What is a healthy diet for children one to eleven years of age?
• A healthy diet for children has enough nutrients for them to grow and have energy. The nutrients children need include protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The amount of nutrients your child needs changes as he grows. His nutrient needs also depend on the amount of physical activity he does every day. A healthy diet also limits unhealthy foods that are high in fat and sugar. • A healthy diet helps a child to stay at a normal weight. Staying at a normal weight during childhood may keep a child from having certain health problems later in life. These health problems include obesity (being overweight), diabetes and heart disease. What foods should I avoid giving to my child? • High-sugar, high-fat snack foods, juice, fruit drinks, soda, and milk between meals can decrease your child’s appetite. This may cause him to eat less at mealtimes and not grow well. Your child may develop iron deficiency (dee-FISH-en-see) anemia (low levels of iron in his blood). Iron defici
