One of our responsibilities as parents is to provide our children with a healthy diet that includes all food groups.
What mother does not suffer when her child does not want to eat? Fortunately, I haven’t had that problem. But I have been through times when my son just wanted to eat what he likes. And, as you can imagine, those dishes are not exactly the healthiest. But we must be firm and try to find the formula so that they eat everything, because one of our responsibilities as parents is to provide our children with a healthy diet .
In order for them to grow and develop properly, they must ingest all the necessary nutrients for a balanced diet. Proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates… We must plan our children’s menus carefully.
WHAT FOODS AND HOW MUCH SHOULD CHILDREN CONSUME TO CONSIDER THAT THEY HAVE A HEALTHY DIET?
We will give you some guidelines:
- Fruits and vegetables : they must be of all kinds and of all colors, because in this way you will be offering them a variety of minerals and vitamins. Three pieces of fruit a day and two servings of vegetables a day would be ideal;
- Dairy – Calcium helps your bones grow healthy and strong. The ideal amount is two or three dairy products a day. That includes milk , yogurts, and cheese; Check out more at our site.
- Proteins : fish (prioritize those that provide more omega-3 fatty acids), lean meats, white meat (turkey or chicken), eggs, nuts and legumes should be included in the healthy diet of children between one and three times a day ( you must alternate the type of protein);
- Complex carbohydrates : They are at the bottom of the nutritional pyramid for a reason. Children spend a lot of energy, and this food group is responsible for providing it. This includes flour, pasta, bread, cereals and tubers. If possible, opt for the wholemeal version, as it provides more nutrients and fiber;
- Oils : opt for olive oil for cooking and drinking raw;
- Fats : should not exceed 30% of the total. The saturated ones should account for less than 10% of the caloric intake and the trans, not reaching 1%;
- To drink : always water. The soft drinks, leave them for special occasions;
- Salt: the WHO recommends that, up to two years, salt should not be added to food. From that age, the total daily amount should not exceed 4 grams. That’s less than a dessert spoon. An excess of sodium can trigger hypertension, heart, kidney, respiratory, gastric problems, fluid retention and even osteoporosis in the future. That is why you have to be careful when buying packaged foods, including cereals;
- Sugars : for a healthy diet, it would be best if the percentage did not reach 5% of the total. They suppose an excess of calories that do not contribute anything, but that can increase the risk of cavities and being overweight .
TIPS FOR GETTING KIDS TO EAT HEALTHY
To get children to eat everything, experts have some guidelines. After reading countless blogs and articles on healthy eating, I have signed up a few. Do you want to know what they are?
- Establish a schedule for meals that the whole family must adhere to.
- We must sit down to eat at a table, all together and without distractions.
- Go giving them to try new flavors and textures from babies.
- Parents have to set an example. If we want our children to eat vegetables, they have to see us eat them.
- Let them help us in the kitchen. They are always more inclined to eat something that they have prepared themselves.
- Explain to the little ones why certain foods are beneficial for them.
- Instill in them that excess food, especially those that have more fat and sugar than necessary, is harmful.
- Children should not be forced to eat or compensated for doing so, as this can lead to eating disorders.
- To be balanced, the daily menu must include foods from all groups.
- Make sure there are only healthy foods in the pantry. Thus, when the children want a snack, they will have no choice but to reach for them.
HOW MANY DAILY CALORIES DO CHILDREN NEED?
When a child follows a healthy diet, in addition to being healthy, he will be at his weight, he will perform better at school and his mood will be good . The number of adequate calories varies by age.
- One-year-old babies need 900 calories a day.
- From 2 to 3 years: about 1,000 calories or a little more, depending on how old they are and how active they are.
- Between 4 and 8 years: from 1,200 to 1,400 calories.
- From 9 to 13 years: between 1,400 and 1,600 calories.
- 14 years and older: between 1,800 and 2,200 calories.
