5 Essential Child Nutrition Tips for Healthy Growth

Encouraging your child to eat healthily is crucial for their well-being, growth, and development. When kids adopt nutritious eating habits, they're less likely to face issues like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers down the road.

Child nutrition is based on the same ideas as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of things, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat. These are called nutrients. However, the amounts they require change as they grow older. To support a child's growth and development, it's important to consider their age, activity level, and individual characteristics when planning their diet.

Check out the 5 essential tips for your child's healthy eating in our blog article. 

Start with Breakfast

Starting the day with breakfast is a great way to provide the body with the necessary fuel. Children who enjoy a morning meal not only tend to eat healthier overall but are also more likely to be physically active – two great ways to help maintain a healthy weight. 

When kids skip breakfast, it can leave them feeling fatigued, restless, or irritable. Morning is a crucial time for refueling the body for the day ahead, and without breakfast, their mood and energy levels may dip by midmorning. Breakfast also kick-starts their metabolism, helping their bodies burn calories throughout the day. Some studies even suggest that the body burns calories more efficiently in the morning than at night.

Skipping breakfast could lead to overeating later in the day, snacking more, or eating late at night, making it more likely for kids to gain weight. So, a simple morning meal can make a big difference in their overall health.

Making a healthy breakfast can be challenging when mornings are hectic. Here are quick tips:

• Prepare as much as you can the night before (set out dishes, cut fruit).
• Wake up 10 minutes earlier.
• Involve kids in planning and preparing breakfast.
• Keep grab-and-go options like fruit, whole-grain cereal, yogurt, or trail mix.

If kids aren't hungry in the morning, pack a nutritious snack for later, like fresh fruit, nuts or a sandwich.

Limit sugar

Natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy are sufficient for our dietary needs. However, many foods contain added sugar, which not only brings in empty calories but, at its worst, can contribute to issues like hyperactivity, mood disorders, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Sugar is often added to foods we wouldn’t think had sugar in them. These include breads, canned soup or vegetables, condiments such as ketchup, frozen meals, and fast food. To avoid added sugar, always check the nutrition labels, Choose cereals with minimal added sugar, limit sugary drinks, such as soda and fruit-flavored drinks. Give your kids more fruit to satisfy their sugar cravings. Make desserts that are centered around fruit. Try a fruit smoothie instead of a milkshake.

Adequate Protein Intake

Protein is an essential nutrient we all need in our diets that:

• Helps boost energy levels
• Builds strong muscles
• Helps kids' bodies growing
• Aids in repairing injuries

Protein can be found in many different types of food, so meeting the daily recommendation for protein can be relatively easy. Only 10% to 20% of the calories we eat in a day need to come from protein.

Make sure your child gets enough protein from foods like lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, and nuts. These provide essential amino acids necessary for their overall health. Include a mix of animal and plant-based sources in their diet to ensure a complete range of nutrients.

Consult with a pediatrician or dietitian to determine your child's specific protein needs based on their age, weight, and activity level.

Understanding Fats

Fat can be found in a wide variety of foods, but not all fats are healthy choices, especially for growing children. 

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and primarily come from animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs. They are also found in some baked goods and packaged snacks with animal-derived ingredients. Tropical oils like coconut, palm oil, and cocoa butter are rare plant-based sources of saturated fat, often used in non-dairy butter and creamers.

Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and are mainly found in plant-based foods and oils. 

There are two subcategories: 

• Monounsaturated fats: The main sources of these fats include nuts, avocados, and plant oils like peanut, olive, and canola. 
• Polyunsaturated fats: These fats are found primarily in safflower, corn, sesame, sunflower, and soybean oils, as well as seafood. The two types of polyunsaturated fats are omega-3 fatty acids, found in walnuts, flaxseed, fatty fish, and canola oil, as well as omega-6 fatty acids, found mostly in liquid vegetable oils. 

The best sources of dietary fats for kids are unsaturated fats, which can be found in a variety of foods that you may already enjoy in your home. 

On the other hand, it’s best for kids to minimize foods that are high in saturated fats in order to best support long-term health and get the most nutritional benefit from fat sources.

Proper Hydration

Your child's body is mostly water, and water is essential for things like maintaining body temperature, making bodily fluids, and daily functions. Dehydration can lead to tiredness, headaches, and crankiness and even cause serious health problems.

The most common causes for child dehydration:

• Lots of physical activity or exercise
• Severe vomiting, diarrhea or fever
• Certain medications, such as diuretics
• Not drinking enough water, especially during illness
• Hot weather

Kids are at higher risk of dehydration, especially when it's hot, but it can happen any time, including winter, and especially when they're active. By the time they feel thirsty, they might already be dehydrated. So, it's crucial for parents and caregivers to make sure kids are drinking enough water.

The recommended daily intake of water for children is:

• 4 to 8 years old: 5 cups
• 9 to 13 years old: 5 to 6 cups
• 14 to 18 years old: 6 to 8 cups

Conclusion

Providing your child with a well-rounded, nutritious diet is essential for healthy growth and development. By incorporating these five essential child nutrition tips into your family's lifestyle, you can lay the foundation for a lifetime of good health. 

Remember that establishing healthy eating habits early in life not only promotes physical well-being but also sets the stage for a positive relationship with food as your child grows.