Diet for children

The diet of modern man is very far from ideal. An excess of easily digestible carbohydrates, fast food and snacks, alcohol, flavor enhancers and preservatives, combined with a lack of cereals, fruits and vegetables, lead to weight gain, metabolic disorders and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, many of us do not think about the fact that most bad habits “come from childhood.” And vicious eating habits are no exception.

Proper nutrition in childhood is the key to the absence of health problems in the future. Pediatricians have proven that adipose tissue cells, which provide energy balance, are formed mainly during the first years of life. Therefore, one of the main prerequisites for future obesity is an inadequately balanced diet in childhood.

In addition, the child’s diet becomes a kind of “foundation” for his full life, physical and mental development, and immunity support. Therefore, nutrition in childhood should be as thoughtful as possible, as well as provide the body with a sufficient amount of all the necessary substances, minerals and vitamins.

Baby food: rules and features

When planning a child’s diet, several general rules should be taken into account. They are the basis of the most effective diet for children.

First of all, do not forget that the need for nutrients in a growing body is an order of magnitude higher than in adults, so the basis of baby food should be natural products. In addition, the metabolic rate in children is one and a half to two times higher than in adults.

Therefore, in order for the baby to grow, develop mentally and physically, build up muscle mass and fully use his potential, the energy value of his daily ration must be at least 10% higher than his energy costs.

Parents should take into account that children do not yet have the skills and motivations that would push them to make informed choices about healthy eating, therefore, the responsibility for developing healthy eating habits in children is the responsibility of adults. Moreover, parents should by their own example instill in their children a love of healthy eating.

In addition, you should listen to the general recommendations of nutritionists:

1. No coercion! You should not force a child to sit at the table just because the clock is “normal” lunch or dinner time. No food will go ahead “to the accompaniment” of hysterics and tears of a baby who has been torn off from the game.
2. Do not “feed” the child during illness. During this period, all the forces of his body are aimed at fighting the disease, therefore force-feeding is prohibited. When forming the diet of a sick child, it should be guided solely by his appetite.
3. Refuse to take plentiful and high-calorie foods in favor of fractional nutrition, that is, in small portions five to six times a day.
4. Protein food should be present in the baby’s diet daily. At the same time, do not get too carried away – an excess of proteins is as dangerous as their lack.
5. Dairy products for children should be given as a separate meal, and not in combination with other foods.

Universal diet for children

What diet should be the basis of a children’s diet? Gastroenterologists are convinced that the most universal option that can be used to feed healthy children is table number 5.

This diet is usually used for diseases of the liver and pancreas, but at the same time it provides sufficient caloric intake and normal levels of proteins and carbohydrates, with a limited content of fat and salt.

Table No. 5 provides for fractional meals 5-6 times a day, while long breaks between meals are not allowed and spicy, sour, canned and fried foods are prohibited.

In drawing up the menu, you can use:

1. Galetny cookies, homemade cakes in limited quantities. Fresh bread and puff pastries are prohibited.
2. Vegetable soups, with the addition of cereals, borscht. Mushroom, meat and fish broths are excluded.
3. Beef, chicken, turkey, and rabbit in boiled or baked form. At the same time, duck meat and any offal are prohibited. Sausages and canned meat from both industrial and home production should not be present in the children’s diet.
4. Boiled or baked fish. Smoked fish, salted fish and canned foods should be excluded.
5. Dairy products. At the same time, try not to purchase yogurts in stores, but to cook them at home, using leaven. Sweet cereals in milk are allowed. At the same time, limit the presence of cream, fat milk and cheese in the diet.
6. Steamed omelet Hard-boiled eggs and fried eggs are banned.
7. Raw, boiled and steamed vegetables. At the same time, fried, pickled and pickled vegetables are excluded from the diet.
8. Compotes, jellies, fresh fruit juices of not too acidic varieties. It is worth choosing those gifts of nature that are common in your area.
9. Marshmallows, marmalade, nougat. We exclude chocolate from the diet.

For example, for breakfast, you can serve your child cottage cheese with fruits and tea with cookies. Two hours later, offer the baby a baked apple. For lunch, cook vegetable soup, porridge and steam cutlets. An afternoon snack will consist of not too strong tea with sugar and cookies. Finally, your child will have dinner with boiled potatoes with baked fish.

Diet for allergic children

Children’s allergies – a serious test for any family. Dermatitis and diathesis, conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, urticaria – all these manifestations of hypersensitivity to certain substances can seriously complicate the life of both the baby and his parents.

However, even a strict diet for allergies should be complete and varied. It should be borne in mind that all products are divided according to the degree of allergenicity.

So, among the products with the maximum allergenic potential, milk and eggs should be distinguished first of all. High probability of allergies to citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberries and strawberries. An undesirable reaction can be caused by wheat and rye, and chocolate, coffee, cocoa, honey and nuts are also allergens.

Beef, legumes, potatoes and beets have an average allergenic potential. Peaches, apricots, blueberries, bananas and black currants can cause allergies from fruits in some cases.

Finally, fermented milk products, some types of meat (horse meat, rabbit meat, lean pork and lamb, as well as turkey), pears and apples of green varieties, parsley and dill, as well as cabbage (both white and cauliflower), zucchini have the minimum allergenic potential. , cucumbers and yellow cherries.

It is products with low allergenic potential that should form the basis of the menu for allergies. There are many options for their preparation:

Diet for rotavirus infection

Rotavirus infection is better known under the names “stomach flu” and “intestinal flu”. This disease, which affects not only children, but also adults, but most often it occurs in children under the age of two years. The main manifestations of the disease are problems with the gastrointestinal tract (abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting), as well as a sharp increase in temperature.

Unfortunately, to date, there are no special drugs that could effectively resist rotaviruses. The main treatment for this infection is diet. Only it helps to relieve inflammation in the intestines and save the baby from unpleasant symptoms.

There are a number of fundamental rules for feeding children with rotavirus infection:

1. Avoid dehydration. As a rule, because of the specific taste, children are not very willing to drink rehydron, which makes it possible to compensate for the loss of liquid and minerals, and therefore prepare stewed fruit, weak tea, decoctions of chamomile or mint.
2. Do not force the child to eat. If there is no appetite, let the baby only drink.
3. Drink and eat often and in small portions so as not to induce vomiting.

Now a few words about what should be the diet for rotavirus infection in children. In the first two or three days, the main task is to normalize the stool. The baby’s diet should consist of cereals without adding oil (rice has proven itself best), as well as stewed apples. After the severity of the symptoms decreases, other products can be introduced:

1. Homemade biscuits, homemade crackers (use only the pulp of white loaf).
2. Low fat broths. It is better to cook vegetables. If, however, cook broth on meat or fish, then only secondary is allowed.
3. Soups with the addition of boiled cereals.
4. Omelette for a couple.
5. Steam cutlets of chicken or turkey, boiled fish (hake, cod, pollock).
6. Mashed potatoes without added oil.

On the third or fourth day, fermented milk products can be introduced into the child’s menu, which will normalize the intestinal microflora.

Please note that during the acute course of the disease and during recovery from the diet should be completely excluded products that may cause exacerbation of problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Milk, fatty cheeses and cottage cheese, honey, sugar and any sweets, black bread, buns, any fresh baked goods, pasta, dumplings, dumplings, legumes in all kinds, fatty meats and fish, smoked meats, sausages, chocolate are prohibited , cocoa, coffee, black tea.

You can transfer your baby to the common table only 10-14 days after the complete disappearance of the symptoms of the disease.

Diet for overweight children

Unfortunately, the problem of overweight is relevant not only for adults but also for children. Extra pounds not only affect the health and well-being of the child, but also lead to the development of self-doubt and psychological complexes. Therefore, if the child began to gain weight, you should consult a pediatrician and review the diet.

It should be noted that the use of any “adult” diet for children is strictly prohibited. To normalize weight, you should simply exclude from the menu dishes that do not bring special benefit to a growing body: fried foods and fast food in all forms (hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, crackers, chips, etc.); semi-finished products, sausages, sausages, sauces; factory pastries.

Do not forget that the norms of eating behavior are laid in childhood. Therefore, the right diet for a child is crucial for his health and well-being.