Nutrition for Kids
Importance Of Child Nutrition
It is up to the adult to ensure the meals a child consumes us as balanced as possible. With balanced meals, the child will be able to have all the necessary nutrition needed for optimum and normal growth patterns both mentally and physically. Besides the various food groups and nutrition supplements that should be part of the daily diet plan of a child, the preparation style of the food should also be taken into consideration to ensure its nutritional integrity.
Always make it a point to offer nutritional snacks such as fresh fruits, vegetables and yoghurt. When a child chooses such nutrition packed snacks habitually it effectively decreases the possibility of unhealthy food choices and intake.
Teaching a child the importance of reaching for a glass of water instead of sweetened drinks is another good habit to inculcate. Water is not only a cheaper alternative but is also one that is ultimately the only totally healthy liquid to consume.
Basically, with proper nutritional intake the child will be able to develop mentally and physically without any unusual problems. The health conditions of the child would also be better both in the growing stage and as a good foundation for the future adult phase in life.
Nutrients
The following are some of the deficiencies that are likely to show up in the health of children:
• Vitamin D – this is common in infants born to mothers with low levels of vitamin D in their own body systems. This usually leads to development of Rickets, which is a bone delebitating disease.
• Vitamin K – it is becoming a very common practice to administer a dose of this vitamin in a newborn as it help to prevent a rare condition which causes bleeding into the brain.
• Iron – most infants who are breastfed for longer than 6 months are usually are risk of developing iron deficiency in the first year. This can be changed with some additional foods into the diet plan besides simply depending on only the breast milk for sustenance.
• Vitamin A – this is a fat-soluble nutrient that is stored in the body and used according to the body needs and when there is an insufficient amount of this vitamin in the child system, frequent infections occur.
Teaching a child to consume food at a slower rate is also another way to show them good and healthy eating habits. Eating slowly will allow them to actually learn to taste and enjoy the foods being eaten thus helping them to eat less and yet feel fuller.
Including children in food shopping sprees is another good way to educate them on healthy food varieties available and how to discern these for the benefits of the body.
