Child Health and Nutrition – Cultivating Healthy Growing Habits in Children

A healthy diet is required for children’s growth and development. It is important to know about your child’s nutrient requirements as these requirements change with the child’s age.

Child Health and Nutrition – Healthy Food for Healthy Children

With an increase in childhood obesity and weight-related complaints like diabetes, child health and nutrition has taken new importance. Eating healthy and being physically active are the crucial to children’s well-being. Parents should ensure that their kids eat a balanced diet and have an active lifestyle as it helps in the growth of their bodies, development of their brain and building strong bones and muscles. Children learn to eat and enjoy the food that their parents eat; therefore parents have to lead the way for healthy eating. As per the child health and nutrition guidelines, children should eat food that are low in fat and sugar and high in fiber. Their food should include all vital nutrients like vitamins, iron, calcium, minerals and anti-oxidants.

Healthy Eating for Children – What Children Need to Eat

Guide for healthy eating for children recommends that children over two years of age should eat a variety of nutrient rich food like fresh fruits and vegetables, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products like cheese, yogurt, etc., poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and whole grains. The guidelines also recommend that children’s diet should be low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars. Calcium is an important nutrient for growing children as it helps in building strong bones and teeth. Apart from milk and milk products, vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, mustard greens and collard greens are good sources of calcium. Guidelines for healthy eating for children suggests involving kids in planning and preparing meals as that might make them more willing to eat the dishes.

Healthy Eating for Teenagers – Guide to Healthy Eating

Healthy eating for teenagers is a way of balancing food to keep the body nourished and energized. Teenagers should avoid unhealthy eating habits like going on fad diets or skipping meals. Teenagers should eat at least three meals a day and eat healthy, low-fat snacks when they feel hungry. Food like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy products help in meeting their nutritional requirements. Healthy eating for teenagers suggests avoiding food that is rich in saturated oils and sugar. Such food simply add calories to the body and don’t have any nutrients to enrich the body.