Nutritious Food Plan for Kids
Nutritious food for children is important for the healthy growth and development of your child. Nutrition for children is broadly divided into macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and are required in large quantities. Cereals, pulses, tubers, etc. are rich in macronutrients. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals that are needed in small amounts. Milk, fruits, vegetables, green leafy vegetables, dry fruits, non-vegetarian foods etc. are good sources of micronutrients that are essential for the growth of your child’s healthy bones, skin, eyes and brain.
Generally, pre-school children grow up fast and have high activity levels and nutrient requirements. However, due to their small stomach capacity, they cannot eat enough to get all the necessary nutrition for the children they need from their regular meals. Traditional food prepared at home usually consists of grains, roots, and starchy fruits, which provide energy with very little protein. Only vegetarian or plant-based supplementary foods cannot adequately fill the gaps in children’s nutrition. Therefore, it is important that you offer nutritious food for children at this level to ensure that your child gets all the macro and micronutrients that will help bridge the nutritional gap.
Here is a list of tips to promote nutritious food for children and nutrition for children –
a) Keep lots of fresh fruits and veggie snacks on hand. Make sure they are already washed, chopped and ready to go. Add yogurt, nut butters, or humus for extra protein.
B) Let your children pick the veggies and fruits that they would like. It helps in promoting a healthy eating habit.
C) Use nutritious fats, ie healthy fats – such as olive oil, avocado, nuts (eg almonds, hazelnuts and pecans), and seeds (eg pumpkin, sesame)
D) Boil some eggs at the beginning of the week and add your kids to breakfast with low-sugar, high-protein grains and an apple to go.
