Nutrition and Child Development: Recipe for Life

More than one third of all child deaths every year around the world are attributed to malnutrition, specifically under-nutrition, which weakens the body's resistance to illness. Nutrition and child development are two terms that often go hand in hand. The more nutritious diet your child consumes, the healthier your child would be. A variety of social, cultural and economic factors contribute to the development, maintenance and change of dietary patterns. Intra-individual determinants such as physiological and psychological factors, acquired food preferences and knowledge, can be distinguished from interpersonal or social factors such as family and group influences. A healthy diet helps children grow and learn. It also helps prevent obesity and weight-related diseases, such as diabetes. Whether or not children are well-nourished during their first years of life can have a profound effect on their health status, as well as their ability to learn, communicate, think analytically, socialize effectively and adapt to new environments and people.

In the case of physical growth, nutrition interventions may be effective only during pregnancy and the first 2-3 years of life. Early childhood is the most intensive period of brain development during the lifespan. Adequate stimulation and nutrition are essential for development during the first three years of life. Milk occupies an important position in the list of healthy drinks for kids, as it acts as a rich source of calcium that is required by the body to ensure healthy, strong bones and teeth. Encourage the child to eat fresh fruits, rather than going in for fruit juices. They contain high sugar content and are not apt for children, who are on their weight loss diet. The child’s daily meals should consist of about two servings of food high in protein content. The nutrition requirement of a four- to six-year old child is about 24 grams of protein per day and 28 grams of proteins are required by seven- to ten-year-olds.

Breakfast is ideally supposed to be king size, as it should contain rich diet, containing loads of fiber and other vital nutrients. These days, as kids are becoming more and more conscious about their figure, magazines and websites are flooded with recipes, offering simple snack food ideas for kids. Children with chronic diseases, such as HIV, are even more susceptible to malnutrition. Their bodies have a harder time absorbing vitamins, iron and other nutrients. Children with disabilities may need extra attention to make sure they get the nutrition they need.