Originally published May 18 2005
Parents can easily follow simple rules for child nutrition
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Nutritionists and child health experts believe there are a number of simple rules that adults can follow to promote a healthy lifestyle for their children. Better eating habits have a number of benefits, including better over-all health, better attention spans, improved fitness levels, improved concentration and better moods. For children under the age of five, parents should encourage children to try a diverse selection of foods, as this will promote a diverse diet later on in life. General guidelines include providing a wide array of fruits and vegetables, limiting sugary foods, limiting saturated fats, and ensuring that children receive recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals.
e are a country that has long favoured convenience food.
And with fatty and sugary meals advertised mercilessly on television, many children have been eating all the wrong things in colossal quantities.
In general, children should be encouraged to eat a wide variety of foods from a young age, as this habit is more likely to last into adulthood if begun early.
Fat: Youngsters of this age need more good fat than adults because they need lots of energy - and fat has the most energy (calories) of all food groups.
Fat also contains the important vitamins A, D, E and K. Because of this children aged up to two should always be given whole milk (or breast milk which is over 50 per cent fat).
Limit fibre: The digestive systems of children of this age can not cope with large amounts of fibre.
Fibre is also very filling - which is good for adults on a diet, but not a good idea for young children who will feel too full to eat all the food they need to help them grow.
For all these reasons fibre should be limited in the diet up to the age of five.
Fruit and vegetables: Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is now thought to be one of the most important elements of a healthy diet.
Iron: Teenage girls tend to have heavier periods than adult women so lose more iron.
In a packed lunch, a tasty cheese and tomato sandwich, on the other hand, will both satisfy their appetites and provide their bodies with calcium, fibre, zinc and lycopene (a powerful antioxidant in tomatoes that has been shown to reduce the risk of developing certain cancers).
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml