While most adults think of a low-fat diet as essential for a healthy body, toddlers actually need a high amount of dietary fat for proper brain development. But loading your toddler's plate with fatty meats and fried foods isn't going to ensure a lifetime of good health. Only certain types of fat can help your child's brain functioning.
Role of Fats
Because the brain is composed of 60 to 70 percent fat, dietary fat is critical for healthy brain development and functioning. Specifically, the brain needs two essential fatty acids, omega-6 and omega-3; these types of fat play a critical role in creating brain cells as well as prostaglandins, the chemical messengers that initiate the body's self-repair system, according to AskDrSears.com. Your toddler's body cannot manufacture essential fatty acids, which is why they must be provided through diet.
Essential Fatty Acids Sources
Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in evening primrose oil, borage oil, black currant oil, safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, cod liver oil, canola oil, soybeans, eggs, flaxseed oil and wheat germ, as well as salmon, tuna, mackerel, bluefish, sardines, herring and other coldwater fish. Dried beans, including soybeans, navy beans, kidney beans and great northern beans contain small amounts of both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
Why Balance Matters
When it comes to essential fatty acids, more isn't always better. The typical Western diet is too high in omega-6 fatty acids and too low in omega-3; this creates an imbalance that can lead to inflammation, cancer, heart disease, depressed immune system function, liver damage, learning disabilities and weight gain, reports Healthy Child. To create a healthier balance, offer your toddler moderate amounts of omega-6 foods while emphasizing omega-3 sources.
Bad Fats
Just as certain types of fat can keep your toddler healthy, others can have adverse effects on brain and body function. Trans fatty acids, found in foods made with hydrogenated oils, can prevent healthy fats from nourishing the brain properly, as well as contribute to recurrent infections, learning disorders, inflammatory conditions, cancer and heart disease. Instead of focusing on the amount of total fat in your toddler's diet, try to replace as many bad fats as possible with healthier essential fatty acid sources.
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