Everything you need to know: Balanced nutrition for children

If you have children at home, this article will surely catch your attention. Childhood is a crucial stage in contributing to a healthy adulthood, and one of the best ways to achieve this is through diet. That is why, on this occasion, we have for you everything you need to know about a balanced diet for children, what they should eat and what they should avoid to guarantee them a healthy life.

Why is it important for children to have a balanced diet?

Maintaining a healthy diet during the first years of life is essential, partly because the eating habits developed at that stage will be the ones maintained throughout their life. These habits can hardly be changed, which is why it is necessary to encourage healthy eating in infants from a very early age. (You may also be interested in:  Healthy Habits for Children)

A well-nourished child will usually be a healthier child. Children who maintain a healthy diet generally develop a greater capacity for learning, communication skills, and better psychomotor development. An unbalanced diet can be fatal to their health and performance in daily life.

For this reason, we leave below what the ideal diet should be for children at different stages of their life:

Diet for babies from 0 to 6 months

In the first months of life, the baby’s diet should be based exclusively on breast milk. It is not necessary to give the baby any other food; if the mother is unable to breastfeed, the baby should be fed with formula milk. It is important that the mother avoids the intake of stimulating drinks such as coffee, avoids alcoholic beverages and avoids, as far as possible, the intake of medicines without a medical prescription.

( Read Also: New foods in the baby’s diet according to their age )

Feeding babies from 7 to 12 months

At this point, it is already positive to incorporate other types of food into the diet. In addition to breast milk, the baby can begin to eat baby food and purees, vegetables and fruits. It is also important to start giving him water to drink and, above all, to consume at least one liter of milk per day. It is important that the addition of new foods is done gradually and under medical supervision, since the baby’s digestive system must adapt to the new foods.

Diet for 1 to 3 years

At this stage, new foods such as meat can be introduced in small portions. The consumption of fruit and vegetables in a pureed or semi-solid form is also of vital importance, as is the consumption of dairy products, which can be supplemented with small portions of biscuits. The consumption of sweets and candy, as well as carbonated drinks, should be avoided as far as possible.

( Read Also: How to set limits for children )

Balanced nutrition in preschool age

From 4 to 6 years old, the preschool stage is where children are most exposed to foods with a high sugar content. It is important for you to know that, although you should moderate their consumption, it is practically impossible to prevent them from eating sweets. Ideally, you should keep their intake under control and not replace other types of food. Vegetables and dairy products, as well as fruits, are very important; in the same way, meats and foods with fiber should also be part of their diet.

You should know that as they grow, children will show their preferences when it comes to eating; that is why in many cases it can work to vary the menus and make preparations in ingenious ways that attract their attention. As a general rule, fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats should never be missing and are part of the ideal balanced diet for children, to support healthy growth.