Vegetables
Children should have 2–3 cups of vegetables per
day. Select from dark green, orange, starchy vegeta-
bles, and other vegetables several times per week. Offer
them for snacks and with meals daily.
Lean protein, legumes, nuts/seeds, meat
alternatives
Recommend 2 grams ofproteinfor each pound
the child weighs. This can be in the form of cooked
lean protein or fish, nuts, seeds, eggs or legumes and
soyproducts. Children should also eat from lean pro-
tein sources and include non-fried fish into their diets
on a regular basis.
Precautions
The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is used to assess a
populations diet quality. The HEI score for children
ages 2 to 9 years determined that mostchildren’s diets
‘‘needed improvement’’ or were ‘‘poor’’. The percentage
of children’s diets that were reported to ‘‘need improve-
ment’’ among children 2 to 3, 4 to 6, and 7 to 9 years was
60%, 76%, and 80%, respectively; diets reported as
‘‘poor’’ were 4%, 7%, and 8%, respectively.
Average intakes of mostvitaminsandmineralsfor
children 2 to 11 years of age exceed 100% of the 1989
RDA. Average dietary fiber intake among children ages
3 to 5 years and 6 to 11 years is 11.4 g/day and 13.1 g/day,
respectively; and has remained virtually unchanged since
- The food choices of most US children do not meet
the recommended food group servings from the Food
Guide Pyramid. Children do not eat the recommended
amount of fruits and vegetables. For children 2 to 9 years
of age, 63% are not consuming the recommended num-
ber of servings of fruits, and 78% are not consuming the
recommended number of servings for vegetables. Aver-
age daily servings are 2.0 for fruits and 2.2 for vegetables.
For children 6 to 11 years of age, average daily total grain
intake was 6.5 servings, whereas daily whole grain intake
was 0.9 servings per day. The proportion consuming an
average of two or more servings of whole grains daily was
12.7%.Thereisalsoanincrease in restau! rant food
consumption and other eating outside the home, larger
portion sizes, shifts in beverage consumption, meal pat-
terns and meal frequency, andschoolmealparticipation
among children 2 to 11 years of age. This data shows that
many children can improve their diets using the above
recommendations from the USDA.Research and general acceptance
Numerous research articles support that healthy eat-
ing is associated with reduced risk for many diseases,
including the three leading causes of death: heart disease,
cancer, and stroke. It is common knowledge among
child nutrition experts that healthy eating in childhood
and adolescence is important for proper growth and
development and can prevent health problems such as
obesity, dental caries, and iron deficiency anemia.Resources
BOOKS
Nissenberg, Sandra K.Quick Meals for Healthy Kids and
Busy Parents: Wholesome Family Recipes in 30 Minutes
or Less From Three Leading Child Nutrition Experts.
Shield, Jodie, MEd, RD and Mary Catherine Mullen, MS,
RD.ADA Guide to Healthy Eating for Kids: How Your
Children Can Eat Smart from 5 to 12
ORGANIZATIONS
American Academy of Family Physicians.<http://www
.aafp.org>.
American Academy of Pediatrics.<http://www.aap.org>.
The American Dietetic Association.<http://www.eatright
.org>.
The United States Department of Agriculture, USDA Dietary
Guidelines.<http://www.mypyramid.gov>.Megan C.M. Porter, RD, LDChildhood obesity
Definition
Childhoodobesityis the condition of being over-
weight or severely overweight which causes risks to
health between the ages of 2 and 19.QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR
DOCTOR How can I teach my child healthy eating
behaviors?
How much should I feed my child?
How should I handle food struggles?
How can I get my child to try new foods?
Is my child growing at a proper height-for-
weight ratio?
What can I do if my child does not drink milk?
Should I give my child vitamin/mineral
supplements?Childhood obesity