Feeding Growing Kids with Confidence
What do children need?
And how much? From young children to busy teenagers, the amount of food they need does change. The best place to start is with what they need for a balanced way of eating and then match portion sizes as they get bigger and more active.
Start with fruit and vegetables
5 to 7 servings a day
It is very common for parents to say that their children do not eat fruit or vegetables, or that they eat very few. Although ideally children are eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables every day, if they are eating any, you are doing well.
Children need to have some fruit and or vegetables at every meal. What you really want is to have two to three servings of fruit every day and some vegetables or salad at lunch and dinner. A good guide is to have vegetables make up one third to one half of the plate. This will be smaller for young children and adult-sized for growing teens. Offer fruit with breakfast or as a snack during the day.
Vegetables cooked into sauces do count. Think about hidden vegetable pasta sauces and smooth soups. Homemade smoothies can also be a way to help children who struggle with the feel of fruit.
Breads, cereals and pasta
Some at every meal
These foods are great sources of carbohydrate. You may have heard about fads telling people to cut out carbs, but these foods are important sources of energy for children, especially growing children. Carbohydrate foods such as wholegrain bread and high-fibre cereals are also sources of fibre, which children need. At the moment, six out of ten children in Ireland do not eat enough fibre. High-fibre and wholegrain foods often contain other important nutrients such as B vitamins, iron and magnesium.
Children need some carbohydrate-rich foods at every meal. This can be cereal or toast in the morning, a wrap or a sandwich at lunchtime, and potatoes or pasta at dinner. Try to move towards the higher-fibre or brown versions, such as wholemeal or wholegrain bread, brown rice and higher-fibre breakfast cereals. Younger children do not need as much fibre, but it is good to get them into the habit of choosing brown bread at lunch or porridge for breakfast.
Match carbohydrates with age
Younger children do need smaller servings of carbohydrates. They often need about half of what an adult would need. Think about carbohydrate foods like pasta, rice and potatoes making up around one third of their plate at lunch and dinner. If a child is very active, they may need larger portions to match their activity or some extra snacks.
Dairy and calcium foods
3 to 5 servings a day
Calcium is important for growing bones and teeth, and children need plenty of calcium-rich foods every day. Milk, cheese and yoghurt are excellent sources of calcium. Plant-based milks such as soya milk that have calcium added are also good sources. Although green vegetables do contain some calcium, it can be difficult to absorb, so it is best not to rely on green vegetables alone.
How much calcium?
Children aged 5 to 8 need three servings a day. Children and teens aged 9 to 18 need five servings a day. This is due to the rapid growth seen from around age 9. Children build about 90 percent of their bone before they are 19 years old. It is important that they get all the calcium they need now to help keep bones strong throughout adult life.
What counts as one serving?
- 200 ml milk or calcium-fortified soya milk
- 1 pot of yoghurt, around 125 g
- 1 bottle of yoghurt drink, 200 ml
- 25 g of cheese
Foods for protein: beans, fish, meat and eggs
2 servings per day
Protein is needed to help children grow. It helps build healthy muscles and strong bones. Children do get small amounts of protein from carbohydrate foods such as bread, as well as from dairy foods like milk and yoghurt, but they do need specific protein foods too. Beef, lamb, pork, beans, lentils, tofu, chicken and eggs are all good sources of protein. Children should have a protein food at two meals every day. Protein foods can also be good sources of nutrients such as iron and B vitamins. Red meat, chicken legs, beans and lentils are all great sources of iron.
Healthy fats for kids
Children do need some fat every day. It is just as important as protein or calcium. However, many children eat more fat than they need. Olive oil, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil are healthier oils to use in cooking. Use a dessertspoon to measure. One to two dessertspoons is plenty to cook most foods and to dress a salad for a family. It is best to limit saturated fats such as butter, coconut oil and ghee. Too much saturated fat is linked with an increased risk of heart disease later in life. It is good to get children into the habit of using healthier fats and oils when cooking.
Omega-3 fats
Oil-rich fish such as salmon, trout and sardines are rich in omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. DHA is particularly important for a healthy brain and healthy eyesight. Not all children like fish, but there are lots of ways to help them try it. Many children enjoy salmon, and you can add plenty of flavour with herbs, spices and seasonings. There are also omega-3 fish fingers for children who are struggling to get started. Look for recipes that include fish. Sometimes a fish pie can be easier than a piece of fish on a plate. You can also try fish curries and fish cakes.
What about treat foods?
Treat foods such as biscuits, chocolate and crisps can be a lovely part of life, and it is fine for children to have them occasionally. Banning treat foods can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food, so it is best not to make a big deal of them. If children are having treat foods, choose smaller sizes. Too often children are given large bars of chocolate or sharing bags of crisps. Look for fun-size treats and have just one. This may look small to adult eyes, but we do tend to eat more treat foods than are good for us in Ireland.
Remember, the issue with treat foods is that they can push out healthier foods. If a child has chocolate or crisps between meals, they are much less likely to eat their vegetables at dinner. If they fill up on biscuits during the day, they are less likely to eat the fruit their bodies need. So it is not just about limiting sugar, it is about keeping space for children to eat nourishing foods and build a healthier body.