How Much Food is enough?
Contributed by: Rose Solano, RND

You’ve just given birth. You have very little clue how to feed your baby. Or probably you worry too much why your children don’t seem to eat as you want them to or as others do. Find out the whys and how’s in the following health tips…

Guidelines for Adequate Feeding: Birth to 1 Year

The ideal food for the infant is human milk.

NOTE: Do not throw the first drop of your breast milk, it is called “Colostrums” and it consists of 20% proteins, minerals and anti-bodies needed to fight any infection.

Breastfeed your infant until a minimum of 6 months! If possible, do not give any other food during this time – unless you have no choice.

Breastfeed the baby every 3-4 hours, 5-10 minutes on each breast & burp the baby gently between each suck.

Most of all, this is the time to bond with your baby and enjoy him/her. They normally grow really fast!

Add solid food gradually.

Single foods are given first, one at a time in small amounts, so that adverse reactions can be identified.

The initial transition food recommended by the American Dietetic Association is:

• Cereal
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Potato
• Protein-rich foods like pureed tofu, cottage cheese, and pureed and
• Strained legumes (legumes include beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils)

 

Toddler: 1 to 3 years

After the rapid growth of the first year the growth rate of children slows, so they need fewer calories. However, important muscle development is taking place; therefore protein needs are relatively increased. Also calcium and phosphorus are needed for bone mineralization, the bones are strengthening to keep pace with the muscle development.

Fist of all, understand that toddlers are typically picky about which foods they'll eat
Offer a variety of food in small amounts to provide the key nutrients.

Understand too that the child is struggling for selfhood; they WILL refuse food and WILL desire to do things by themselves and you WILL get frustrated.

You need to be patient, encouraging and sympathetic to understand the child and give help where needed.

A good example of a diet plan could be:
 

FOOD GROUP	NUMBER OF SERVINGS
GRAINS	6 or more (a serving is 1/2 to 1 slice of bread or 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked cereal or grain or pasta or 1/2 to 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal)
LEGUMES, NUTS, SEEDS	2 or more (a serving is 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked beans, tofu,; or 1-1/2 to 3 ounces of meat analogue; or 1 to 2 Tbsp. nuts, seeds, nut or seed butter
FORTIFIED SOYMILK, ETC	3 (a serving is 1 cup fortified soymilk, infant formula, or breast milk)
VEGETABLES	2 or more (a serving is 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked or 1/2 to 1 cup raw vegetables)
FRUITS	3 or more (a serving is 1/4 to 1/2 cup canned fruit or 1/2 cup juice, or 1 medium fruit)
FATS	3 (1 tsp. margarine or oil) (use 1/2 tsp. flaxseed oil or 2 tsp. canola oil daily to supply omega-3 fatty acids)

 
 
Preschooler: 3-6 years

At this stage the child tends to settle into a progressive regular growth pattern guided along with individual genetics and influenced by the nutritional and health status. Also on occasion the child bounds with energy by playing, running, jumping and testing new physical resources which is why the energy intake needs increases.

1. Protein requirements continue to increase as the child grows older. Protein-rich foods like milk, legumes, nuts and seeds have to be at all time present
    
2. They continue to need calcium an iron for storage.
    
3. The preschool child is beginning to form definite responses to various types of foods, therefore fruits are usually well liked, but of all food groups, vegetables are usually less well liked by children.
    
4. Create a space for opportunities like: planting and growing vegetables in a small garden, this is an excellent learning experience.
    
5. Bring the child to trips to the market, this can help the child to see a variety of shapes and colors in vegetables and discover new ones, as each in turn can be prepared at home in a variety of tasteful ways.
    

6. Grains in the wide variety in which they can be eaten that can appeal the child, like various breads, cereals and crackers.

Take note: A very important characteristic at this stage is that children usually prefer single foods to combination dishes, in this period they like to tastes and learn the shape, color and texture of the foods. This also helps because these identifiable characteristics can be retained as much as possible and they get used to eat a variety of foods.

The School Age Child: 6 to 12 years

The school age period has been called the latent time of growth. The rate of growth slows and body changes occur gradually. By now the body type has been established, and growth rates vary widely. Girls usually outdistance boys in the latter part of this period.

Note: The child at this stage begins moving from a dependence on parental standards to those of peers; pressures are generated for self-control of a growing body. These pressures produce changes in previously learned habits, and negative attitudes sometimes expressed are evidence of these struggles for growing independence.

1. Family foods attitudes are imitated, but increasing outside activities often compete with family meal times and family conflicts arise.
    

2. Breakfast is particularly important for a school child; it breaks the fast of the sleep hours and prepares the child for the learning hours at school. A study on the relation on school development and nutrition showed that children that go to school without having breakfast are prone to be less retentive, slower and irritable (Pollitt and Col. 1978)
   A good breakfast could be, for example, a sandwich made of whole grain bread filled with a serving of protein like, peanut butter, soy cheese or egg, also it is good to include a fruit, soy milk and a cracker. Remember that a balanced meal will give your child the best nutrition.
   The school age child has increasing exposure to the influences of food habits. Television becomes a strong source of food selection; however there are positive learning opportunities in the classroom and in the house especially if the parents reinforce the nutrition education.

Adolescence: 13 to 18 years

This is one of the most challenging periods of life due to the physical and psychological changes that take place.

You may want to know that…

1. In this stage the teens gain 20% of the adult stature and 50% of the weight.
    
2. The profound body changes in the adolescent period results from hormonal effects regulating the development of the sex characteristics.
    
3. In girls the amount of subcutaneous fat deposit increases particularly in the abdominal area. The hip breadth increases and the bony pelvis widens in preparation for reproduction.
    

4. In boys physical growth is manifested more by an increased muscle mass and long-bone growth. His growth spurts is slower than that of the girl, but soon he passes her weight and height.
    

5. Girls require fewer Kilocalories than boys or about 2,200 Kcal/day
    

6. Boys require between 2,500 to 3,000 Kcal/day according to the Recommended Dietary Allowances.
    

7. Adolescents may satisfy their hunger with snack foods that are high in sugar and fat and if this is consumed in large amounts, it could be a danger to their health.
    

8. The protein needs increase, (due to build up of muscle mass) between 15 to 20% of the total energy consumption.
    

9. Also calcium is needed (because of increase in bone density), include three or more good sources of calcium in the diet every day. Good sources of calcium are tofu processed with calcium sulfate, green leafy vegetables including collard greens, mustard greens, and kale, fortified soymilk, and fortified orange juice.
    

10. Their busy schedules and involvement in social events influence their eating habits; they eat faster or outside the house. There is a great concern about the growing number of fast food restaurants nowadays and how the advertisement on this kind of foods is a great influence on the choices they make regarding what they eat.
     

11. The social pressure and tension about figure and image control to follow unwise, self-imposed crash diets for weight loss is a major concern. This may result to complex eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. It is important that the parents always be aware of the habits and the foods their teens are eating.
     

12. Most importantly, a balanced diet will provide the right combinations to meet your child or teen’s nutritional needs. If you still have any questions or doubts about a good healthy diet for your child, don’t hesitate to use some of the excellent resources available to help you plan your child’s diet, including your family doctor, pediatrician, or a registered dietitian.