When it comes to nutrition, children have their own needs, based on their growth and activity level. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends specific calorie ranges for children based on their age, sex and activity levels. In addition, the USDA recommends from which foods groups children should get varying amounts of nutrients. Following the USDA dietary guidelines for children and using its food pyramid recommendations will help you create a healthful diet for children.
Calories
The USDA recommends that girls ages 4 to 8 years of age get 1,200 to 1,800 calories per day, depending on whether they are sedentary or active. For boys this age, the USDA recommends 1,600 to 2,000 calories. For girls ages 9 to 13, the calorie range is 1,600 to 2,200, while for boys, the range is 1,800 to 2,600. For girls between 14 and 19, the range is 1,800 to 2,400, and for boys, 2,200 to 3,200.
The USDA considers a sedentary child one who does not perform any physical activity beyond normal daily activities such as going to school or playing around the house. An active child is one who performs physical activity comparable to walking more than 3 miles at a rate of 3 to 4 mph.
Nutrients
Children should get the largest portion of their calories from grains in the form of foods such as breads, rice, potatoes and pasta. Their next-biggest food groups would be fruits and vegetables, followed by proteins, from sources such as meats, fish, poultry, nuts and dairy products. Healthful fats make up the last recommended food group. Children 3 years old and younger need more fat in their diet, according to Dr. Vincent Iannelli, creator of the website KeepKidsHealthy. After age 3, their diets should resemble the rest of the family's in terms of nutrient distribution. He recommends serving children 4 and older more low-fat or fat-free milk. The fats your child should eat should focus on healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, not saturated and trans fats. You'll find healthful fats in foods such as peanut butter, olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish. Limit the amount of sugar your child eats by reading nutrition labels. You might think vitamin-rich juices are completely healthful, but they can contain large amounts of naturally occurring sugars and added sweeteners.
Healthy Substitutes
Your children will want to eat the foods their friends eat, so avoid banning foods such as burgers and pizza. Instead, serve healthier versions of those foods. Use lean ground beef or ground turkey for burgers, a low-fat cheese and fat-free mayonnaise, or skip the cheese and mayo altogether. Serve on a whole grain bun with lettuce and tomatoes. Bake fries instead of deep-frying them. Let kids have pizza, but eliminate the meat, add more veggies, and use low-fat cheese and whole grain crusts. Serve turkey meatballs with whole grain spaghetti instead of using ground beef or sausage.
Breakfast and Snacks
Keep your child's metabolism fueled throughout the day by starting with a healthful breakfast and including nutritious snacks. From lunch to dinner may be six hours. Give your child a healthful after-school snack of veggies and hummus or peanut butter on whole wheat bread or a bagel.
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