Nutrition for Young Children

Introduction

Does your preschool child eat only a few particular foods?  Do food likes and dislikes change frequently and without warning?  Are you worried that your child is not eating enough?

All of these are common concerns of parents of preschool children. During the preschool years, a child can be taught  healthy eating habits to last throughout life. Children at this age should be exposed to many new foods. They will probably learn to accept and even like them if the foods are presented in a relaxed and loving atmosphere. It is also important for the parents of preschool children to practice healthy habits. The young child will watch family members eat and model eating behavior after theirs.  Following a healthy diet will benefit both you and your child.

What You Will Learn

In this lesson you will learn about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid and how they apply to young children.  You will learn what to expect during each stage of the preschool years and tips to make these stages easier on both you and your child.  You will also learn about issues such as fast food, healthy weights for young children and exercise. 

Food Guide Pyramid Review

The Food Guide Pyramid is a tool that guides us in selecting which foods to eat and how much to eat each day to be healthy.  We need a variety of foods from each of the Pyramid categories.  We should also remember to eat in moderation by eating the recommended serving sizes.  The Food Guide Pyramid is a practical guide to choosing healthy, low-fat foods each day.

The Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children

The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and Department of Health and Human Resources adapted the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children two to six years of age. The healthy eating messages have not changed; just the picture is new. Some of the adaptations include foods being drawn in a realistic style. Foods shown are those commonly eaten by two to six year of age children. Foods are in single serving portions. Food group names are shorter. The number of servings is one number instead of a range. Two-to three-yearolds need the same numbers of servings as four-to six-year olds, but may need smaller size servings, about two-thirds of a serving. Two-to six-year-olds need a total of two servings from the milk group each day. Pictures of active children were included to emphasize the importance of physical activity. You can see the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children as given below.

Click here for a pdf file of the Pyramid Planning Guide to see how your child's meals rate according to the Food Guide Pyramid recommendations.

The Dietary Guidelines for Children

A healthful diet is necessary for both physical and mental development.   To guide you in making decisions about eating healthfully, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was developed.  This provides the following recommendations for healthy Americans, ages two years and over.

1.  Offer a variety of foods.  Serving a variety of foods prepared in different ways makes meals and snacks more interesting for children and makes good nutrition sense.  Everyone needs many different nutrients for good health.  Nutrients are in food.  The nutrients needed are vitamins, minerals, water, carbohydrates, amino acids from proteins and certain fatty acids from fat.  Choosing foods from each of the Food Guide Pyramid categories will provide the variety of foods needed for good health.  These food groups are as follows:   Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group; Vegetable Group; Fruit Group; Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts Group; Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Group; and the Fats, Oils and Sweets Group.

2.  Serve meals that help maintain a healthy body weight.   Children need food and the calories it contains for growth and normal development.   Calorie needs of children differ because of body size, growth spurts and physical activity level.  Serving a variety of foods can help children maintain a healthy body and weight.  Serve plenty of fruits, vegetable and grain products, less fat and fewer fatty foods, and serve sugars and sweets only in moderation.  Regular physical activity is important to maintaining good health.  It burns calories, helps with weight control and is important in preventing some chronic diseases.  Experts recommend that children engage in a minimum of  30-45 minutes of physical activity each day.  There are many types of physical activities that children enjoy at home, at school, in the community or at childcare centers.  An active lifestyle will provide the following benefits:

• Fun and relaxation
• Strong bones and muscles
• A healthy heart
• A healthy weight
• Positive attitude
• Development of motor skills, balance and coordination
• Increased energy
• Improved self-esteem

 

3.  Offer foods low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest goals of 30 % of less of total calories from fat and less than 10 % of calories from saturated fat for everyone over two years of age.  Higher levels of fat have been linked to obesity and certain types of cancer.  Higher levels of saturated fat have been shown to increase the risk for heart disease.  At about two years of age, children should be encouraged to choose diets that are lower in fat and saturated fat and that provide the calories and nutrients they need for normal growth.  These goals for fats apply to the diet over several days, not to a single meal or food.

Lowering the fat content lowers the calories of the meal as well.  Fat contains twice the calories of an equal amount of protein or carbohydrate.  Grains, vegetables and fruits are the best choices for adding calories when lowering the fat intake in meals.  To increase calories without adding fat, young children will probably have to eat smaller, more frequent meals than older children or adults.

Fats in the diet include margarine, vegetable oils, salad dressings, butter, cream and lard.  In general, foods that come from animals are higher in fat than foods that come from plants.  However, products such as lean meat, nonfat or low-fat milk and chicken without skin have less fat than other animal products.

Most fruits, vegetables and grain products are naturally low in fat.  However, many popular items, such as french fried potatoes, croissants and sweet rolls, are prepared with fat.  All fats contain a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fat.  Saturated fats are found in the largest amounts in animal products and some vegetable fats such as coconut, palm and palm kernel oils.

4.  Serve plenty of vegetables, fruits and grain products.   These are generally low in fat.  They are important because they are also good sources of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber and other substances in food linked to good health.

5.  Offer and use sugars only in moderation.  Sugars and many foods that contain them in large amounts supply calories but may be limited in vitamins and minerals.  They should be used in moderation by most healthy people and sparingly by people with low calorie needs. 

Frequent between-meal snacks of foods such as cakes, chips, crackers and pastries, candies and dried fruits may be more harmful to children's teeth than sugars eaten with regular meals.

6.  Offer and use salt and sodium only in moderation.  Most Americans eat more salt and sodium than they need.  Some people may reduce their chances of getting high blood pressure by eating less salt.  Since there is no way to predict who will develop high blood pressure, serving foods lower in sodium and reducing or omitting salt during food preparation may help some children avoid high blood pressure when they become adults.

7.  Promote an alcohol and drug-free lifestyle.  Children and teens should not drink alcoholic beverages.  Use of alcoholic beverages involves risks to health and other serious problems.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. Information and Graphics on this site are copyright protected by LSU Agricultural Center's Louisiana Cooperative Extension Services. For more information on the EFNEP program, contact EFNEPMail@agcenter.lsu.edu.