Vegetarianism is fashionable today . Therefore, some mothers who carefully monitor their health and constantly follow a diet do not eat meat themselves and do not give it to their children. Meanwhile, pediatricians are unanimous in their opinion: children and vegetarianism are incompatible! Refusal of meat can lead to disastrous consequences for the health of the child.
A growing child’s body cannot develop normally without animal protein . Young children quickly grow and develop, they need a base for this – a balanced diet, consisting of all the nutrients needed by the body, minerals and vitamins. Therefore, a daily children’s menu should be made taking into account the following physiological and age-related features:
1. Children’s body is growing rapidly . The nutrition of the child and mother cannot be the same. Mom’s body is no longer growing, and children under 18 sometimes stretch at such a rate that internal organs lag behind overall development. Therefore, meat must be present in the diet of children – the main source of animal protein.
A baby receives the necessary amount of this protein through mother’s milk, and then it is already necessary to replenish this amount of protein with meat. Not only meat is rich in animal protein, but also fish, cottage cheese, seafood and eggs. Therefore, in the daily diet of the child, these products must be present, otherwise he may be behind in growth from his peers! It is useless to try to replace meat with vegetables and fruits – there is practically no protein in them.
2. Useful cholesterol . We are used to hearing that cholesterol is harmful to health, but it is more likely to be beneficial for a child’s body than vice versa. The benefits of cholesterol is that it is the building block of the cell membrane. When a child grows intensively, all of his cells also grow, and how they will grow depends on the content of beneficial cholesterol.
There is a lot of it in products such as meat, fish, liver, sour cream, butter and eggs. The daily intake of cholesterol for children is 500 mg. If the child categorically refuses to eat meat, in order to replenish the daily norm of cholesterol, 2 pieces should be eaten. chicken eggs or fish dishes.
3. Carbohydrates and fats are also needed . In addition to proteins and cholesterol, the children’s body must daily receive the necessary rate of carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates, as well as cholesterol, are beneficial and harmful. Vegetables, fruits and cereals contain healthy carbohydrates, while harmful ones are waiting for the baby in foods such as potatoes, cookies, pastries, sweets and white bread.
If you do not monitor the nutrition of children and feed them mainly pasta, rolls, sweet cakes and potatoes, this will lead to a deterioration in immunity and weight gain, weakness and fatigue. Fats enter the body along with cream, butter and vegetable oil, sea and river fish. They contain essential fatty acids, as well as vitamins A, E and D. All these substances are necessary for the full growth and development of the child, maintaining his immunity.
4. Minerals are essential for health . A child needs calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and other trace elements to form his teeth, ensure normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels, activity and vitality. Calcium is found most of all in cottage cheese and in all dairy products, and also a lot of it in meat products, chicken eggs, fish, cereals, almonds, broccoli and sunflower seeds.
5. Sweets must be limited . Metabolism in children is more intense than in adults. This means that compared to adults, babies can consume more sweets without harming the body. Therefore, it’s wrong to forbid a child to eat anything sweet, the main thing here is not to overdo it. It is better to give sweets to the child only as a dessert after eating, while marmalade, marshmallow and molasses should be preferred. If a child loves fruits and berries, then the body’s need for glucose can be met by eating bananas, strawberries, raspberries, melons, tangerines, apples and dried fruits.
And in conclusion, I would like to remind mothers once again : meat, fish, cereals, fruits, vegetables, berries, dairy products and eggs should always be present in the child’s diet. In addition, it is very important from childhood to establish the right nutritional habits for a child: – every day to prepare homemade meals and teach a child to eat healthy; – in order not to overload the stomach, from an early age to teach children to eat 4-5 times a day in small portions; – explain to children that it is better not to use foods that are unhealthy. For example, fast food, fizzy drinks, colorful candies, chocolate bars, etc. – Do not force the child to eat something that he does not want. Forcing a child to eat meat, soup or other products each time, you can instill in the child a complete aversion to this product. Often children do not like to eat boiled meat, so that he does not refuse meat, cook meat patties, meatballs or meatballs. Usually, children are happy to eat them if they are tasty and juicy. – so that the child does not have the temptation to use a dry dryer, between meals, invite him to eat an apple, orange, banana or other fruits and vegetables.
And of course, for the child to eat right, the parents themselves should be a good example to him. If mom and dad themselves constantly have a snack, eat harmful foods and do not have dinner together, then they are unlikely to succeed in instilling the correct habits with their own children alone.