At the start of this article on Children and Nutrition I want to let you know that I am not a parent. However, I do know the struggle of feeding children, especially toddlers and teenagers. I am an auntie and I have watched my siblings suffer through the process. I also know some tricks that my sister and sister-in-law used to get their children to eat well and now they are healthy adults so I know it can be done.
Why is good nutrition important to children of all ages and stages in life? Because it helps build healthy brain cells, strong muscles, give them energy, learn lifelong wellness skills, and a chance for them to not suffer from diabetes, heart attacks, cancer, and other food-related illnesses. I know as a parent you want this for your children.
Let’s get to talking about nutrition. First thing, concentrate on eating unprocessed, dense foods in these areas: Protein, Fruit, Vegetables, Grains, and Dairy.
Protein: choose from lean meats, sea food that isn’t processed, poultry that is not processed chicken nuggets, eggs, beans, peas, unsalted nuts and seeds.
Fruit: Choose a variety of fresh, canned, frozen, and dried fruits. With canned fruit choose that are packed light syrup or packed in their own juices. With dried fruit remember that a quarter cup is equal to one cup of fresh. Don’t over eat it because it will add a lot of extra calories.
Vegetables: Eat a wide variety, in the many different colors there are. If they are canned vegetables, go for low sodium.
Grain: Choose whole grains over highly processed.
Dairy: Eat low fat and low sugar yogurts and milks.
With juices, get ones that don’t have added sugar. Also limit how much your children drink. One thing my family does is dilute the juice with water so it isn’t as sweet. It still tastes like juice. It is best that you dilute juices with toddlers.
Know what sugar is. Even with natural sugar like maple syrup, honey, brown rice sugar it is still sugar. Be mindful of how much children are consuming in one day.
Here is a great map on how many calories and in what portions each child age should be consuming in one day:
Ages 2 to 3: They should eat between 1,000 to 1400 calories in a day. These calories should come from 2 to 4 ounces of protein. 1 to 1.5 cups of fruit. 1 to 1.5 cups of vegetables. 3 to 5 ounces of grains. 2 cups of dairy.
Girls ages 4 to 8: They should consume between 1200 to 1800 calories in a day. These calories should come from 3 to 5 ounces of protein. 1 to 1.5 cups of fruit. 1.5 to 2.5 cups of vegetables. 4 to 6 ounces of grains. 2.5 cups of dairy.
Boys ages 4 to 8: They should consume between 1200 and 2000 calories in a day. These calories should come from 3.5 to 5 ounces of protein. 1 to 2 cups of fruit. 1.5 to 2. 5 cups of vegetables. 4 to 6 ounces of grains. 2.5 cups of dairy.
Girls ages 9 to 13: They should consume between 1400 to 2,200 calories in a day. These calories should come from 4 to 6 ounces of protein. 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit. 1.5 to 3 cups of vegetables. 5 to 7 ounces of grains. 3 cups of dairy.
Boys ages 9 to 13: They should consume between 1600 to 2600 calories in a day. These calories should come from 5 to 6.5 ounces of protein. 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit. 2 to 3.5 cups of vegetables. 5 to 9 ounces of grains. 3 cups of dairy.
Girls ages 14 to 18: They should consume between 2000 to 3000 calories in a day. These calories should come from 5 to 5.7 ounces of protein. 2 to 2.5 cups of fruit. 2 to 4 cups of vegetables. 6 to 10 ounces of grains. 3 cups of dairy.
Boys ages 14 to 18: They should consume between 2000 and 3200 calories in a day. These calories should come from 5 to 5.7 ounces of protein. 2 to 2.5 cups of fruit. 2 to 4 cups of vegetables. 6 to 10 ounces of grains. 3 cups of dairy.
Whoa, that was a lot of great information I had to share with you all. Just like we have to watch our nutrition, our kids have to be aware of their nutrition, especially if they are playing in sports.
If you are needing help adding variety to your family dinners please check out Healthy 30 Minute Meals for Families by Kristen Chidsey, author of AMindFullMindMom.com.
If you have any questions about nutrition or movement for your kiddos contact Karen Clemenson. She is excellent with kids and will be happy to show you how to be knowledgeable about your nutrition.
Here are some links I would like to share with you:
- Beyond Chicken Nuggets: Protein-Rich Alternatives for Picky Eaters by Claire McCarthy, MD, FAAP
- Dietary Guidelines For Americans 2015-2020 Eighth Edition by Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Staff
- Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children by American Heart Association Staff
- A Healthy Nutrition Chart For Kids by Debolina Raja, author at MomJunction.com
- The Importance of Child Nutrition by Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Staff
- Nutrition for kids: Guidelines for a healthy diet by Mayo Clinic Staff
- Related Articles
Jamie Holloway lives in the Portland, Oregon area. Since October 2011 she has been sharing her Journey Toward Health and Wellness with Vasculitis through her blog at JamieChasesButterflies.com. As most of her articles will be about Men’s Health, Jamie intends to write her articles as though she was sharing important information with her brother, nephews and friends. We hope you are as inspired as we are with the raw candor Jamie uses in her writing. If you would like to help support Jamie’s writing efforts please Donate now.
