Changing the way you eat and reducing sedentary behaviors are the best ways to begin to lower your child's cholesterol. Heart-healthy guidelines are appropriate for most family members over the age of 2. And keeping kids moving with plenty of physical activity is always better than sedentary behaviors like watching television and playing video games. To summarize, the American Heart Association recommends the following heart-healthy lifestyle changes for children and their families:

• Eat vegetables and fruits and limit juice intake.
• Use vegetable oils and soft margarines low in saturated fat and trans fatty acid instead of butter or most animal fats.
• Eat whole-grain rather than refined-grain bread and cereals.
• Reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and foods.
• Use nonfat or low-fat (one percent) milk.
• Increase fish consumption, use only lean cuts of meat and reduced-fat meat products, and remove the skin from poultry.
• Reduce salt intake.
• Teach about a balanced meal, portion size and caloric contents of snacks
• Encourage eating at home. Follow tips for heart-healthy dining
• Perform daily moderate activity for 60 minutes.