Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Importance of Child Nutrition


It is very important to pay close attention to child nutrition as your little ones are growing. When parents remind their children to always eat their vegetables it is not just to annoy them, it is to ensure they are getting the necessary vitamins and calories in each day to grow up healthy and strong.

Child nutrition does not have to only focus on the vegetables the child needs to consume as there are endless choices to ensure your little ones and your teenagers are getting exactly what they need. Children need plenty of protein to build strong muscles and bones, and also to maintain a healthy weight. They can receive these protein servings by eating meats and dairy and many nuts. Carbohydrates are also necessary to provide all the energy they will need to get through the immense amount of activities most children engage in. Carbohydrates that are good for kids are ones that are not found in large muffins at the bakery, they are the ones found naturally in fruits, whole grains and vegetables.

There is another large reason child nutrition is so crucial and that is to avoid your child becoming another victim of childhood obesity. This is no longer an issue as currently it is an epidemic and more children are becoming overweight due to a lack in poor diet and staying active. Children fall into these slumps where they come home from school and lay around the house snacking on unhealthy foods and not getting any exercise in at all. The best thing to do as a parent to ensure you are on top of the child nutrition is to always keep the healthiest snack and meal choices possible in the home for the child to graze on. You should always give them many options to choose from that are good for them and they may not enjoy the new choices at first, but it is an improvement they need to make to build wise eating habits to last well into their adulthood.

Lastly, do keep in mind that absolutely all children learn by example. Not just from their friends and peers, but from their parents as well. When they see you consuming the right foods they will be more accepting to make the right choices. Ask your children what healthy foods they like and make an effort to purchase those on your next grocery trip. Encourage having family meals together to provide a healthy dinner or breakfast for your kids and also to spend a few more minutes during the day with them as well. Explain your thoughts on child nutrition to your spouse or partner and ensure that they also take it seriously and put in some effort to guide them properly. Packing lunches and taking appropriates snacks to play dates, the park, road trips and any sporting events will also help get to your goal of setting your children up for a healthy lifestyle by instilling the principles of good nutrition at an early age.

3 comments:

  1. There is way too much cheap junk food in America, that and a lifestyle of more is never enough. You don't see obesity being an issue in Africa, lol do you?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well I may not set good examples by smoking around my daughter or taking diet pills, but one thing I do think i set a good example with is by what I eat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes I have seen a lot more problems with child hood obesity in the last 10 years.
    There are wonderful tips in here that if followed by parents will prevent obesity from being a problem for your children.

    ReplyDelete