10 Rules of Healthy Child Nutrition

1. Serve meals at regular times

Regular meals are very important due to developing eating habits as well as proper functioning of the body. A child should eat 4-5 meals a day, on average every 3-4 hours. It is also a good idea to get your child used to eating at times when the whole family eats.

 

2. Don’t prolong meals

Children should have a definite time for consumption. Children should have a definite time to eat a meal. It shouldn’t last longer than 30-40 minutes. Introducing this principle is an important aspect of nutritional education as it helps the child understand that eating time has its beginning and end. We shouldn’t distract our children, especially the older ones, during a meal.

 

3. Don’t panic when your child gets dirty

We should remember that every age has its own eating rituals – at first children touch food, eat with their own hands and, unfortunately, get  dirty all over. Such sensory experiences are also important from the point of view of psychomotor development. Do not pull the toddler away from the meal by changing their clothes, it is worth waiting until they have finished (after all,  they get dirty again anyway…), which further strengthens the signal that the meal has finished.

 

4. Introduce a varied diet

I know that this point can pose the biggest problems. Well, children aren’t always hungry, they often have their own preferences at an early age and always try to have everything their own way. However, we must remember that only a varied diet will cover the demand for all nutrients that are necessary for the proper development of a child. We should try to sneak some ingredients by adding them to porridges or soups, or provide those unwanted products in the most attractive form. It is also worth introducing new ingredients gradually, so that children have time to get used to them.

 

5. Try not to feed your child between meals

As a result of feeding between the main meals, children can develop a snacking habit, which will further put the times of main meals out of order, and even worse, it will reduce their appetite. If a child knows that they can eat their favorite snack soon after dinner, then unwanted broccoli or carrots will remain on the plate.

 

6. Introduce rules during meals

Proper hygiene, such as washing hands before a meal, is not enough. It is also important to sit up straight and focus on eating. A child should calm down and concentrate while having a meal.

 

7. Teach your child to drink water

Water should always be the main source of liquids in our children’s diets. If you start introducing the rule at an early age, your children will have a lower risk of developing many civilization diseases, such as obesity or diabetes. We have to remember that our eating habits have the greatest impact on our kids, so it’s a good idea to cut out sweet drinks and processed juice from your diet. If you fancy some juice, prepare it yourself and share it with your child.

 

8. Cut down on sugar intake

The topic of sugar in the diet of children is always a very difficult one. On the one hand, simple carbohydrates should be kept to a minimum, but on the other hand, we cannot completely protect kids from sweets… So, be careful and choose healthy alternatives that will sweeten their day. These could be e.g. fruit, which, apart from simple sugars, also contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Remember, however, that during the day children must eat much more vegetables than fruit.

 

9. Avoid processed foods

Read-made products for children may contain a lot of harmful substances, and the same applies to semi-finished products when cooking. Such meals contain lots of preservatives, simple sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats. If we use ready-made meals for children, this should only apply to exceptional situations, such as trips without the possibility of using the kitchen. 

 

10. Supplement substances that are difficult to provide with diet

It can be very difficult to provide the right amount of some nutrients, such as vitamin D or omega-3 acids (mainly EPA and DHA). Then it is a good idea to go for tried supplements which will ensure the proper development of our children. I will discuss the topic in more detail soon. 

 

Bibliography

1. Szajewska H, Horvath A. Żywienie i leczenie żywieniowe dzieci i młodzieży. Kraków: Medycyna Praktyczna: 2017.
2. Szajewska H, Socha P, Horvath A. Zasady żywienia zdrowych niemowląt.Zalecenia Polskiego Towarzystwa Gastroenterologii, Hepatologii i Żywienia Dzieci. Stand Med Pediatr. 2014; 11: 321-338.