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Nutrition For Children

Children have different nutritional needs than adults because they are still growing. Children grow 2-3 inches per year and gain about 5 pounds on average. Their food intake remains consistent as they age. As children get older, they consume more food away from home and are influenced by outside sources. Eating dinner as a family at home is associated with healthier diets in children. Parents should provide nutritious meals and snacks for children and limit unhealthy options. Common healthy snack ideas include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, yogurt, and low-fat dairy. Important nutrients for children include calcium, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.

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61 views2 pages

Nutrition For Children

Children have different nutritional needs than adults because they are still growing. Children grow 2-3 inches per year and gain about 5 pounds on average. Their food intake remains consistent as they age. As children get older, they consume more food away from home and are influenced by outside sources. Eating dinner as a family at home is associated with healthier diets in children. Parents should provide nutritious meals and snacks for children and limit unhealthy options. Common healthy snack ideas include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, yogurt, and low-fat dairy. Important nutrients for children include calcium, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.

Uploaded by

Luicia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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NUTRITION FOR CHILDREN

Children’s nutritional needs differ from those of adults primarily because they are growing.

 Children annually grow 2 to 3 in in height and gain about 5 pounds on average


 School-age children maintain a relatively constant intake in relation to their age group; children who are
considered big eaters in second grade are also big eaters in sixth grade.

Calories and Nutrients

Eating Practices

 As children get older, they consume more foods from non-home sources and have more outside influences on
their food choices
 Children who eat dinner with their families at home tend to have higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, vitamins,
and minerals and lower intakes of saturated and Trans fatty acids, soft drinks, and fried foods
 Parents should provide and consume healthy meals and snacks and avoid or limit empty-calorie food
 Snacks, especially sweetened beverages, should be limited during sedentary activities.

Healthy snack ideas

 Unsweetened cereal with or without milk


 Meat or cheese on whole-grain bread or crackers
 Graham crackers
 Whole-grain cookies or muffins made with oatmeal, dried fruit, or iron-fortified cereal
 Quick breads such as banana, date, pumpkin bread
 Raw vegetables, vegetable juices
 Fresh, dried, or canned fruits without sugar
 Pure fruit juice as a drink or frozen on a stick
 Low-fat yogurt with or without fresh fruit added
 Air-popped popcorn (not before age 4 years)
 Peanut butter on bread, crackers, celery, apple slices
 Pretzels
 Milk shakes made with fruit and low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt
 Low-fat ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, sorbet, fruit ice
 Animal crackers, ginger snaps
 Skim or 1% milk (after age 2 years)
 Low-fat cheese, low-fat cottage cheese
 Rice cakes or popcorn cakes

Nutrients of Concern

 Important concerns during childhood include excessive intakes of calories, sodium, and fat, especially saturated
fat. Nutrients most likely to be consumed in inadequate amounts are calcium, fi ber, vitamin E, magnesium, and
potassium
 The school environment plays a significant role in teaching and modeling health behaviors. For some children,
foods consumed at school can provide a major portion of their daily nutrient intake
 The AAP recommends that children who consume less than 1 L/day of vitamin D–fortified milk take a
supplement of 400 IU/day

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