the panel of experts who rate U.S. News’ Best Diets each year. The diets they feel are most well-suited for the whole family include:
- Mediterranean diet.
- DASH diet.
- Mayo Clinic diet.
- Vegetarian diet.
- Flexitarian diet.
Family-friendly diets should also allow for splurging and negotiation. If a kid doesn’t like fish, for example, it’s OK to substitute a favorite meat.
DASH along with other diets like the Mediterranean and Flexitarian were among those Weisenberger, who is also the owner of Food & Nutrition Solutions by Jill, thought were “flexible and … focused on a selection of health-boosting foods.” She adds that they could also be modified to fit a family’s budget and preferences.
DASH-friendly recipes range from grilled pineapple to Southwestern potato skins, fruit smoothies and Buckwheat pancakes. “I don’t think the typical American diet looks anything like DASH or Mediterranean,” Fung says. “Most families get pizza or go out to eat twice a week. But even if the diet looks very distant from where you are, moving [one] step closer will be an improvement.”
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Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic’s take on healthy eating revolves around fruits, veggies and whole grains. “DASH and Mayo make sense as ‘cleaned up’ versions of the typical American diet,” Katz notes. You’ll learn to replace bad eating habits, such as chowing down while watching TV, with good ones, like getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. It’s appropriate for all ages.
Bonus: “The Mayo Clinic Diet,” an essential guidebook, offers a crash course in nutrition basics that parents can use to educate children. “Anything that’s engaging or creates a dialogue is helpful,” Katz says.
Vegetarian Diet
Most vegetarians choose a lacto-ovo approach – eliminating meat, fish and poultry, while still eating eggs and dairy. Comparing plant-based diets, the approach is more family-friendly than is the more restrictive vegan approach, which bans all animal products, including dairy. When done right, vegetarianism is nutritionally sound and can be tailored to all calorie levels. (A French-fries-and-doughnut diet technically counts as vegetarian.) What’s more, research suggests going vegetarian helps keep the weight off and prevents chronic diseases, such as diabetes.
Angela Haupt, Staff Writer
Angela Haupt is Managing Editor of Health at U.S. News, where she oversees a team of staffers, … Read more
Michael O. Schroeder, Staff Writer
Michael O. Schroeder has been a health editor at U.S. News since 2015. He writes health … Read more
Sources
Teresa Fung, ScD, RDN, CD/N; David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, FACLM; Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND
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