Eating healthy as a child can lower your child’s chances of developing health problems as he grows up. A healthy, balanced diet includes foods from all 5 food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. Foods high in sugar, saturated fat and salt are not essential to a healthy diet and should be limited.
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What is meant by a balanced diet for children?
A balanced diet is one that includes a variety of food items in the right amounts and proportions to meet the needs of the body. It is especially important for children to follow a balanced diet as it can reduce the overall risk of diabetes by up to 18%, reducing the chance of developing metabolic syndrome by up to 64%. Childhood cancer risk.
A balanced diet chart for kids should be free from toxic calories like trans fat and added sugar.
Children need 1000 to 1400 kcal per day. However, the number of calories needed increases with age.
Children should be served fresh fruits and vegetables
Hydrations Fruits should be nutritious and raw
Beans, peas and sprouts should be served with vegetables
Providing a variety of grains will help prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Low or no fat beverages should also be included in the diet. You can increase energy by drinking milk or 100% pure juice
Dried fruits are a good source of energy;
Hence it should be included in the balanced diet chart of children. However, their intake should depend on the growth and activity level of the children
Fried food should not be a part of the diet as it contains saturated and trans fats which are bad for healthy growth.
Diet should not contain artificial sweeteners
The diet should be balanced and should suit the needs of the children.
The nutritional needs of children vary with age. But in general, here are some guidelines for baby nutrition that you should follow:
Energy-giving foods:
These refer to carbohydrates and fats, which can be obtained from millets, whole grain cereals, ghee, nuts, oilseeds and good, unrefined sugar.
Body-Building Food:
These are the protein, cell-building foods that our bodies need. Sources include pulses, poultry, meat, fish, nuts and oilseeds, milk and milk products, beans and more.
Protective and immunity-boosting foods:
These are vitamins and minerals that protect our bodies from infection and disease. They can be found in green leafy vegetables, other types of vegetables, fruits, eggs, dairy, spices and herbs, and some other animal-derived foods.
*Kids Nutrition: Cereals
Children’s nutrition must include cereals: food such as bread, roti, rice, potatoes and other starches. Active children who spend a lot of time outdoors will need at least 5 servings of carbohydrates per day.
Ages 1 to 3:
1/4 cup rice or pasta
1/2 or 1 slice of bread
14 g dry cereal
Ages 4 to 6:
1/2 cup rice or pasta
1 slice of bread
20 grams dry cereal
Ages 7 to 11:
1 cup rice or pasta
2 roti/bread slices
30 g dry cereal
Kids Nutrition: Vegetables
Vegetables provide fiber, vitamins and minerals. You should aim to give your child about two or three servings of vegetables per day. These include raw or cooked vegetables.
Ages 1 to 3:-
1/4 cup
Ages 4 to 6:-
1/4 to 1/3 cup
Ages 7 to 11:-
1/2 cup
Kids Nutrition: Fruits
Rich in vitamins and fiber, fruits are an essential food for children’s nutrition. Being sweet and pretty to look at, your kids should not have much trouble getting them to eat them. Eating fruits 2-3 times a day is ideal. Choose local, seasonal fruits like banana, mango, chiku, jamun etc.
Ages 1 to 3:-
1/4 cup pureed fruit mash
1/4 cup fresh fruit juice.
Ages 4 to 6:-
1/2 piece fresh fruit
1/2 cup fresh fruit juice
Ages 7 to 11:-
1 piece of fresh fruit
1/2 cup fresh fruit juice.
Children’s nutrition: plant protein, meat
Pulses and legumes are rich in protein and are an important nutrient for children’s nutrition, as they are important for the proper development of growing children. Cheese, tofu, meat, fish and poultry are also good sources of protein.
Ages 1 to 3:
1/4 cup dried beans/legumes that are cooked
20 grams paneer
1 egg
30g meat, fish or poultry
Ages 4 to 6:
1/3 cup dried beans/legumes that have been cooked
1/3 cup paneer
30 g paneer
1 egg
2 tablespoons of nut butter
30g to 60g meat, fish or poultry
Ages 7 to 11:
1/2 cup dried beans/legumes that have been cooked
1/2 cup paneer
30 grams to 60 grams paneer
1 egg
3 tablespoons of nut butter
60g to 90g meat, fish or poultry
Kids Nutrition: Dairy
Dairy is an excellent source of calcium. Children need about three servings of dairy products like milk or yogurt every day.
Ages 1 to 3:-
1/2 to 3/4 cup
Ages 4 to 6::-
3/4 cup
Ages 7 to 11:-
1 cup
Kids Nutrition: Fat
Fats like oil, ghee and butter are essential but should be chosen wisely and in the right quantity.
Eating fatty foods can lead to unhealthy weight gain and children become obese during childhood.
Kids need one to three doses of fat a day
Ages 1 to 3:
1/2 to 1 teaspoon
Ages 4 to 6:
1 tsp
Ages 7 to 11:
1 Tbsp
Conclusions:
Up to 6 months of age, the necessary energy is obtained from mother’s milk. After 6 months, the child needs additional energy apart from mother’s milk. In this way, after 6 months, it is necessary to give complementary foods to the children along with mother’s milk. At this age, the child’s digestive system also gets ready to digest food
