Child nutrition guidelines for a parent
Nutrition is one of the most important factors for every age, especially during childhood. Children need proper nutrients to grow up healthy and strong. However, it is not an easy task for a parent to encourage their child to eat healthy foods. Moreover, knowing what foods are good and which should be avoided can be challenging for the parent as nutrition is a topic which is heavily impacted by the media - fast food brands, sweet drinks, etc. In this article, I will give you the most fundamental knowledge on nutrition and how to help your child establish a foundation for healthy eating habits.
We at Triumf Health have developed a health game for children aged 7-14 which raises awareness of the importance in healthy eating. The game supports the growth and development of your child by offering personalised behavioural support and helps to break unhealthy habits, including eating habits. Read more about Triumfland Saga on our special page for Parents.
What should a healthy diet for children consist of?
The most common and effective way to measure healthy eating is to check the main components which you put on the plate for the whole family. Kids will most probably still eat unhealthy foods outside of home but you can still try your best to introduce your child to healthy alternatives.
Include vegetables in meals.
With vegetables, follow the rule “the richer the color, the healthier the food“. Tomatoes, avocados, carrots, squashes, spinach, eggplants, broccoli, onions, etc - they all have numerous nutritional benefits.
Use fresh veggies to make a salad or buy frozen vegetables, cook them and serve next to the main meal for family dinner.
Choose whole-grains over refined grains.
When preparing pasta or rice, choose whole-grains like whole-wheat macaroni or brown/wild rice. Moreover, include whole-wheat bread, oatmeal and quinoa in your child’s daily foods.
Limit refined grains such as white bread, macaroni and rice.
Limit red meat and choose seafood, lean meat and eggs.
Protein helps the body repair cells and make new ones. However, red meats (beef, pork and lamb) have a lot of saturated fat which is bad for health. That is why the main protein source should be fish (salmon), chicken and some vegetables (beans, lentils) as they mostly include unsaturated fat. Also, as children love snacks - almonds, walnuts and many other nuts are high in protein too.
Replace unhealthy snacks with fruits.
In modern times, kids are exposed to many snacks which include added sugar (sodas, juices, pastries, candy), added salt and solid fat (chips, hot dogs, hamburgers).
Unfortunately, these foods are really addictive but the best solution is to introduce children to healthy alternatives like apples, oranges, bananas, berries, etc (AND kiwifruit is an actual superfood!).
How much should children daily eat?
Most of the obesity-related problems arise with excessive calorie intake and therefore not burning enough calories during the day. It is the same for adults and children but for a growing organism, these problems can often result in serious mental disorders as well.
Besides eating nutritious food, the amount of food should be regulated too. Nowadays, some people count calories and macronutrients daily to measure their diet precisely. This is optional but highly recommended to have some kind of an overview of how much your child eats daily to avoid bodyweight problems.
* Converted from US units (cups and ounces). Fruits are measured in grams of apples, vegetables in avocados and dairy in milk.
Daily guideline for ages 5 to 8
Boys
Calories: 1200-2000 (depends on activity level)
Protein: 85-155 grams
Fruits: 150-300 grams
Vegetables: 225-375 grams
Grains: 115-170 grams
Dairy: 610 grams
Girls
Calories: 1200-1800 (depends on activity level)
Protein: 85-155 grams
Fruits: 150-225 grams
Vegetables: 225-375 grams
Grains: 115-170 grams
Dairy: 610 grams
Daily guideline for ages 9 to 13
Boys
Calories: 1600-2600 (depends on activity level)
Protein: 140-185 grams
Fruits: 225-300 grams
Vegetables: 300-525 grams
Grains: 140-255 grams
Dairy: 735 grams
Girls
Calories: 1400-2200 (depends on activity level)
Protein: 140-170 grams
Fruits: 225-300 grams
Vegetables: 225-450 grams
Grains: 140-200 grams
Dairy: 735 grams
Daily guideline for ages 14 to 18
Boys
Calories: 2000-3200 (depends on activity level)
Protein: 155-200 grams
Fruits: 300-380 grams
Vegetables: 375-600 grams
Grains: 170-285 grams
Dairy: 735 grams
Girls
Calories: 1800-2400 (depends on activity level)
Protein: 140-185 grams
Fruits: 225-300 grams
Vegetables: 375-450 grams
Grains: 170-225 grams
Dairy: 735 grams
