10 worst foods for kids

 10 Worst Foods for Kids: Ages 1 to 3

1. French Fries
These greasy treats taste great, but have little nutritional value and are very high in fat. Make your kids baked potatoes instead.

2. Soda
A 12-oz. serving of soda can contain 10 tsp. of sugar, which isn't good for your kids' waistlines or their teeth. Even if your kids drink diet soda, they're still ingesting large amounts of chemical sweeteners: have them drink milk or water instead.

3. Hot Dogs
Hot dogs are high in fat and sodium, and not as high in protein as non-processed meats like chicken or beef. Small children can choke on hot dogs. If you must feed your kids hot dogs, try turkey or veggie dogs, and cut them into very small pieces for your little ones.

10 Worst Foods for Kids: Ages 4 to 6

4. Juice
Check the label carefully before giving your child fruit juice: some store-bought drinks contain only a very small percentage of juice. The rest of the drink is sugar or other sweeteners and water. It's better to give kids whole fruit instead.

5. Bagels
The average bagel has 200 to 400 calories and a lot of sodium. While it does contain a fair amount of protein and iron, it's a calorically dense way to get those nutrients: a kid would be better off getting his protein and iron from eating meat. Whole-grain bread has more fiber and less calories per serving.
6. Fruit Leather
This supposedly healthy treat often contains sweeteners, and doesn't have much fiber or many vitamins. Again, it's better to give kids whole fruit.

10 Worst Foods for Kids: Ages 7 to 10

7. Chips

Most chips are high in fat and sodium, and don't contain very many nutrients. This goes for potato chips, tortilla chips (corn and flour) and Cheetos-type corn puffs. 

8. Sugared Cereal
The extra sugar in cereals like Frosted Flakes can add up to weight gain and tooth decay. It's best to stick with whole-grain cereals like Kashi and Raisin Bran.

9. Fried Chicken
Breading or battering chicken adds extra empty calories, and frying adds extra fat. Chicken nugget dipping sauces can also contain a lot of sodium. Serve your kids grilled or baked skinless chicken breast instead.

10. Doughnuts
These are dense little calorie bombs. They're low in nutritional value and high in fat, sugar and salt. The fats in a doughnut are the worst kind: they're saturated and trans fats, which can contribute to heart disease. One small doughnut can equal 200 to 300 calories.