What is the Right Potion Size For Children?

Well, you are a parent of a child and you would certainly want to provide your child a happy and healthy life. In order to provide your child a healthy and happy life, you would certainly need to choose a proper portion of diet for your child.

Table of Contents

Ideal Serving Sizes For Children

A serving is a specific amount of food or drink that is defined by common measurements, such as cups, ounces or tablespoons. Whereas, a portion is the amount of food that happens to end up on a table plate.

Think of portion size as the actual amount of food which kids choose to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack. The portion may be larger or smaller than the recommended serving size. Here is the detail that you would need in order to provide your child a healthy and happy life.

Fruits

Fruit is the most important item for everyone. It is rich in vitamins and nutrients. Fruit benefits your body immensely as they are natural sources of vitamins and minerals which are essential for proper functioning of the body.

They also help in improving the digestive track. They effectively fight skin disorders and promote healthy hair growth. It is always suggested to eat the raw and fresh fruit because then only you will experience the real health benefits, rather than consuming them after processing or cooking.

They provide you instant energy which is the prime benefit of fruit which we can utilize anytime. This is the reason why athletes often eat fruits during and after exercising.

Drug stores have many types of multivitamin tablets that can give supplemental nutrition during critical times. However, it is always advised to eat the vitamins of fruits in their natural form.

Depending on the age group, the portion of serving fruit can change. For instance, if your child is in the age group of one to three years then it is important to give him or her one-fourth cup of cooked or canned fruit. Moreover, if your kid is in the age group of four to six, then the portion may rise up to a half cup.

Vegetables

This is another important ingredient which is able to provide the child a healthy and happy life. Vegetables are rich in nutrients and essential vitamins. The benefits of vegetables can be seen in the long run as they improve your overall health and keep the internal vital organs in perfect condition.

Consumption of vegetables takes care of your digestive system, excretory and skeletal system as well. With a diet rich with vegetables, you are benefitted with abundant antioxidants that keep away disease like cancer, cardiovascular problems, and strokes.

Moreover, they provide ample amounts of vitamin including folates, vitamin A, Vitamin K, and vitamin B6. Including vegetables in your diet is the easiest way to stay healthy.

Vegetables are low-calorie nutrient food, they help you to stay in optimum health over the long term by keeping your weight in check. Vegetables have an abundant level of antioxidants that prevent the growth of cancerous cells.

Dark green vegetables have phenolic flavonoid antioxidants and minerals. These vitamins and minerals are essential for proper functioning of the body. Deficiency of these minerals can lead to some serious deficiency of your bones, teeth, and vital organs.

Vegetables naturally high levels of water. This is the reason why they are generally fat-free and low in calories. So you can rest be assured of both your health and weight once you start on a vegetable rich-diet.

The more you consume vegetables, the more water intake flushes out waste products and toxins from your body.

Vegetables also help you protect from hypertension. For the age group of one year to three years, it’s important to provide one-fourth cup of boiled food. And the serving amount will rise subsequently with the rise of age.

Importance Of Fruits And Vegetables

Therefore it can be said that fruits and vegetables benefit kids in many ways which decrease obesity and better school performance, but most children don’t get the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

One-half of the children’s meal should be filled with fruits and vegetables in order to reap the benefits. Children’s growing bodies require good food and nutrition and as mentioned above it can only be provided by fruits and vegetables.

Citrus fruits and vegetables are rich in immune-boosting vitamin c, carrots are filled with vitamin A, and spinach is a good source of iron. So eating fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors will provide a wide range of nutrients that will keep kids healthy.

Grains

The food grains are rich in nutrients which will certainly help your child to have a good health. How? Well, here’s how:

Grains are an important part of child’s diet, providing them with vital nutrients to go through the day. The recommended daily intake of fiber, iron, carbohydrate and other minerals can seem like a lot.

But one way to get the most out of what your kid is eating is introducing them grain. Grains lower the risk heart attack diabetes and cancer. Fiber helps to increase the food movement through the digestive system and reduce constipation.

At least three gram per serving is good. Grains are also rich in vitamin B which is essential for healthy nervous system.

They also contain minerals such as iron and oxygen in the blood, whilst magnesium builds strong bones and releases energy from muscles.

Apart from fruits and vegetables, grains also contain antioxidants which strengthen the body’s ability to fight infection and disease.

Grains can be served six to eleven times daily depending on age. If your child is in the age group of one year to three years then serve him or her bread, rice and other cereals in an adequate amount so that proper supply of nutrients can be maintained.

Proteins and Meats

Proteins are bodybuilding foods. They are the building blocks of life. They help build and maintain and replace tissue of the body.

Proteins also help to maintain the immune system and all the organs in the body. It replenishes blood, heals wound and aids the growth of hair and nail. Protein can do wonder for kids.

Carbohydrate provides the energy they need but when enough carbohydrate is not present then the body uses protein to get calories. Meats and flesh are the good sources of proteins. And protein is said to improve overall health. And of the many nutrients that meat contains, they are rich in iron, zinc, and selenium.

While iron helps in forming hemoglobin that transports oxygen to different parts of the body, zinc helps in tissue formation and metabolism, as well as, selenium breaks down the fat and chemicals in the body.

Vitamins are also a big part of one’s diet, and vitamin A, B, and D are commonly found in meat as well. Not only do these vitamins promote good vision, stronger teeth, and bones but it also supports the central nervous system thus promoting mental health as well.

Fish like salmons are also rich in protein. Other substitutes for meat and proteins are beans and legumes which contain a high amount of protein. Thus it is important to serve a child one ounce of fish or beans daily.

If your child is in the age group of four to six then the amount would rise to two ounces of meat or beans. It’s good to serve an egg daily to every child.

Dairy

Dairy products are rich in vitamins, proteins, and minerals. They play a vital role in the health and maintenance of the human body. These vital nutrients contain potassium, calcium and vitamin D. Your overall health will increase by consuming an adequate amount of dairy products every day.

Know How Important Calcium Is

Kids require calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Milk products are the primary source of calcium. Diary also contains the essential nutrients potassium. A diet rich in potassium will help you maintain healthy food pressure. Yogurt and milk provide a right amount of potassium.

Milk is also rich in vitamin D which is essential for maintaining proper levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body. Thus it’s good to serve daily one cup of milk if your child is in the age group of one to three. Serve dairy products two to three times daily.

Ok, if you follow these details then you will certainly be able to provide him a healthy and happy life.