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Donna Ricketts is a health educator with 15 years of professional experience designing health and wellness programs for adults and children.
Nutrition for kids is very much the same as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of nutrients, such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. However, children need different amounts of specific nutrients at different ages.
Throughout elementary school, children's nutritional needs will fluctuate due to growth spurts and big appetites and periods where growth slows and appetites decrease. Understanding preschoolers' (3-4 years of age) and school-age children's (5-11 years of age) nutritional demands can help promote healthy growth while meeting energy and nutrient requirements.
The number of calories a preschooler and school-aged child needs depends on their age, gender, and level of physical activity. Generally, the more active the child, the more calories they need to take in to replace the calories burned during playtime, recess, sports activities, or other exercise.
Preschoolers need somewhere around 1,000 to 1,400 calories a day while school-age children need roughly 1,400 to 2,000 calories a day. If children are very active, their caloric intake can be in the upper range, and if they are fairly inactive, it should be in the lower range.
Preschoolers are watching and learning from parents with regards to food likes and dislikes, so it's important for parents to be good role models. Let your child see you cook, eat, and enjoy a variety of healthy foods, as well as see your willingness to try new foods.
Elementary school is a time where many food habits, likes, and dislikes are established. This is also an excellent time for parents to teach their children about what makes up a healthy diet and why eating a variety of foods is important for good health.
Preschoolers' and school-aged children's daily diet should be composed mostly of calories from complex carbohydrates (for energy) and lean proteins (to build muscle) and no more than 35% of calories should come from fat. Parents should encourage children to choose a variety of foods from the five major food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and dairy.
Use these suggested servings as a guide and allow your child to decide when she or he is full. Children should not be forced to eat everything on their plates.
Preschoolers' nutritional needs:
School-aged children's nutritional needs:
Getting children to eat new foods is often a struggle for parents, but they should not give up. Instead, parents should constantly encourage their child to try new foods, especially those foods that are not their favorite. After about eight or ten times, a child will start to respond to these foods, especially if they are given when he or she is hungry and if they are served before favorite foods. Many school-age children and preschoolers do not like different foods on the plate to touch each other and will often refuse to eat mixed foods, such as casseroles. So, whenever possible, keep your child's food preferences in mind when preparing meals.
School-age children are often encouraged to bring a snack to school. Parents should shop with their children to choose a variety of nutritious snacks, such as small containers of yogurt, ready-to-eat carrots with low fat salad dressing as a dip, bananas, apples, or applesauce and pretzels. Limit high-calorie, high-fat and sugary snacks. These foods lack essential nutrients and will diminish your child's desire to eat at mealtime. Both preschoolers and school-age children should drink plenty of water and limit their consumption of sodas and sugary drinks.
In summary, nutrition for kids is very much the same as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of nutrients, such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Children, however, need different amounts of specific nutrients at different ages.
Preschoolers 3 to 4 years of age need 1,000 to 1,400 calories a day, while school-aged children 5 to 11 years old need roughly from 1,400 to 2,000 calories a day. Preschoolers and school-aged children's daily diet should be composed mostly of calories from complex carbohydrates and lean proteins and no more than 35% of calories from fat. Parents should encourage children to choose a variety of foods from the five major food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and dairy.
Suggested servings for preschoolers would be: 1 1/2 to 2 cups of vegetables, 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fruits, 4 to 5 ounces of grains, 3 to 5 ounces of meats and beans, 2 to 2 1/2 cups of dairy, while limiting fats & sweets. Suggested servings for school-aged children would be: 2 cups of vegetables, 1 1/2 cups of fruit, 5 to 6 ounces of grains, 5 ounces of meats and beans, 3 cups of dairy, 4 teaspoons of oils, and a limited amount of fats and sweets.
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Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS): Test Prep & Study Guide22 chapters | 217 lessons | 19 flashcard sets
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