Parents are often concerned about what their children eat and how much they eat. Yet food is typically the last thing on a young child’s mind. Children love to spend most of their time playing, so eating can seem to them like a mere disruption of play. But it is important that children maintain a healthy diet to nourish their growing muscles and bones.
Food Groups
One of the most important aspects of a healthy diet for children is the variety of foods, which should include those found in all of the five different food groups. The United States Department of Agriculture’s My Pyramid website shows that elementary school-aged children need to eat around 6 oz. of grains, 2 ½ cups of vegetables, 1 ½ cups of fruits, 3 cups of milk and 5 oz. of meats and beans every day. Ensuring that a child gets enough variety in his diet allows him to get all of the important vitamins and minerals.
Deficiencies
Some of the most important nutrients in a child’s diet are the ones that children often miss out on. The National Institutes of Health states that children are most often deficient in calcium and iron. Calcium helps to strengthen the bones and teeth, while iron transfers oxygen through red blood cells, providing energy to the body. Calcium is present in milk, yogurt, cheese, canned salmon, broccoli and tofu. Iron is found in meats, beans and peas. Children that cannot get enough iron or calcium in their diets may need to supplement.
Foods to Limit
The foods that children eat help to shape their future health. KidsHealth explains that giving high-fat, high-sugar foods now can increase the risk of obesity and diabetes later on in life. Therefore, KidsHealth recommends limiting fat intake by giving children lower-fat dairy, such as 1 percent milk and low-fat cheese. Limiting your child’s sugar intake by offering water instead of soda and fruit instead of candy will also help her to be healthier as she grows older.
Meals and Snacking
When and how a child eats is almost as important of a part of a child’s diet as what he eats. KidsHealth states that children who sit down for regular family meals are more likely to eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, and less likely to eat junk foods. Sharing family mealtimes also reduces a child’s risk of using alcohol or drugs as a teenager, according to KidsHealth. School age children love to snack, and snacking a few times a day is both acceptable and healthy, as long as he continues to eat regular family meals as well.
Picky Eaters
Many parents have trouble getting their kids to eat the healthy foods that they should be eating. Children are often picky eaters, but it doesn’t mean that parents should give up. Simply offering healthy foods like vegetables on your child’s dinner plate at night will increase his exposure over time and help her to become more comfortable with these healthy foods. If you continue offering, but never forcing, her to eat a specific food, you may find that, over time, she becomes more willing to try it.
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