Healthy nutrition for children: Encouraging good eating habits

Healthy nutrition for children is essential for their healthy growth and physical and mental development. Healthy food plays a major role in building the body, strengthening the immune system, and enhancing mental strength and concentration. Providing children with the necessary nutrients is the basis for health and well-being, and greatly affects their ability to enjoy an active and full life.

Nowadays, when processed foods are numerous and the challenges of maintaining a healthy diet increase, understanding the basics of healthy nutrition for children becomes essential for parents. Providing children with healthy nutrition requires a balance between proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fats, which contributes to building strong bodies and promoting normal growth.

In this context, it is necessary to educate families about the correct food choices and the need to include a variety of foods in their children’s diet. By encouraging children to eat colorful fruits and vegetables, choose good sources of protein, and be sure to consume dairy products and whole grains, they can be directed towards a healthy dietary pattern that supports their growth and enhances their overall health.

Let’s discover together the basics of healthy nutrition for children, and what it’s all about.

What foods are necessary to maintain proper nutrition for children?

Contains Healthy nutrition systems for children It contains diversity and balance between various essential nutrients, which are:

• Protein: Choose seafood, lean meat, poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
• Fruit: Encourage your child to eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen, or dried fruits. Look for canned fruit that contains little added sugar. Keep in mind that a quarter cup of dried fruit equals one serving of fruit.
• Vegetables: Make sure to provide your child with a variety of fresh, canned, frozen, or dried vegetables every day. When choosing canned or frozen vegetables, look for those that are low in sodium.
• Legumes: Choose whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, pasta, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or brown rice.
• Dairy: Encourage your child to eat and drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese. Fortified soy drinks are also considered dairy products.

What foods should children avoid?

Some foods are not essential to healthy children’s diets. These are called “optional foods” and are generally high in calories, saturated fat, added sugars or added salt.

It is possible to eat small amounts of these optional foods occasionally as part of a diet Balanced dietHowever, you should limit these foods in your child’s daily diet. Eating large quantities of these foods may lead to children gaining weight or developing diseases later.

Examples of foods that should be limited include:

• Biscuits, cake, ice cream, chocolate and other sweets
• Processed meats such as sausages
• Store-bought burgers, pizza, chips, and fried foods
• Potato chips and other fatty and salty snacks
• Cream and butter
• Sugar-sweetened juices and soft drinks

Below we offer you some tips to help you limit the use of the foods we mentioned previously:

• Replace butter, margarine, cream, or palm oil with vegetable oils and spreads such as peanut butter and avocado.
• Read labels and buy low-salt options.
• Reduce the amount of salt added to foods during cooking or at the table.
• Offer water instead of soft drinks, energy drinks, or sports drinks.

Healthy nutrition schedule for children

• Ages 2 to 4 years: Girls

Calories: From 1000 to 1400 depending on growth and activity level

Protein: 2 to 4 oz

Fruits: 1 to 1.5 cups

Vegetables: 1 to 1.5 cups

Grains: 3 to 5 oz

Dairy: 2 to 2.5 cups

• Ages 2 to 4 years: Boys

Calories: 1000 to 1600 depending on growth and activity level

Protein: 2 to 5 oz

Fruits: 1 to 1.5 cups

Vegetables: 1 to 2 cups

Grains: 3 to 5 oz

Dairy: 2 to 2.5 cups

• Ages 5-8: Girls

Calories: 1200 to 1800 depending on growth and activity level

Protein: 3 to 5 oz

Fruits: 1 to 1.5 cups

Vegetables: 1.5 to 2.5 cups

Cereal: 4 to 6 oz

Dairy: 2.5 cups

• Ages 5 to 8 years: Boys

Calories: 1,200 to 2,000 calories, depending on growth and activity level

Protein: 3 to 5.5 oz

Fruits: 1 to 2 cups

Vegetables: 1.5 to 2.5 cups

Cereal: 4 to 6 oz

Dairy: 2.5 cups

• Ages 9-13: Girls

Calories: 1400 to 2200 depending on growth and activity level

Protein: 4 to 6 oz

Fruits: 1.5 to 2 cups

Vegetables: 1.5 to 3 cups

Cereal: 5 to 7 oz

Dairy: 3 cups

• Ages 9 to 13 years: Boys

Calories: 1600 to 2600 depending on growth and activity level

Protein: 5 to 6.5 oz

Fruits: 1.5 to 2 cups

Vegetables: 2 to 3.5 cups

Grains: 5 to 9 oz

Dairy: 3 cups

• Ages 14-18: Girls

Calories: 1800 to 2400 depending on growth and activity level

Protein: 5 to 6.5 oz

Fruits: 1.5 to 2 cups

Vegetables: 2.5 to 3 cups

Grains: 6 to 8 oz

Dairy: 3 cups

• Ages 14 to 18 years: Boys

Calories: 2000 to 3200 depending on growth and activity level

Protein: 5.5 to 7 oz

Fruits: 2 to 2.5 cups

Vegetables: 2.5 to 4 cups

Grains: 6 to 10 oz

Dairy: 3 cups

How can you promote healthy eating habits in your children?

Teaching your child Healthy eating habits For the children we mentioned, it helps him make healthy eating choices in the future! Here are some tips to promote healthy eating habits in your children:

• Sitting together at mealtimes without television screens or mobile phones.
• Offer healthy foods in fun ways. For example, you can cut fruits or sandwiches into beautiful shapes to attract their attention.
• Offer a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables to stimulate their curiosity and try new foods.
• Participate in growing different foods, which helps enhance awareness of the source of food and its value.
• Help with choosing food when shopping and even preparing meals. These experiences increase their engagement and interest in healthy foods.
• Try new foods and recipes regularly to stimulate their senses and make the cooking experience more interesting.
• Limit the presence of fast food at home, and choose healthy options instead.
• Keep a bowl of cut fruit on hand as a healthy snack option.

By following these tips, you can enhance your children’s engagement with healthy food and encourage them to develop healthy eating habits that will last them throughout their lives.

In a world full of modern nutritional challenges, parents’ understanding of the basics of healthy nutrition for children plays a crucial role in developing healthy and sustainable eating habits in young people. By guiding them toward eating good proteins, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, and replacing processed foods with healthier food options, parents can build a strong foundation for their children’s health, ensuring they live active, full lives.