Child Nutritional Requirement

Children today do not really pay attention to consuming healthy foods that provide the essential nutrients required by the human body. Here, it becomes necessary on the part of the parents to take care of the child�s nutritional requirements. It is vital to possess complete knowledge about nutritional requirements for your child, because ignorance on your part can prove to be harmful for your child's health. Encourage your child to inculcate a healthy eating habit, the foundation for which must be laid at home. Your child maybe eating every food that comes his/her way, but is he eating healthy enough? We are living in a time and period where obesity gets the better of most of the �children�. Why does this happen to kids at such a young age? Most of them are on the threshold of adolescence. Total ignorance and negligence of their eating habits by the parents often leads to nutritional imbalances in children and eventual health problems. So, in order to learn more on the daily nutritional requirement for your child, scroll down.

Nutrition Requirement Of Child
Resorting to the old trick of offering a different meal every day, would be the wise thing to do. This includes breakfast, lunch, evening snack as well as dinner. It helps offer your child a wide variety of nutrients and vitamins, which he/she needs for their growth and development. This will therefore ensure a well-balanced diet for the whole family.

Carbohydrate
Having foods rich in carbohydrates for breakfast will provide your child the energy to be active. Breakfast is ideally supposed to be king size, as in; it should contain a rich diet, containing loads of fiber and other vital nutrients. Going in for cold whole-grain cereal or instant oatmeal with raisins is just perfect for breakfast purposes. A slice of whole-meal or brown bread, pasta or potatoes are excellent sources of carbohydrates.

Protein
Your daily meals should consist of about two servings of food high in protein content. The nutrition requirement of a 4 to 6 year old child is about 24 grams of protein per day and 28 grams of proteins are required by 7 to 10 year olds. Some of the protein rich sources are poultry, meat, fish and eggs. Even pulses like lentils, peas and beans help your child obtain the required protein for their bodies.

Calcium
Offer your child about 3-4 servings of calcium-rich food. Children in the age group of 4 to 8 years need 800mg of calcium. 9 to 13 year old children need 1,300mg. Who doesn�t know the fact that calcium is important for bone and teeth development? How about its sources? Feeding your child one glass of milk a day, will help him obtain partial daily calcium requirement. You could also give him/her a slice of cheese or yoghurt as an evening snack. To be on the safer side, start giving your child skim milk and dairy products after he/she turns two, in order to avoid heart diseases or obesity problems, if it is running in your family.

Iron
You can offer your child lean meats, poultry, fish, dried beans and whole grains for iron. Children need around 10mg of iron every day. It has been found that iron derived from meat is absorbed seven times faster than iron from fruits and vegetables. Meat must be given to children, at least 2-3 times a week for maximum iron and protein intake. Not only is it a good source of iron and protein but it also keeps you from becoming anemic.

Vitamins
Sunlight is a good source of vitamin D, so encourage your children to go out and play in their free time. Children need 5mcg of vitamin D per day. Vitamin A helps in improving vision and what better than green veggies that serve as fabulous sources of vitamin A. Children in the age group of 4 to 6 years, need 500mcg of vitamin A, whereas children in the age group of 7 to 10 years, require 700mcg of vitamin A per day. Kids need 45mg of vitamin C per day. Good sources of vitamin C include blueberries, oranges, kiwi, cantaloupe and strawberries. If you child is a picky with vegetables, offer her more fruit options. A glass of fruit juice, diluted with water, is an excellent source of vitamins for your child.

Following this meal plan meticulously, will help your child get all the required nutrients. Offer him/her small portions of each till they are able to decide the quantity they can handle. Before you go over this article, remember to consult your doctor before introducing anything new to his/her diet.