The Importance of Variation in the Diet of Your Child

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Medical Video: Balanced Diet | #aumsum #kids #education #balance #diet

Ensuring variations in a child's diet not only helps make a more nutritious diet and supports healthy eating habits (especially after a difficult period of eating at two years of age), but also affects a healthier diet when you grow up. The essential nutrients we need for growth, development and health are found in varying amounts in diverse foods. A varied diet will ensure these nutrients are fulfilled in the ideal amount.

Foods that are in one food group contain different nutrients. It is important for children (and us too) to eat a variety of foods in each food group. For example, strawberries are rich in vitamin C, and bananas are rich in B vitamins. The same is true for red meat, which provides more iron than other members of this food group. Therefore, eating a variety of foods ensures that you and your child get as much variety of nutrients as you can from your diet.

By choosing foods that vary every day, in a week and at different times of the year, you as a parent have provided greater opportunities for your child to get all the nutrients their body needs.

In theory, this sounds easy. But for adults, this can be a challenge, especially for parents who try to persuade their children (who are getting smarter) to eat varied foods. Many parents find that at a certain time around the age of two years, and before their 3rd birthday, they start refusing food. Introducing your child to a variety of foods when he begins to be able to eat solid food is one of the best ways to support food acceptance during childhood and beyond.

Variation ideas for parents:

  • Try to provide cooked and non-alternate cereals. For example this morning's porridge then breakfast cereal biscuits are high in fiber and low in fat the next morning.
  • Replace bread including bagels, whole wheat bread, rye bread, and bread without yeast.
  • Different cooked fish, grilled fish, canned fish, fish croquettes, fish nuggets, as well as variations in the type of fish too.
  • Fruit can be varied based on color, for example berries such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and so on, replacing melon fruits such as rock melon and honeydew, then peaches and apricots. Remember that fruits can be served fresh or frozen, in smoothies, ice cubes, or mixed with yogurt.
  • Serve vegetables in different ways, for example kumara chips, pumpkin, and others (also a mixture of these chips). Vegetables can also be crushed or shredded or eaten just like that or added to food such as in omelets.
The Importance of Variation in the Diet of Your Child
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