A child’s growing and developing body needs strength for the new discoveries that happen to it every day. For a child to grow up healthy and active, his diet must be varied and balanced. Let’s learn more about how to make a very healthy children’s menu. A child’s health depends on many factors, not the least of which are nutrition, physical activity, and a positive environment. Healthy foods for children contain a boost of vitamins and minerals necessary for active growth.
Giving your child a balanced diet
Of course, if we are talking about a newborn baby, he should only receive his mother’s milk or, in the event of its absence for some reason or another, the European baby formula, which will provide the necessary vitamins and minerals for full development and growth.
Intuitively, it is clear what products are useful for a child. The child’s diet should be based on dairy products, cereals, vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, meat and fish, eggs, and nuts. It is important that every day a child eats a variety of foods high in proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
The top ten baby foods
Proper nutrition is very important for the growing child’s body, so moms need to choose foods that can be included in the child’s daily diet, taking into account age norms and restrictions. Because it would be wrong to give a one-month-old baby orange juice and a piece of salmon. Breastfed complementary foods for children should begin at 6 months on artificial nutrition, you can reduce the age threshold to 4 months. So, let’s look at the most desirable products on the children’s menu:
1. Milk
The child needs calcium and phosphorus for bone growth, which can be obtained from milk when breastfeeding and from Organic’s Best formula if the baby is formula-fed. Later on, instead of milk, the child’s need for calcium can be satisfied by dairy products: yogurt, low-fat cheese, and sour milk products such as kefir and sour cream.
2. Cereal
Cereals are best digested in the form of cereals, which are a source of minerals, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and vitamins.
3. Fresh fruits and vegetables
Both fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals. Vegetables contain carbohydrates, which are slowly broken down by starch, and fiber, without which complete digestion is impossible. And in fruits, carbohydrates are represented by glucose, fructose, and sucrose, which are digested much faster.
4. Meat
It is very important for children to get the right amount of animal protein contained in meat products. Meat is high in B vitamins, H vitamins, folic acid, and trace minerals. Especially useful are low-fat boiled meat and liver dishes. For children’s menus, the liver can be cooked as a souffle, a pate, or simply stewed with vegetables and herbs.
5. Fish
The nutritional value of fish is as good as that of meat, but it is much easier to digest. Pike, herring, pike, sea bass, catfish, and chips are considered especially useful for children.
6. Eggs
Eggs are considered the standard in terms of the intake of essential nutrients from a young child’s daily diet, which are concentrated in a relatively modest amount of food. If there is no individual intolerance, a child can eat eggs at least every day. Especially since there are many recipes for cooking with eggs, you will not get bored.
7. Legumes
Legumes (chickpeas, various beans, lentils, and peas) should be included in the baby’s diet at least once a week to diversify the menu and ensure adequate nutrition.After all, they consist of complex carbohydrates rich in fiber and are a source of minerals and vitamins. An interesting fact is that beans have far more nutrients per gram than any other food.
8. Berries
Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries all contain antioxidants that protect against life-threatening diseases. All berries inhibit the reproduction of harmful bacteria and viruses and help neutralize toxic substances.
9. Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds of various types are nutritious snacks. They contain heart-healthy fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They add energy to a little body and push you to do new things.
10. Water
Because the physiological mechanisms for regulating fluid intake are not fully developed in young children, they are vulnerable to dehydration. That’s why, in addition to food, water plays an equally important role in infant growth, development, and health. As 20–30% of the liquid requirements are covered by soups, fruit, vegetables, and yogurt, the remaining 70–80% should come from drinks, preferably non-caloric ones such as water, unsweetened teas, or natural juices.
So, the main thing is that the child’s diet should be balanced and contain all the substances necessary for growth and development. If a child’s menu includes all the above products every day, at least in small quantities, the baby will not be threatened by any disease. Let your baby grow up healthy!