How can you ensure that your child is well nourished?
Here are some tips to keep in mind when planning and preparing meals for your family.
Variety
Your child should consume a variety of foods from the five major food groups. Each food group supplies important nutrients, including vitamins and minerals.
The five food groups and typical minimum servings:
Vegetables: 3-5 servings per day. A serving may consist of 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables, 3/4 cup of vegetable juice, or 1/2 cup of other vegetables, chopped raw or cooked.
Fruits: 2-4 servings per day. A serving may consist of 1/2 cup of sliced fruit, 3/4 cup of fruit juice, or a medium-size whole fruit, like an apple, banana, or pear.
Bread, cereal, or pasta: 6-11 servings per day. Each serving should equal 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup of rice or pasta, or 1 ounce of cereal.
Protein foods: 2-3 servings of 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish per day. A serving in this group may also consist of 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, one egg, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for each ounce of lean meat.
Dairy products: 2-3 servings per day of 1 cup of low-fat milk or yogurt, or 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese.
Fiber
Fiber is a carbohydrate component of plant foods that is usually un-digestible. It is found in foods like
fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, cereals, brown rice, beans, seeds, and nuts.
In adults: Increased fiber has been linked with a reduction of chronic gastrointestinal problems, including colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, and diverticulitis.
In children: Fiber's only proven benefit is its ability to ease
constipation—providing bulk that can promote regular bowel movements, soften the stools, and decrease the time it takes food to travel through the intestines. But since food preferences and eating habits often get searly in life, and since high-fiber foods contain other nutrients, parents should include these foods in children's daily diets.
See
Kids Need Fiber: Here's Why and How.
Protein
Your child needs protein so their body can grow and function properly. This includes building new tissues and producing antibodies that help fight infections. Without essential amino acids (the building blocks of
protein), children would be much more susceptible to serious diseases.
Protein-rich
plants—such as dried beans and peas (legumes), grains, seeds, and nuts—can be used as valuable sources of protein. Other protein-rich foods include meat,
fish, milk, yogurt, cheese, and eggs. These animal products contain high-quality protein and a full array of amino acids.
Keep in mind, however, that while red meat and shellfish are rich in protein and an important source of iron, they can also be high in fat and cholesterol as well. So, your child should consume them only in moderate amounts. Select lean cuts of meat and trim the fat before cooking. Likewise, remove skin from poultry before serving.
Fat
Humans cannot live without fats. They are a concentrated source of energy, providing essential fatty acids that are needed for a variety of bodily processes (metabolism, blood clotting, and vitamin absorption).
However, high fat intake—particularly a diet high in saturated fats—can cause problems. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperatures and are found in fatty meats (such as beef, pork, ham, veal, and lamb) and many dairy products (whole milk, cheese, and ice cream). They can contribute to the buildup of plague in blood vessels and lead to heart disease later in life. A diet rich in saturated fats also can increase blood cholesterol, particularly in people who have inherited a tendency toward
high cholesterol levels.
After age two: Children should be served foods that are lower in fat and saturated fats. Chances are that your child's favorite foods are higher in fat than is desirable. Healthy eating means relying more on low-fat, low-cholesterol foods like poultry, fish and lean meat (broiled, baked, or roasted; not fried), soft margarine (instead of butter), low-fat dairy products and low-saturated-fat oils from vegetables, while limiting egg consumption.
As a general guideline, fats should make up less than 30% of the calories in your child's diet. No more than about 1/3 or less of those fat calories should come from from saturated fat, with the rest coming from unsaturated (that is, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated) fats. These healthier fats are liquid at room temperature and include vegetable oils like corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, and olive.
Some parents find the information about various types of fat confusing. In general, oils and fats that come from animals are saturated. The simplest place to start is just to reduce the amount of fatty foods of all types in your family's diet.
See
How to Reduce Fat and Cholesterol in Your Child's Diet.
Sugar
Limit the amount of sugar in your child's diet to to moderate levels. Sugar has plenty of calories, but dietitians often call them “empty calories" because they have very little additional nutritional value. Even so, many children consume sugar in large amounts, usually at the expense of healthier foods. When children drink
sodas, for example, they are usually leaving the milk in the refrigerator; when they eat a brownie, they may be overlooking the bowl of fruit, a good source of complex carbohydrates, on the kitchen table.
Salt
Table salt, or sodium chloride, may improve the taste of certain foods. However, researchers have found a relationship between salt in the diet and high blood pressure in some people.
The habit of using extra salt is an learned one. So, as much as possible, serve your child foods low in salt. In the kitchen, minimize the amount of salt you add to food as you prepare it. Try using herbs, spices, or lemon juice instead. Take the salt shaker off the dinner table, or at least limit its use by your family.
Because salt acts a preservative, processed foods often contain large amounts of it. Salt-rich foods may include processed cheese, instant puddings, canned vegetables, canned soups, hot dogs, cottage cheese, salad dressings, pickles, and potato chips and other snacks.
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