CHILDHOOD NUTRITION

http://www.sdhealthyliving.com/2013/childhood-nutrition/

Nutrition is important to childhood development both mentally and physically. Parents are often worried that their children aren’t receiving an adequate amount of nutrients or that they are receiving too much fats and sugars. So what is “too much” or too little?” With close to 1 in every 3 children in America being obese, parents often find themselves wondering if their child is on rout to becoming obese or overweight. Nutrition is important at every stage of a child’s life.

 

BABIES
 

A babies diet consists of breast milk or formula or a combination of both for the first 4-6 months of their lives. Around 4-6 months, parents can introduce solid foods to baby. Now, solid foods doesn’t mean hamburgers, pasta, and cake. Solid foods that should be introduced are iron-fortified infant cereal, and pureed foods, vegetables. Around nine months, strictly breastfed babies often lack iron and zinc. Pureed meats and iron-fortified cereal are great sources of iron and zinc for these babies. Fat is also an important part of a baby’s life. According to Healthy Children, a healthy amount of fat is important for a babies nerve and brain development (Healthy Children, 2016). It is important that new foods are introduced at least 3-7 days in order to catch an allergic reaction.



TODDLERS & PRESCHOOLERS

Toddlers and preschoolers diets seem to fluctuate a lot. Some days it seems as though they could eat a cow, while others they may not eat much at all. This is completely normal as long as these children are receiving a healthy selection of food. Two very important nutrients this age group needs are calcium and fiber. Think milk, milk, milk. But, what if your child is lactose intolerant? Lactose-free milk, soy milk, calcium fortified orange juice! Calcium is so important in healthy bone and teeth growth. The second important nutrient children of this age group need is fiber. Fiber aids in digestion and prevention of constipation as well as preventing heart disease and other conditions. Fiber is often times hard to get toddlers to eat. They are more attracted to chicken nuggets, fries and pastas. This is a vital time for parents to feed their children fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which are full of fiber.



GRADESCHOOLERS

Gradeschoolers need to receive an adequate amount of protein. Protein can be found in more than just meat. At this age, children understand where meat comes from and may choose to stay away from it. As long as these children are eating enough rice, eggs, peanut butter, milk, and beans, they will be just fine. This is also the time where children often get to choose what they put on their lunch trays at school. It is important that they aren’t consuming too much sugar, fats, and sodium. All of these need to be eaten in moderation or the child can have weight gain and other health conditions. This is great age to encourage children to pack a healthy, nutritious lunch and educating them what health problems come with improper eating habits.


TWEENS & TEENS



Adolescents need an adequate amount of calories to support all the changes they are going through. Some will get these extra calories from junk food, while others will restrict all these calories and fats. Adolescents are aware of their weight and body image which can lead to health problems for some. Parents need to be aware of their children’s eating habits and have a few interventions in place. The majority of bone mass is built during the teens years so again, calcium is very important for their diet. Lastly, nutritional needs are different based on gender. Adolescent girls need more iron in their diet than boys to make up for what is lost during menstruation.

Nutrition is so important at every stage of a child’s life. Children need to receive adequate amounts of proper nutrients and consume others in moderation. This diagram shows how many calories each age group should receive based on gender.

References

Childhood Nutrition. (2016, March 3). Retrieved October 09, 2017, from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Childhood-Nutrition.aspx