In the most basic terms, food is the fuel our bodies need to function properly. It provides various proteins necessary to produce the thousands of proteins needed by the body; carbohydrates that provide energy; and the fats that support normal cell function. Food also provides essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. A child's healthy diet will balance the proper amounts of protein with the correct amounts of carbohydrates and fats to support his rapid growth and development.
Role of Proteins
Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, come together in various combinations to form different types proteins. Of all the amino acids, 22 are important to human health. The human body can produce 13 of these amino acids, but the other nine -- known as essential amino acids -- must come from your diet. After eating a food that contains protein, the digestive system breaks the protein down into the individual amino acids. The body then uses the amino acids to produce the thousands of proteins needed to maintain bones, blood, muscles and organs.
Recommended Intake
The amount of protein a child needs to consume each day depends upon her weight and her level of physical activity. Each day, kids should eat about 1 g of protein for every 2 lbs. they weigh, as specified by the website Kids Health. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Institute of Medicine provides a range for recommended protein intake to help balance the consumption of proteins with carbohydrates and fats. They suggest kids ages 1 to 3 consume 5 to 20 percent of their total calories in protein, while those ages 4 to 18 consume 10 to 30 percent of their calories in proteins.
Complete Proteins
There are two types of protein ... animal-based and plant-based. Animal foods are the best sources of protein because they are "complete proteins," which means they provide all nine essential amino acids. Consuming complete proteins ensures your body receives all of the amino acids it needs. Interestingly, foods derived from soybeans, such as tofu, also provide complete proteins and are the only known plant-based source of compete proteins.
Incomplete Proteins
Plant-based protein is classified as "incomplete protein" because it lacks one or more of the nine essential amino acids. Although each source of protein fails to provide all of the required amino acids, eating a variety of plant-based proteins can provide the body with all the essential amino acids. For example, peanut butter contains incomplete proteins, but when eaten with whole-wheat bread, the two together provide all the essential amino acids.
Protein Nutrition
Scientists previously believed that incomplete proteins had to be consumed together to benefit the body, but they now know that eating a variety of protein sources throughout the day provides the body what it needs, according to Kids Health. Protein-rich plant-based foods include nuts such as almonds and peanuts, seeds such as pumpkin and flax seeds and legumes such as beans, lentils and peas. Adding sources of complete proteins, such as lean meats and low-fat dairy products like yogurt and cheese, rounds out a child's protein nutrition.
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