Choosing the right kind of food and good nutrition helps the child grow up healthy. Parents face the challenge of feeding healthy food to their little ones every single day. We know that everyone needs the same type of nutrients – such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat. Children, however, need some different amounts of nutrients at different ages as they grow.
Here are some foods to include in the child’s diet:
Protein:
You can choose meat, poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, unsalted nuts and seeds. This is considered as an important group for growing children.
Fruits:
Encourage your child to eat plenty of fresh or dried fruits rather than fruit juice. Make sure you serve/include fruits in every meal.
Vegetables:
Serve a variety of fresh vegetables. Provide vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, beans and peas. Make it easy for the child to choose healthy snacks by keeping vegetables ready to eat.
Grains:
You can choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn, brown or wild rice. Avoid using refined grains like white bread, pasta and rice, instead you can choose whole-grain breads and cereals as the child gets more fiber.
Dairy Products:
Make sure your child has fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese or soy beverages. Other snacks like, peanut butter and celery or whole-grains and cheese can also be included.
You can limit your childens calories from:
Limit added sugars. Sugars which occur naturally, such as those in fruit, are not added sugars. Added sugars include some of them like brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup and others. Avoid sugary drinks, such as soda and fruit-flavored drinks. You can serve water or low-fat milk instead for the child.
Limit saturated fats that mainly come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products.
Limit fat intake by avoiding fried food items and choose healthier cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, roasting, and steaming. Choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products for your child. Make sure you limit fast food items and low-nutrient snacks, such as chips and candies. But do not completely avoid favorite snacks of your child. Instead, make them once in a while kind of foods, so that the child doesn’t feel deprived.
