OTHER TIPS

• Water can be offered between feedings.
• Feeding sweets or sweetened beverages is not recommended because they will spoil the appetite and contribute to tooth decay.
• Salt, sugar, and strong spices are not recommended.
• Caffeine products are not recommended (soft drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate).
• A fussy baby may need attention, rather than food.

OLDER CHILDREN

Throughout childhood and adolescence, it is important that the diet include a variety of foods for proper development. The principles of the food guide plate apply to a child's diet as well as an adult's, although portions and number of servings per day are obviously less for children.

After the age of 2, it is recommended that the diet be moderately low in fat, as diets high in fat may contribute to heart disease, obesity, and other health problems later in life.

In areas where water is not fluoridated, fluoride supplementation is recommended. A diet that contains a variety of foods from each of the food groups (breads and grains, meats, fruits and vegetables, and dairy) will help prevent nutrient deficiencies.

Both the American Medical Association and the American Dietetic Association recommend that healthy children should get all their nutrients from foods rather than vitamin supplements.

The nutrients that are most likely to be deficient in a child's diet are calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, and vitamin B6. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not support routine supplementation for normal, healthy children. However, there is no significant risk if a parent wishes to give their child a standard pediatric multi-vitamin.

Children who consume little or no dairy products are at particular risk for calcium deficiency that can interfere with bone growth and development. Foods that are good sources of calcium include low-fat or nonfat milk, yogurt, and cheeses. Other foods such as broccoli, cooked greens, and canned salmon (with bones) will also provide a source of calcium in the diet, however it is often difficult to get children to consume adequate quantities of these foods.

Iron requirements vary by age, rate of growth, iron stores, increasing blood volume, and rate of absorption from food sources. Adolescent girls will have increased iron needs due to menstrual losses. Food sources of iron include meat, fish, poultry, iron-fortified cereals, spinach greens, and dried beans and peas.

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Diet and good health

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Review Date: 06/14/2011
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, and David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine (8/2/2009).

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)