What and how do children eat? What is proper nutrition for children? All these questions occupy the minds of many parents, because they need to know about healthy nutrition for the proper growth and development of their children.
What children eat in their early stages will affect their health for years to come. Children need a healthy, balanced diet that contains foods from each food group so that they get a wide range of nutrients from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean proteins to help them stay healthy.
This is what we will discuss in this article about the importance of proper nutrition for children and the role of nutrition in children’s health and education.
Basics of healthy nutrition for children
The foundations of proper nutrition for a child begin from pregnancy, as what the mother provides to him while he is a fetus greatly affects his mental development, which affects his academic achievement later on.
Children need the right foods at the right time to grow and develop to the maximum degree. In the first period of children's lives, breastfeeding provides them with all the complete nutrition necessary for the growth of their bodies and minds. UNICEF and WHO recommend that children start breastfeeding within one hour of birth and that they depend on breastfeeding only for their nutrition during the first six months and continue breastfeeding until the child reaches the age of two.
After the age of six months, children need to start eating external food regularly and in sufficient quantities throughout the day. Their meals should contain a variety of nutritional elements that cover all the child’s needs at this stage.
Children's nutritional needs continue after the age of one year, as the child becomes able to eat all types of soft and somewhat solid foods. At this stage, care must be taken to provide all the nutrients necessary for growth, especially after weaning, when the child becomes completely dependent on external food.
Meeting children's nutritional needs early in life is sometimes difficult, and many parents face barriers to ensuring enough nutritious, safe, and age-appropriate food for their children.
The importance of proper nutrition for children
Good, healthy nutrition is one of the keys to a healthy childhood, helping children grow and develop, and paving the way for a healthy life.
Nutrition is also a vital element in human health, life, brain development and education throughout life, as balanced nutrition provides activity and development in all body systems. This may be reflected in children in developing learning skills, increasing intelligence, and many health effects. Below, we will learn about some of the improvements that healthy nutrition makes to the human body:
As a result of eating healthy nutrition for children and a complete diet that contains a low percentage of fat and cholesterol and contains a lot of fruits and vegetables and a lot of dairy products and whole grains and uncomplicated starches, which is reflected in the health and efficiency of the heart.
- mental health
When you eat a balanced diet full of nuts and whole grains and make sure to drink plenty of water, these foods work to increase blood flow to the brain and thus work better and faster.
- Dental and bone health
Eat plenty of foods that contain calcium, such as yogurt, milk, and cheese, which may affect the health of your bones and teeth and make them stronger.
Eating balanced meals that are free of carbohydrates, fats and sugars will give you a feeling of freshness and give you more energy and agility, because they work to maintain blood sugar levels and prevent you from feeling tired and exhausted.
Kids can eat a healthy, lower-calorie diet full of whole grains, vegetables and fruits. These snacks will help you satisfy your hunger, get fewer calories and not feel hungry.
Children need healthy nutrition to grow and protect themselves from malnutrition, the most important of which is iron. Children depend on taking iron through food, which protects them from anemia and helps them develop their skills, memory, and academic achievement.
Humans depend on their food on all the nutritional elements: protein, starches, fats, vitamins and minerals within a complete diet that gives the human body a strong immune system that protects it from diseases.
- Mental health
When eating many healthy foods and meals, it greatly affects a person’s energy and sense of comfort, as well as his psychological health and sleep rate, through the production of serotonin, which helps regulate sleep, appetite and mood.
All these effects result from paying attention to proper nutrition. We must be careful to pay attention to children and their food and enjoy better health.
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Nutrients needed for children
Children need a healthy diet from a variety of food groups to stay healthy. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean proteins.
A diet that includes all of these food groups can help children get the nutrients they need to grow and develop properly.
Certain nutrients are particularly important for the brain, including minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and iodine, vitamin D, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, dietary fiber from plant foods is also important.
The elements of healthy nutrition for children are divided into:
The essential elements for building the body, or what are known as macronutrients.
Proteins play an important role in brain growth and development. They are essential for the formation of new neurons and the development of synapses. Proteins also help protect existing neurons from damage.
- Fats
Fats are an essential part of our diet and play an important role in brain growth and improvement. While we need all types of fats, some fats are particularly beneficial for the brain.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of fat that is particularly beneficial for the brain. These acids help improve cognitive function, reduce inflammation, and protect against age-related mental decline.
Another type of fat that is important for the brain is monounsaturated fat. This type of fat helps improve blood flow to the brain and protect against cognitive decline.
Finally, omega-6 fatty acids are also important for the brain. These acids help reduce inflammation and protect against age-related cognitive decline.
Carbohydrates are essential for brain growth and improvement, they help improve cognitive function and memory, and protect the brain.
Other nutrients Micronutrients
- Vitamins and minerals
Vitamin D and Omega 3 are essential for brain growth and development. They help improve cognitive function, memory and concentration, and protect the brain from age-related damage and diseases.
Omega-3 and vitamin D supplementation improves attention in ADHD and irritability in autism.
The best way to get enough vitamin D is to expose your skin to sunlight. Oily fish is a good source of omega-3. Include two servings of fish a week to get a source of omega-3. For children who do not eat fish, omega-3 can be found in walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, green leafy vegetables, and canola oil.
Iron plays an effective role in transporting oxygen into the body. When iron is deficient, the child suffers from anemia, which results in weakness and impairment of the child’s motor and developmental abilities.
Red meat is a good source of iron and zinc. Sources of iron and zinc can also be found in legumes, nuts, beans, green vegetables, breads and breakfast cereals.
Fiber is known to be important for gut health. It helps regulate blood sugar, which may help with mood and attention. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
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The relationship between proper nutrition and education for children
A healthy mind in a healthy body , education and proper nutrition for children play an important role in our time as good education plays a pivotal role in economic, social and political development.
Healthy nutrition has a significant impact on academic and cognitive achievement, and malnutrition is considered one of the major challenges facing everyone.
The brain requires 20% more energy than any other organ in the body. The brain uses this energy in many complex processes such as:
- Learning.
- Attention.
- Movement.
- Memory.
- Skills.
All of these functions are affected by the healthy food intake, while
Young children, whose brains are developing rapidly, need a nutrient-rich diet to help them navigate the world around them. Without proper nutrition, toddlers and preschoolers struggle to develop the skills needed to maintain focus, which becomes increasingly important as they get older.
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What is the relationship between proper nutrition and health?
There is a close relationship between proper nutrition for children and health, due to the availability of many unhealthy diets and children’s rush to buy many harmful fast foods, which is reflected in their health and they suffer from immunodeficiency, obesity and anemia, which affects the level of education, awareness and academic achievement and is reflected on the entire society.
Paying attention to healthy eating for children has long-term effects and is reflected in their health and minds. A healthy, balanced and integrated nutritional system helps children to:
- Increase their energy levels and enjoy more movement and play.
- Strengthen the effective immune system, to protect them from diseases.
- Not being exposed to obesity diseases that cause the child to suffer from many health problems that affect his quality of life, health and education.
- Improve their ability to cope with stress and psychological pressure.
- Increased concentration and performance in school, thus increasing academic and cognitive achievement.
Healthy eating is influenced by a variety of factors. Factors that influence eating habits include:
- the time.
- Availability of healthy options.
- Eating habits.
- Nutritional knowledge.
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UNICEF | Proper Nutrition for Children
UNICEF published a report on the wrong diet in 2019, which stated the following:
- At least one in three children under five, or more than 200 million, are either undernourished or overweight.
- Nearly 2 in 3 children between the ages of six months and two years are not getting enough food to support their rapidly growing bodies and brains, putting them at risk of poor brain development, poor learning, reduced immunity and a host of malnutrition-related diseases.
- Nearly 45% of children between the ages of six months and two years do not eat any fruits or vegetables.
- Nearly 60% do not eat any eggs, dairy, fish or meat.
- 42% of children under six months of age are exclusively breastfed and the number of children being fed infant formula is increasing.
- The sales of artificial milk increased by 72% between 2008 and 2013.
- 42% of school-age adolescents drink soft drinks at least once a day, and the figure may reach 62% in high-income countries.
- 46% of teens eat fast food at least once a week.
It is the most comprehensive report to discuss the problems of malnutrition in health around the world. The report warns of the wrong diet and weight gain and its clear implications for health and education, and the doubling of the percentage of children and adolescents suffering from obesity between 2000-2016.
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Complementary efforts and programmes to combat malnutrition
UNICEF is doing a lot of work to support the malnutrition crisis, including:
- Addressing governments to improve food culture.
- Providing a healthy environment with balanced food for children.
- Encouraging food suppliers to provide a variety of healthy foods at reasonable prices.
- Emphasis on healthy environment through health, education, water and sanitation.
- Follow up on work and track efforts and progress.
Conclusion
We all want our children to feel healthy and comfortable, to be physically and mentally active, so we must know that what your child eats today will have an impact on his health, both now and in the future.
You are what you eat is a common slogan that seems to be true for everyone, especially in the first five years of life when children grow at a tremendous rate.
From this article, we have concluded some points that will help you and your child to obtain proper nutrition for children and strong education, as follows:
- Meals should be balanced and contain all the essential nutrients.
- Keep drinking enough water.
- Meals should be regular throughout the day.
- Reduce sugar and soft drinks.
- Reduce fast food and foods with high fat content.
- Do not overfeed and provide an appropriate amount for the child's age and weight.
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