Contents:
- Medical Video: Tips to get your baby & toddler to eat well
- The importance of arranging children's schedules for main meals and snacks
- Then how many times a day should the child eat?
- Food nutrition guide and light snack for children
- 1. Protein
- 2. Fiber
- 3. Calcium
- 4. Antioxidants
- 5. Iron
- 6. Folic acid
- 7. Carbohydrates
- 8. Fat
- 9. Vitamins
Medical Video: Tips to get your baby & toddler to eat well
Your child often asks for food outside of meals? Or even snacking on snacks but rarely eat? Do not be angry first, this could be because you do not know the right portion of the child's meal for the main food or light snack. Actually, how many times do children eat in a day? Can you add a snack twice between the main meal schedules? Or still three times but don't have a snack? If you are still confused, you can find the answer in this article.
The importance of arranging children's schedules for main meals and snacks
If you have been paying attention to that little one really likes snack food or snacking at the wrong time, this is actually not very good because it can cause problems with weight.
Not only that, eating light snacks in an uncontrolled manner, can interfere with children's appetite because they feel full. Even if children eat snacks at the correct time and portion, snacks can actually help your child to achieve a healthy weight.
According to Jodie Shield and Mary Mullen, authors of Healthy Eating, Healthy Weight for Kids and Teens from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics children and adolescents need to eat every 3 or four hours a day, this is to meet their nutritional needs.
Then how many times a day should the child eat?
For children they need eat three times a day and eat snacks twice a day.
As for teenagers, they need it eat three times a day and eat snacks once a day or it could be twice a day as long as they are very physically active.
Involve children to choose foods including light snacks, you can give light snacks a few hours after meals or one to two hours before meals. Giving children a light meal a few hours after eating will prevent children from refusing food at mealtime because they feel full. Schedule of eating and snacking right can help your child have a healthy weight.
Food nutrition guide and light snack for children
The nutritional needs of children to eat are actually the same as those needed by adults. In prescribing children's food, parents should base their menu choices on efforts to fulfill children's nutritional needs. Actually carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, must be in the daily diet of children. Then, what nutrients must be in children's food and snacks? Here's the nutritional guide for you.
1. Protein
Protein is the main ingredient in making cells in the human body. No wonder the growth and development of healthy children requires this nutritional support. Luckily, there are many choices of food sources that contain protein. This compound can be found in milk, eggs, seafood, and meat. Not only animal based, protein can also be found in plants. Nuts, vegetables, and whole grains are good sources of vegetable protein to be used as ingredients in children's food recipes.
2. Fiber
To support the digestive performance of children, fiber intake must be fulfilled. For this reason, children must be diligent in consuming foods that are rich in fiber, such as cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Although children rarely like foods of this type, parents can overcome them by applying children's food recipes creatively.
3. Calcium
In order to support the growth of children, their calcium needs must be fulfilled. This substance is very important for strengthening bones and teeth. Foods that are rich in calcium come from milk and processed products, such as cheese and yogurt. In addition, some leafy vegetables can also be a source of calcium that is worth prioritizing.
4. Antioxidants
Healthy children have excellent immunity in the face of the threat of external diseases. For this one role, familiarize children with food sources with adequate antioxidant content. Antioxidants have a vital role in strengthening the immunity of the human body. Some foods that contain these compounds, including almonds, oranges, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, berries, and peppers.
5. Iron
One of the roles of iron for the body is to carry oxygen in the blood and to keep the spirit of children awake. To meet the child's needs for iron, lean meat, fish, dark green vegetables, grains, fruits, and iron-fortified legumes can always be given.
6. Folic acid
Other nutrients that must be present in a child's food recipe are folic acid. This compound is important for the growth and development of children's brain cells. Conditions lacking folic acid make children at risk of suffering from anemia. Some food sources that contain folic acid are asparagus, spinach, whole grain cereals, beans, green beans, and cabbage.
7. Carbohydrates
To support children's activities, an adequate amount of energy is needed, one source of which is carbohydrate. Another use of carbohydrates is to help the body use protein and fat to build and repair body tissues. Some sources of carbohydrates that can be easily obtained are rice, cereal, bread, potatoes, and pasta.
8. Fat
Another energy source that is easily stored in children's bodies is fat. The sources of fat that can be served to children are milk, fish, red meat, and nuts.
9. Vitamins
Vitamins have a vital role in the development and growth of children. Vitamin A is very useful to support the health of the eyes, skin, and prevent infection. Meanwhile, in addition to being good at fighting flu, vitamin C also plays an important role in strengthening blood vessel walls, helping the wound healing process, and strengthening bones and teeth. Vitamin A can be obtained from carrots, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes, broccoli, fish oil, egg yolks, and cabbage. While for vitamin C can be obtained from oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, papaya, mangoes, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, melons, and spinach.
Seeing the many food ingredients that contain important nutrients above, it is not difficult for parents to determine recipes for healthy children's food. What is important, everything must be balanced and not to lack or overdo it.
