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Healthy Diet for Kids

Ningthoujam Sandhyarani
Let's find out the important points considered while planning a healthy diet for kids. Also, learn to put it into practice in such a way that your kids wouldn't hate healthy food.
A well-balanced diet, consisting of healthy food, is essential for the proper growth and development of children.
There are standard recommendations about the calorie and nutrient requirements for youngsters. However, people who have kids at home might be aware of their eating habits. Most often, they tend to skip breakfast, and are reluctant to eat healthy food; instead, they crave fast food, soft drinks, and low-calorie snacks.
It is very important for the parents and family members to develop in them the habit of eating good food at the right time.

What Should be Included?

Children's diet should include a variety of food items in order to have all the essential nutrients of a balance diet. It is to be noted that the overall health and fitness of a child mostly depends on this factor. Here's some of the healthy food that should be included in a child's meals.
Carbohydrates should form a major part of the kids' dietary schedule. In fact, they are the most common source of energy, and are important for the storage and transport of energy. They are responsible for proper functioning of the immune system and various other developmental processes.
Some of the carbohydrate-rich food items that should be included are rice, wheat, and corn. Bread and pasta can be included too, but in limited portions.
The diet should contain adequate amount fresh fruits and vegetables, as they are a very good source of vitamins, minerals, fibers, and other nutrients.
Another advantage is that they are low in fats and sodium. Studies have shown that having sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables can avoid certain diseases. It has been suggested that serving kids with 5 or more servings per day is good for their health.
Servings can be in the form of salads, juices, puddings, etc. One can add fresh or dried fruits while preparing muffins, smoothies, and yogurts so that the children will savor them.
Dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt must be included in the regular diet schedule of kids. Milk is rich in almost all the nutrients (proteins, fats, calcium, and vitamins), and is also referred to as perfect food. Calcium is very important for healthy growth of the bones and teeth.
The diet should also consist of protein-rich food like fish, eggs, meat, and pulses. Proteins are necessary for the proper functioning of the body, for building muscles, and are also a part of hemoglobin.
A parent must also note that iron-rich food such as green, leafy vegetables, liver, and rice flakes are necessary to be included in the child's meals.
Oily and fatty food, fast food, low-nutrient food, soft drinks should be kept to a minimum. Parents should know about what lies in their kids' interest, and let them accompany while buying vegetables, fruits, and other kitchen items. They should be familiar with their children's preferences, in case of food.
Consult your kids, and try to make their favorite dishes and recipes in a healthy, nutritious way. It is important that they enjoy their food. However, ensure what they eat is healthy and nutritious too.