What should be the Right Nutrition & Diet for Children?

Good nutrition is vital for children to stabilise their energy, sharpen their minds and make their young bodies active. A nutritious and healthy diet is also a key to better mental and physical growth of individuals. For growing kids, it’s vital to have nutrient-rich food to attain proper growth and development.

While all parents want to provide healthy foods to their kids, are you aware of what all those nutrients are and what amount to include in their diet? Well, the nutrition of children is not distinct from that grownups consume.

However, kids require a specific amount of protein, minerals, fat and carbohydrates at different stages. The amount of nutrients they need depends on their age.

Besides healthy foods, you can even consider nutrition powder for kids to meet their everyday nutrition requirements.

What Nutrition to Provide to Young Children?

The nutrition for kids depends on similar principles as for adults. The important thing to keep in mind is a proper exercise routine with a healthy diet. Usually, the five major food groups to include in their diet are protein, grains, dairy, fruits and vegetables.

All these are good to start making your child eat healthily. The portions of each often depend on one’s genetic makeup, age and physical activity.

Protein

Consider healthy protein sources like milk, seafood, meat, lean meat, pulses, eggs, peas, legumes, soy products and unsalted nuts rather than highly processed foods or fast foods.

Fruits and Vegetables

Make your child eat variously dried and fresh fruits instead of fruit juices. If your child likes fruit juice, make sure to give 100% juice without artificial sugars and preservatives. Ensure that your child’s half of the plate is full of fruits and half vegetables.

You need to know that dried fruits when consumed excessively can lead to extra calories. So, only give them in small portions.

Plus, provide your children with various colourful fresh fruits and vegetables. Consider giving them dark green, purple, red, orange and yellow coloured fruits and vegetables.

Grains

Instead of refined grains like pasta, white bread and rice, feed them whole grains like oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, quinoa, popcorn and wild or brown rice. Doing so will increase fibre content in their diet while improving nutrition intake.

Dairy

Give your growing kids fat-free or low-fat dairy products like milk, yoghurt, fortified soy beverages or cottage cheese.

Try to:

• Limit junk food and fast food.
• Control access to sugars like corn sweetener, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup and others. Try to give more cereals with fewer added sugars.
• Provide plain milk or water instead of carbonated beverages and fruit drinks.
• Encourage kids to binge more on vegetables and fruits rather than cookies and chips. Also, check the nutrition labels of food products before offering them to kids.
• Reduce the intake of saturated fats like those found in full-fat dairy products and red meat. Replace saturated fats with nut and vegetable oils that provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E.
• Consider nutrition powder for babies to offer them a sufficient supply of nutrients from the beginning.

Conclusion

It is often challenging to develop healthy food choices in kids and keep them fit without routine, guidance and education. Since young children start forming opinions on tastes from a young age, do inculcate healthy eating habits in them from early on.

Eventually, they will develop healthy eating habits and also get the right amount of nutrition at the right age.

Also, Visit here: Is Protein Powder Safe During Pregnancy?