Nutrition In Children Of School And Preschool Age

Children and adolescents need a varied and healthy diet, which is necessary for their growth and development. An unbalanced diet at this age is a cause of disease at a later stage.

Children up to 3 years of age have some nutritional needs. Between 4 and 8 years, the needs for different types of nutrients increase many times over. At this age, nutritional needs do not differ for girls and boys. After 8-9 years, significant differences are observed.

Development in boys and girls proceeds differently in response to sex-specific hormones.

School and preschool age is a time of active growth and the body's energy needs are constantly increasing. This is the time when both physical and mental activity increase.

Parents must provide an appropriate diet that is able to meet the needs of the growing and developing child's body and at the same time to avoid the possibility of gaining excess weight.

Fat . They are a basic class of macronutrients that provide the energy the body needs. However, the proportion of fat in the diet should not exceed 25-30%.

If there is a need to reduce fat intake, you can switch to the consumption of low-fat dairy products, reduce and even eliminate frying as a way of cooking.

A diet that contains less than 25% fat is not suitable for children as they are still growing and developing. In fact, if the child is not overweight or has no specific dietary requirements, parents should not limit the fat in the diet.

Carbohydrates . The daily intake of carbohydrates at this age should be about 130 g, which is approximately 45-65% of the total menu. Complex carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes should predominate.

Simple sugars should come from fruits and fruit juices. Foods containing refined sugar such as biscuits, candies, cakes should be left only for special occasions.

The requirements for the amount of fiber is 14 g / 1000 kcal, which can be covered by regular consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and cereals.

Proteins . Children's protein needs are high due to intensive growth. The daily requirement is 0.95 g / kg. These protein needs can be easily met with a menu such as: chicken leg, two glasses of milk, a piece of cheese and a handful of nuts.

Needs of micronutrients in childhood. Deficiency of some micronutrients is most common during puberty due to increased growth and puberty. At an earlier age, reduced levels of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) may be due to poor nutrition.

Therefore, it is extremely important to regularly consume fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks or main meals.

Mineral deficiencies are most common in calcium, iron and zinc , the main sources of which are animal products. The daily requirement of calcium for children between 4 and 8 years is 800 mg and 1300 mg for children between 9 and 13 years.

Adolescence is the period in which the basic bone mass accumulates. Insufficient calcium levels at this early age can cause bone disease at a later stage such as osteoporosis.

Fresh, yogurt, cheese, yellow cheese, fresh fruit are suitable foods for children's menu, which will provide the necessary calcium.

The daily needs for iron and zinc in children aged 4-8 years are 10 and 5 mg, respectively. Regular intake of meat and dairy products provides the necessary amounts of micronutrients.

Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and nettle are also great sources of zinc and iron. If for some reason the child fails to get the necessary nutrients from food, you can start taking age-appropriate supplements.