Child Health

Child health is greatly sustained by a healthy and a nutritious diet, which plays an important role in the overall growth and development of a child. The child in this case, ranges from the developing embryo to a growing teenager. The nutritional requirement for a child’s health is different from that of an adult, given that a child is still growing and developing; as opposed to an adult whose growth is at standstill. The right diet for a developing child has to factor in the food pyramid, and parents ought to understand the food pyramid to effectively provide a healthy diet to their children. So, what is the importance of healthy eating to growing children:

Nutritional demand for child health

Children are known to have a higher rate of metabolism than adults. Their body will, therefore, require more calories to provide the necessary energy that is vital for their activeness. Child health will require more than just food, nutrition; and for their energy requirements, they will need more carbohydrates and unsaturated fats. Healthy diet in children is also important in providing all the nutrients that are essential in their growth and development. This has to include more proteins and unsaturated fats. Sugary foods and saturated fats, should not be featured anywhere in a child’s healthy diet, as these foods are known to spur obesity among children.

Providing variety food for child health

Children are so choosy when it comes to what they eat. Hordes of them will prefer fast foods or processed foods, which are harmful to the child health. A balanced diet offers a wide range of foods that a child can eat and be healthy. This ranges from fruits, vegetables to whole grains, and which come as a good substitute for fast and processed foods. Providing a wide range of health and nutritional foods for your children, may make it easy for them to develop better eating habits as time proceeds.

 

Protection from nutritional diseases and infections as part of child health

Children are prone to diseases and infections than adults due to their under-developed immune system. Vitamin-containing foods should form the bulk of what they eat to stay safe. Junk foods should be replaced with more fruits, whole grains and vegetables to boost their immune system. Processed foods such as white flour, artificial sweeteners, sugary foods and food coloring, weaken the body’s immune system together and the child health by having a minimal nutritional value for their body.

Optimal brain development:

A child’s brain function and development are greatly determined by the food he or she eats, especially after the first six years of age. A child’s brain development starts immediately after conception and gets at the apex during the sixth year. At the age of six, 75% of neurological development takes place and the food a child eats at this age can greatly affect the development of the brain. Child health would, therefore require more protein and fatty foods to promote brain development at this age. The food given to a child at this age should include eggs, butter, whole milk (prefer goat or sheep milk) or liver.

The right food for a child health at a particular age is supported by the food pyramid. All parents are advised to take extra caution when it comes to what they feed their child health. The effect created by unhealthy eating habits on your child health, can not only affect their present life, but also have a long term health effect on them.