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Nutrition for kids: Guidelines for a healthy diet

April 24, 2023/in Family Safety, Food Safety, Food Sourcing

This original article was published by the Mayo Clinic Staff. Click here for more information!

 

You want your child to eat healthy foods, but do you know which nutrients are needed and in what amounts? Here’s a quick overview.

Introduction

Nutrition for kids is based on the same ideas as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of things, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat. These are called nutrients. Children need different amounts of specific nutrients at different ages.

The best eating pattern for a child’s growth and development considers the child’s age, activity level and other characteristics. Check out these nutrition basics for kids, based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Food packed with nutrients — with no or limited sugar, saturated fat, or salt added to it — is considered nutrient dense. Focusing on nutrient-dense foods helps kids get the nutrients they need while limiting overall calories.

Consider these nutrient-dense foods:

  • Protein. Choose seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
  • Fruits. Encourage your child to eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits. Look for canned fruit that says it’s light or packed in its own juice. This means it’s low in added sugar. Keep in mind that 1/4 cup of dried fruit counts as one serving of fruit.
  • Vegetables. Serve a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried vegetables. Choose peas or beans, along with colorful vegetables each week. When selecting canned or frozen vegetables, look for ones that are lower in sodium.
  • Grains. Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread or pasta, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or brown or wild rice.
  • Dairy. Encourage your child to eat and drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese. Fortified soy beverages also count as dairy.

Aim to limit your child’s calories from:

  • Added sugar. Naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fruit and milk, aren’t added sugars. Examples of added sugars include brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup and honey. To avoid added sugar, check nutrition labels. Choose cereals with minimal added sugars. Avoid sodas and other drinks with added sugars. Limit juice servings. If your child drinks juice, make sure it’s 100% juice without added sugars.
  • Saturated fats. Saturated fats mainly come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, hot dogs, poultry, butter and other full-fat dairy products. Pizza, sandwiches, burgers and burritos are a common source of saturated fat. Desserts such as cakes and ice cream are another common source of saturated fat. When cooking, look for ways to replace saturated fats with vegetable and nut oils, which provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E.
  • Salt. Most children in the United States have too much salt in their daily diets. Another name for salt is sodium. Salt can hide in sandwiches, where the sodium in bread, meat, condiments and toppings adds up. Processed foods, such as pizza, pasta dishes and soup, often have high amounts of salt. Encourage snacking on fruits and vegetables instead of chips and cookies. Check nutrition labels and look for products low in sodium.

If you have questions about nutrition for kids or specific concerns about your child’s diet, talk to your child’s health care provider or a registered dietitian.

Ages 2 to 4: Daily guidelines for girls
Calories 1,000 to 1,400, depending on growth and activity level
Protein 2 to 4 ounces
Fruits 1 to 1.5 cups
Vegetables 1 to 1.5 cups
Grains 3 to 5 ounces
Dairy 2 to 2.5 cups
Ages 2 to 4: Daily guidelines for boys
Calories 1,000 to 1,600, depending on growth and activity level
Protein 2 to 5 ounces
Fruits 1 to 1.5 cups
Vegetables 1 to 2 cups
Grains 3 to 5 ounces
Dairy 2 to 2.5 cups
Ages 5 to 8: Daily guidelines for girls
Calories 1,200 to 1,800, depending on growth and activity level
Protein 3 to 5 ounces
Fruits 1 to 1.5 cups
Vegetables 1.5 to 2.5 cups
Grains 4 to 6 ounces
Dairy 2.5 cups
Ages 5 to 8: Daily guidelines for boys
Calories 1,200 to 2,000, depending on growth and activity level
Protein 3 to 5.5 ounces
Fruits 1 to 2 cups
Vegetables 1.5 to 2.5 cups
Grains 4 to 6 ounces
Dairy 2.5 cups
Ages 9 to 13: Daily guidelines for girls
Calories 1,400 to 2,200, depending on growth and activity level
Protein 4 to 6 ounces
Fruits 1.5 to 2 cups
Vegetables 1.5 to 3 cups
Grains 5 to 7 ounces
Dairy 3 cups
Ages 9 to 13: Daily guidelines for boys
Calories 1,600 to 2,600, depending on growth and activity level
Protein 5 to 6.5 ounces
Fruits 1.5 to 2 cups
Vegetables 2 to 3.5 cups
Grains 5 to 9 ounces
Dairy 3 cups
Ages 14 to 18: Daily guidelines for girls
Calories 1,800 to 2,400, depending on growth and activity level
Protein 5 to 6.5 ounces
Fruits 1.5 to 2 cups
Vegetables 2.5 to 3 cups
Grains 6 to 8 ounces
Dairy 3 cups
Ages 14 to 18: Daily guidelines for boys
Calories 2,000 to 3,200, depending on growth and activity level
Protein 5.5 to 7 ounces
Fruits 2 to 2.5 cups
Vegetables 2.5 to 4 cups
Grains 6 to 10 ounces
Dairy 3 cups

 

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Great After-School Snacks

April 24, 2023/in Family Safety, Food Safety, Food Sourcing

This original article was published by Dr. Mary L. Gavin, M.D. with Kids Health. Click here for more information!

 

Do your kids come in from school and head right to the kitchen for something to eat? Most kids are hungry after school. Many kids eat lunch early and then have an afternoon of classes. Some may have an after-school activity before their next chance to eat. Even if their lunch is later, it still may be 6 hours or more before they sit down to dinner.

After-school snacks can take the edge off hunger and boost nutrition. Parents can help their children choose healthy after-school snacks while still leaving room for dinner.

Create a List of Healthy Options

When it comes to after-school snacks, make chips, sweets, and other treats the exception rather than the rule. Talk to your kids and make a list of healthy options together. Include a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and protein foods. An occasional treat is fine, but serve healthy snacks most of the time.

Some kids might want to come along to the grocery store to help choose snacks. Spend some time reading the nutrition facts labels and comparing products. Pay attention to the amounts of protein, fiber, calcium, and other important nutrients. Also talk about serving sizes. Together, choose snacks that are low in sugar, fat, and salt. Being involved makes it more likely that kids will learn to make healthy food choices.

Figure Out the Timing

Consider your child’s eating schedules when planning snacks:

  • What time is lunch?
  • What and how much do they eat at lunch?
  • Do they eat an afternoon snack at school or after-school program?
  • What time is dinner?

A child who gets home at 4:00 and eats a large snack probably won’t be hungry if dinner is at 5:00. Instead, offer a light snack — perhaps a fruit or vegetable you’ll serve at dinner — to take the edge off. On the other hand, it may not be reasonable to expect a child to wait until 7:30 with nothing to eat since lunch. Offer a fruit or vegetable, but pair it with a protein, like apples and peanut butter or veggies and hummus.

Make Healthy Snacks an Easy Choice

Kids are more likely to eat what’s handy, especially when they are hungry. Make it easy to choose healthy after-school snacks. You can:

  • Put healthy snacks out where kids can see them. Keep fruit on the counter and healthy items, like yogurt and cut-up vegetables, front and center in your fridge.
  • Make healthy snacks ahead of time.
  • Pack healthy snacks in lunchboxes or backpacks.

If you’re at home after school, your child mild enjoy making snacks together. Some kid-favorite creative snacks include:

  • ants on a log (celery topped with peanut butter and raisin “ants”)
  • egg boats (hard-boiled egg wedges topped with a cheese sail)
  • fruit kabobs (pieces of fruit on skewers with yogurt for dipping)

Older kids may enjoy making smoothies, home-made trail mix, or popcorn sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

If your child goes to an after-school program or to a caregiver’s house, ask about snacks. If you don’t like the snacks they serve, suggest healthy alternatives. Or pack a healthy snack for after school. Easy-to-pack snack options include trail mix, nuts, low-sugar whole-grain cereal, whole-grain pretzels or crackers, fresh or dried fruit, and cut-up vegetables.

https://protectbees.us/wp-content/uploads/PlaceHolder-Bee.jpg 540 960 KaraM https://protectbees.us/wp-content/uploads/TEMP-Logo-White-Stroke.png KaraM2023-04-24 12:47:592023-05-08 11:04:05Great After-School Snacks
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Sweets from the Hive: Honey Fudge Recipe

April 24, 2023/in Family Safety, Food Safety, Food Sourcing

This recipe was originally published by The Whole Kids Foundation. Click here for more information!

 

Looking for a quick, summer dessert courtesy of our precious pollinators? Did you know 1 in 3 bites of food is made possible by pollinators? Here is a fun recipe below to make with your kiddos that only requires three ingredients and a refrigerator! This recipe is gluten free and diary free and yummy for the whole family. Stay tuned to find more recipes here fit for all!

 

Honey Fudge Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Cup Honey

1 Cup Cocoa Powder

1 Cup Coconut Oil

Directions: Heat the coconut oil until liquid. Pour all ingredients into mixing bowl. Mix with the hand mixer until blended and smoothed. Grease loaf pan with coconut oil. Pour mixture into pan and place in refrigerator. Wait a few hours to cool and set. Keep refrigerated. The recipe notes you can make this either thin or thick.

 

 

https://protectbees.us/wp-content/uploads/PlaceHolder-Bee.jpg 540 960 KaraM https://protectbees.us/wp-content/uploads/TEMP-Logo-White-Stroke.png KaraM2023-04-24 12:43:542023-05-08 11:04:30Sweets from the Hive: Honey Fudge Recipe

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