As your child grows, the diet needs to be changed according to the growth. It is very important to make sure that your child gets all the nutrients required for proper growth. A healthy diet plan chart should be in place so that you do not miss anything.
A lot of kids either start school at an early stage or their parents put them in a daycare center also known as pre-school in many countries. In either case the mental and physical activities of the child increase which increases the need for nutrients.
As a parent, it is your duty to make sure that the changes in the diet are monitored properly so that joining school or pre-school does not have any adverse effect on growth. The diet of the child should have a balanced amount of minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Here are the complete diet plan and food chart for 3 year old Kids.
Carbohydrates are the powerhouse that provides sufficient energy to the kids and help in improving the metabolism rate as well. The carbs in the diet help in the kid’s growth and ensure proper brain and nerve development. The kids between the ages of 3-5 need a good amount of carbs to ensure proper body growth.
You can choose a lot of different food items like potatoes, honey, milk, juices, fruits, cereals, and legumes as the source of carbohydrates.
For the growing kids, proteins are important. They help in the development of cells and tissues. Proteins also boost the metabolic reactions. A lot of different food items in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options can provide the essential proteins for the body. You can choose from, beans, milk, meat, pulses, cheese, peas, poultry, and nuts as the source of different proteins.
Also Read: The 7 amazing benefits of giving Curd to kids which you must know
The vitamins like A, B, C, K, D, and others are required for the proper growth of the human body. The vitamins help in improving the digestive system, nervous system, immune system and other important body functions. Fresh green vegetables, fruits, milk and many other food items are a rich source of vitamins.
There are many inorganic substances that are required for the proper growth of the human body. The minerals such as calcium, potassium, sodium, iron and many others are the key elements in healthy growth. Iron helps in producing red blood cells and calcium helps in strengthening bones and muscles.
These minerals can be found in fruits, vegetables, pulses, and eggs among many other food items.
For the healthy digestive system, fiber should be there in proper amount in the child’s diet. It helps in smooth functioning of every system in the body. The whole grains, oats, apples, pears, green peas, green vegetables etc are a good source of fiber.
Juices do not provide the proper amount of fiber thus it is important to eat the fruits and vegetables as a whole.
Many of us think that fat can only be bad but in reality, fat is an important part of our growth. For the proper mental and physical growth, fats are very important. Kids require a specific amount of fats on a daily basis which can be added with food sources like ghee, milk, butter etc.
For a child between the ages of 3 to 5, a healthy diet plan is very important. You have to make sure that you add every food item in moderation so that your child gets all the required nutrients. It is important to concentrate on home cooked food.
Also, in the cooked or processed food items that you get in the market, there are a lot of chemicals which are not good for health. Your child’s health depends majorly on the food he or she eats. It is your responsibility to make sure that all the nutrients are there in the diet plan.
The following charts will help you in understanding the food needs of your child. You can alter them a little bit with the local produce. The diet depends a lot on the food habits you follow. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, make sure that the child is getting the nutrients from fruits and vegetables which are missing from not eating meat.
Also Read: How much calcium does your baby need (with food chart for 6 months to 3 years)
Also Read: 5 Tips to Packing Great Kids Lunches (and getting them to finish it!)
null
null