Your children should eat a healthy diet so they can grow into healthy adults. Good nutrition at a young age promotes normal development, reduces your child’s risk of diseases and promotes healthy eating habits.

Unfortunately, many children don’t get to eat nutritious foods even in developed countries like the United States. Data from the Department of Agriculture shows that children in more than two million American households were food insecure – or had limited access to nutritious foods – at some time during 2019.

Food insecurity negatively impacts children’s health. According to a 2019 study, young children who grow up food insecure are more likely to be in poor health and to have more developmental problems than those with access to nutritious food.

Food insecurity increases children’s risk of poor health

For their study, researchers analyzed data from more than 28,000 children under the age of four who were mainly from low-income households in five American cities. Around 27 percent of the children lived in households with food insecurity. More than 13 percent of them lived in extremely deprived households where both adults and children were food insecure.

The researchers found that food insecurity was associated with an increased risk of a child being in poor health and experiencing developmental delay, with the odds increasing with age. In addition, children aged two to three years who lived in food-insecure households had a 24 percent increased risk of obesity compared to those who lived in food-secure households.

E. Albert Reece, dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who was not part of the study, commented on these findings: “Childhood obesity remains a persistent problem in this country, and we know it has led to earlier onset of high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. These conditions, once rare in teenagers, now occur regularly in adolescents.”

In the study, 24 percent of the children aged three to four years were obese while 13 percent of those aged one to two years old had the same problem. “More public health efforts must be made to ensure that children in low-income communities are getting the proper nutrition they need,” Reece went on.

Other studies also linked childhood malnutrition to a number of health problems, including increased risk of illness, stunting and reduced intellectual performance and capacity for physical work. In addition, malnutrition during childhood may reduce women’s reproductive capacity, increase their risk of complicated deliveries and cause their infants to have a lower birth weight.

Feeding your toddler properly

Good nutrition during your toddler’s first two years of life is vital for their healthy growth and development. You should consult a healthcare practitioner to learn how to feed your child properly, but generally, good nutrition comes from eating a balanced diet.

Here’s a guide on how much food your child should eat every day:

Grains: At least 6 servings a day

• 1/4 to 1/2 slice of wheat bread
• 2 to 3 crackers
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup cooked rice, pasta or cereal
• 1/4 to 1/2 bun, muffin or bagel

Fruits and vegetables: At least 6 servings a day

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup cooked, canned or chopped raw vegetable
• 1/4 to 1/2 small fruit or vegetable
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup 100 percent fruit juice (limit intake to no more than 4 ounces a day)

Milk: At least 3 servings a day

• 1/2 cup milk or yogurt
• 1/2 to 1 ounce of cheese
• Note: You don’t need to give your toddler low-fat foods.

Meat: 2 servings a day

• 1 to 2 ounces lean meat, chicken and fish
• 2 to 4 tablespoons dry beans and peas
• 1/2 to 1 egg

Fats: 3 to 4 servings a day

• 1 teaspoon grass-fed butter or healthy oils like olive and flaxseed oils

Avoid giving your child foods that are rich in the following:

• Added sugars – Candies, cookies, pastries, dairy desserts like ice cream, sugar drinks like soda and fruit juices
• Trans fats – Fried foods, pastries, frozen pizza, microwave popcorn, refrigerated dough, stick margarine
• Saturated fats – Processed meat like sausage, coconut and palm oils, pastries and pies
• Sodium – Fast food, processed meat, salted nuts, canned goods

Here are some tips for feeding a picky eater:

• Respect your child’s appetite. Don’t force a meal if you’re child is not hungry. Doing otherwise can ignite a power struggle over food and cause your child to associate mealtime with anxiety.
• Stick to the routine. Serve meals and snacks at around the same times every day. If your child refuses to eat a meal, a regular snack time provides an opportunity for feeding.
• Be patient with new foods. It takes several meals before children get accustomed and become accepting of new foods.
• Don’t be a “short-order” cook. Preparing another meal for your child after he or she rejects the first meal may promote picky eating.
• Make it fun. Serve veggies with a dip or cut foods into various shapes.

Good nutrition is important for children’s normal growth and development. Feed your child a balanced diet to ensure he or she grows into a healthy adult.

Sources:

ERS.USDA.gov

ScienceDaily.com

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

My.ClevelandClinic.org

MayoClinic.org