Nutrition for kids works on the same principle as it works for adults. Every human body works in a similar way and needs proper nutrition. The only difference between the nutrition of kids and adults is they require more nutrition as compared to adults since they are in the development phase. The proportion of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fats, and protein is different for kids than adults. Another difference is as the child grows, the amount of nutrients increases depending on the age. So, is there a secret recipe that covers all your child’s needs and supports proper development and growth? Please read on the article as we shed some light on the nutrition facts for kids.

What to feed?

• Protein: If you are vegetarian, then select the lentils, beans such as soya bean, kidney beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
• Vegetables: The aim here is to serve a wide variety of vegetables in order to cover all the nutrients and vitamins that a kid requires. Green leafy vegetables are extremely rich in vitamins and minerals. Try to focus on seasonal vegetables and avoid canned and frozen vegetables
• Fruits: It is your duty to motivate your kid to eat a variety of fresh fruits rather than consuming canned fruit juices. It is always recommended to eat your fruits and drink your vegetables. If your kid insists on drinking juices, then make sure it is free from artificial colours and preservatives, and it should also be low on sugar content. Dried fruits are not recommended as they contain more calories than actual fruit.
• Dairy products: Focus on providing milk and other dairy products that are naturally sourced from the cow or buffalo. Try to prepare ghee, curd, and paneer at home from the milk rather than purchasing it from outside.
• Home-cooked meal: A simple meal cooked at home is far more nutritious and tasty than any outside food. Home-cooked food is typically low in harmful contents and is prepared keeping the health of family members in mind as compared to big companies' products whose aim is to increase sales, thereby making their food tastier at the cost of the nutritional value of food.

What not to feed?

• Added sugar: One should focus on lowering the amount of sugar that your kid is consuming. Since most of the drinks and fruit juices nowadays are not fresh and are packed months ago, they have a high amount of sugar present in them. Eating extra sugar does no good for your kid’s health; instead makes his/her bones weak in the early stages of life.
• Trans and saturated fats: Products that are rich in saturated fats, such as red meat and poultry, are not recommended for kids. Try to improvise and find ways to replace saturated fat with healthy vegetable oils that are rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Fats can also be controlled by not allowing food that is rich in hydrogenated oils in your kid’s diet.
• Sodium: Due to the busy working schedule of modern-day parents, kids end up eating lots of salt in their diet as it makes their food tastier. Parents should motivate kids to eat fruits and vegetables instead of ice creams and chips. One should also check the labels before consuming any packaged food items and try to find a low sodium alternative.