Importance Of Child And Adolescent Food

Importance of child and adolescent food

During the early childhood, marked by rapid growth, it is necessary to provide the child with an adequate amount of calories. Macro-nutrients contained in foods that can provide energy to children are fats, carbohydrates and proteins. To do this, it is necessary that children have a healthy and balanced diet. To understand the importance of energy intake, especially in the first years of life, you can see how (for each gram of macro nutrients consumed per unit of body weight) the amount of proteins consumed by a child in the first years of lifeIt is almost equal to that of an adult, but carbohydrates are almost double consumed on average by an adult, and the amount of fat is almost four times greater than that of an adult. In addition, energy is required to maintain vital activity such as breathing, cardiocirculatory activity, renal and brain functions in resting conditions. 

To ensure the processes of digestion, transformation and storage of nutrients for the formation of new tissues, the growth of the child, and for physical activity. The energy that a child should receive through the diet is equal to the amount of energy used as well as the energy used for growth (that is, used to generate new tissue. During the first year, the amount of energy required for growth is significant.

The World Health Organization (WHO) 8 reports a basic similarity between the energy recommendations that a preschool child needs.

There is, therefore, a series of considerable, reliable and global values, derived from the product of the estimation of the amount of energy required per kilogram of body weight and the average weight of the child for a series of general age groups.

The greatest risk of developing chronic diseases throughout life, as well as developing them early, is strongly influenced by eating habits and lifestyle that children acquire during childhood and adolescence. Therefore, preventive action occurs through direct actions, such as the adoption of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, it is essential to keep under control the various risk factors and significantly limit the appearance of chronic diseases so commonIn adulthood.

Heat levels should be broken down as follows: 20%breakfast;mid -morning snack 5%;35%lunch;10%snack;Dinner 30% in adolescence, breakfast is a necessary food. Often this moment is ignored by adolescents who pay little attention to breakfast. Actually, breakfast should include foods such as milk, bread, toast, yogurt, cereals, fruits and honey. During the day, snacks can help provide adolescents with the energy and nutrients they need, but they must also be varied as fruits, cookies, chocolate among others and not too abundant not to ruin their appetite in meals;During the main meals, the diet must be varied and not excessive amounts. Dietary habits focused on a single diet and repeated and frequent consumption of food/dinner outside the home significantly increase the risk of altering children’s feeding habit.

 Therefore, preventive action from the first years of life through direct actions, such as the adoption of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, is essential to keep the various risk factors under control. Given the importance of nutrition during adolescence, especially in the prevention of the main chronic diseases so common in adulthood. Governments and international organizations that deal with health -related issues have developed guidelines to define a balanced diet during the different phases of human life, with special attention to childhood and adolescence.