Fats in a child’s diet are extremely necessary, both vegetable and animal. But as with everything, fats should be used in moderation. Fat is needed by the baby for energy and for the proper functioning of the brain. However, its incorrect use and amounts can lead to many health problems. How to protect the child from excess fats in the diet, how to give them to the child and which fats are good and which are bad for our child?
What role do fats play in a child’s diet?
Fats provide energy to the child’s body, it is 1/3 of calories that should come from fats supplied with the diet. The constantly developing organism also needs them for the proper functioning of the brain. Fats are also important for the absorption of essential vitamins such as A, D, E, K.
What fats for a toddler – animal or vegetable?
It is important to include both vegetable and animal fats in a balanced diet of a child. The former come from sunflower, pumpkin and oils. Animal fats are contained in cheese, milk and meat. For a toddler’s diet to be healthy, it should contain as little animal fat as possible. They contain harmful saturated fatty acids. Their excess causes atherosclerosis, and the first changes can appear even in an infant.
Butter or margarine?
A young child should not have hardened margarines, cookies, salty snacks and fast food in his diet. They are rich in trans fats formed when vegetable fats are hardened. They are harmful to our body.
Do fats contain valuable elements?
The most valuable are essential fatty acids, i.e. EFAs, and they should constitute 1/3 of the fats consumed by our children. They must be supplied entirely with food, because the human body does not produce them. Omega 3 acids allow the skin to maintain its proper structure and functions. Their deficiency is particularly visible in young children, causing a decrease in immunity, weakening of hair and poorly healing wounds. Where can you find them? The most valuable of these fats are found in:
- fatty sea fish: mackerel, herring, sardines and cod,
- trout,
- rapeseed oil,
- hazelnuts and walnuts.
How to enrich children’s diet with EFAs?
It is better to use oil rather than butter as an addition to baby soup, if the butter is soft, because then you will use less of it. Enrich salads with oil, not sour cream. If you use frying oil, use rapeseed, sunflower oil produces harmful compounds during frying – this is also the reason to use frying oil only once. Lean meat will be healthier for a toddler, not a sausage or sausage loved by children. If you want to limit the amount of fat in a child’s diet, do not give your child 0% milk, because in addition to fat, you will also deprive your child of vitamins. Replace it with 2% milk if the baby is overweight, otherwise you can give 3,2% milk.