Children’s nutrition is crucial for physical and mental development. They require different amounts of nutrients as they age, with proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals being essential. Breast milk or infant formula provides most nutrients in the first year, while a healthy selection of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein is important for young children. Nutritional needs differ between boys and girls, and tweens and teens should consume more calories and no more than 25-35% of their daily calories from fat. Parents should discuss their children’s nutritional needs with their pediatricians.
Proper nutrition is important for everyone to maintain good health, but children’s nutrition is especially vital because of the vast physical and mental development that occurs during the childhood years. Every human being needs the same nutrients, regardless of age, but children require different amounts of these as they age. Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals provide the nourishment our bodies need, and getting them from healthy sources can help prevent disease and childhood obesity.
Breast milk or infant formula provide most of the nutrients needed for proper nutrition in children during the first year of life. Infant cereals and strained fruits and vegetables fortified with zinc and iron are appropriate for most babies to start eating at six months of age. Adequate amounts of zinc and iron are especially important for breastfed babies, since breast milk often does not provide as much iron and zinc as formula.
Young children generally benefit from a healthy selection of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein. Calcium, fiber, and fat are especially important nutrients for a growing child to protect against disease and fuel their growing brains and bodies. The Mayo Clinic recommends that these children consume between 30% and 40% of their daily calories from fat, by two to three years.
Between the ages of four and eight, fiber, calcium, and protein continue to be extremely important to children’s nutrition. As children begin to reach school age, boys and girls begin to differ in their nutritional needs. Boys generally need more calories than girls, but this can vary depending on the child’s medical history and activity level.
Tweens and teens should consume more calories as they age and eat no more than 25% to 35% of their daily calories from fat. Some children may need even less fat if they have trouble maintaining a healthy weight. Calcium becomes even more important during the tweens and early teens because most of a person’s bone mass is developed during these years.
Although carbohydrates are important for proper nutrition in children, whole grains are better sources of carbohydrates than sugars. Fresh fruits and vegetables are much healthier snacks than candy, chips, and other high-fat and high-sodium snacks. Children who are given healthy snacks and meals from an early age are more likely to develop better eating habits as they get older.
There are many factors that can alter a child’s individual nutritional needs. Parents should discuss their children’s nutritional needs with their pediatricians. There are also many books or other resources available to learn more about healthy diets for children.
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