Balanced Diet For Children In Different Stages

A balanced diet includes a variety of foods from each of the food groups. It also provides your children with the right amount of calories, protein, vitamins and minerals to support normal growth and development. Providing your children with a balanced diet will help them continue to make healthy, balanced food choices as they enter into adulthood. Needs vary at each stage and you should adjust what you provide your child so he continues to grow normally.

Toddlers

Toddlers have small stomachs and you should offer five to six small meals a day instead of three large meals. Appetites also vary, and your toddler may eat everything you offer one day and throw it all on the floor the next. A balanced diet for toddlers includes 2 to 2-1/2 cups of milk, two to four servings of meat or beans, 2 to 3 tbsp. of vegetables, 1/2 cup to 1 cup of fruits and three servings of grain. A serving of grain is equal to one slice of bread, 1/2 cup of cereal or 1/2 cup of pasta or rice. Keep your toddler on whole milk until they reach age two, then offer low-fat milk.

Preschoolers

Once your toddler turns into a preschooler he will need to eat more to meet his calorie needs for growth. Preschoolers need about 1,400 calories a day. A balanced diet for a preschooler consists of two servings from the milk group, 1-1/2 cups of vegetables, 1-1/2 cups of fruit, five servings of grain and four servings of meat or beans. Preschoolers may better meet their nutrient needs if you continue to offer three meals and two snacks a day. Some preschoolers may be picky about what they eat. But don't get upset if your child suddenly decides she no longer wants to eat her vegetables. Continue to offer them without any expectation that they will be eaten and eventually she will eat them again.

School-Aged Children

Once children start school, eating becomes a social activity. At this age it may be more difficult for you to get your child to make healthy food choices because of the influence of his peers. You can help your child feel more positively about healthy eating by making sure you have family mealtimes. Children who eat meals with their families eat more fruits and vegetables. School-aged children need about 1,800 calories a day. A balanced diet for school-aged children includes 3 cups of milk, 2-1/2 cups of vegetables, 1-1/2 cups of fruit, five servings of meat or beans and six servings of grains each day.