Recommendations for Child Nutrition

Child nutrition is vastly different from the nutritional intake of adults. Children’s nutritional recommendations do include similar things as adults, but they don’t need as much food and definitely don’t need as much sugar as many people in society consume. By comparing the nutritional content of foods using the Nutrition Facts panel can help children eat healthier food.

Parents who understand how to use the Daily Values to fit healthier foods in their child’s diet will help their child to have better nutritional health and body weight. Most children do not get enough calcium and iron recommendations for their age. Soda beverages and sugary drinks have taken the place of milk in many children’s diets. Many fast-food restaurants also do not promote healthier food and therefore have lead to obesity in many young children.

When you are looking at your children’s nutritional recommendations, keep in mind that vitamins A and C, iron and calcium have clearly defined recommendations for children.

If you have a child aged one to three, they only need 500 milligrams of calcium each day. One the other hand, a four to eight year old needs 800 milligrams of calcium a day. Caloric recommendations are based on a child’s age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. For most children the nutritional recommendations can be found on the government’s website for dietary heath. You can also find children’s nutritional recommendations on the cereal boxes or other foods they consume.

For example, three ounces of lean beef provides thirty grams of protein. Three ounces is equivalent to the size of a deck of cards. A child aged one to three only needs about one ounce of lean beef a day and a child aged four to thirteen needs less than one ounce. Knowing the children’s nutritional recommendations is the best way to help ensure your child has a healthier diet to grow strong.

Some parents in today’s society believe that forcing their child to clean their plate ensures they are receiving healthier food. What most parents don’t think about is the snacks their child may be eating during the day that contribute to their child being full at dinnertime. Children who do not have healthy eating habits are likely to continue making unhealthy eating choices into adulthood.

Taking the time to understand the children’s nutritional recommendations can go a long way to helping your child avoid obesity that leads to diabetes and heart disease. Knowing that your toddler is a picky eater and will not consume the same foods they consumed as an infant will help you make proper decisions for their nutritional diet. Many parents feel that giving their child fruit juice will help their child consume the amount of fruit they need each day. Checking the label on the fruit juice and knowing how much sugar is actually in eight ounces will give you a better idea if the juice is actually benefiting your child’s nutritional recommendations.

For most child nutrition it is recommended that they eat three meals a day and two nutritious snacks, limiting high sugar and high fat foods. Starting to teach your child to have healthier eating habits can prevent many medical problems, including; obesity, osteoporosis, and developing diabetes.

Encourage healthier food for your child by purchasing healthier foods such as milk, fruits, whole-grain bread, vegetables, and avoid fast food, caffeine, juice and soda. Always have a variety of food available and balance the foods your child eats with proper physical activity. Your child’s bones are developing and continually growing at this young age and need enough calcium to stay strong into adulthood.