Your preschooler is growing by leaps and bounds, both physically and mentally. It’s your job to make sure he’s got enough nutrient-rich calories in his body that will help him keep up on the playground. Of course that can be easier said than done, as this age group is famous for fickle eating habits.
Quality Nutrition in Early Childhood
Healthy, nutrient-dense foods provide a variety of nutrients children need to grow and do the activities they enjoy. These foods also help children maintain a healthy weight and prevent some diseases.
Young children’s brains are developing rapidly. So, they need foods rich in vitamins and minerals, and with healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates, to help them learn about the world around them. Without the right nutrients, infants, toddlers and preschoolers may not develop to their full potential. For example, children may have difficulty concentrating if they don’t have enough of the mineral iron, making it challenging for them to learn through exploring and interacting with the world around them.
The benefits of healthy, nutritious eating can carry throughout a lifetime. Young children who establish healthy eating patterns early are more likely to continue those practices as they get older.
Participation in early childhood nutrition programs, like the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), can lead to increased consumption of quality nutrients for young children during this critical time of brain development. Nutrition greatly impacts the developing brain, including how genes express themselves and the growth of synapses: “food insecurity and malnutrition have been linked to nutrient deficiencies leading to learning and developmental deficits amongst the most vulnerable, infants and toddlers.” The impact of a lack of access to quality nutrition in early childhood can have longer term effects too, influencing school performance in k-12. It was this research that prompted the development of the Quality Nutrition workgroup.
Calcium
Calcium helps make strong bones and teeth, and this nutrient is most important during the years when bones are growing. Foods that are the highest in calcium come from the cow — low-fat milk, cheeses and yogurt. Some leafy green vegetables and fortified juices are also good sources of calcium.
Here are some ways to give your child the calcium they need:
- Start their day with a bowl of cold or hot whole-grain cereal topped with skim or low-fat milk and sliced fresh fruit.
- Serve low-fat yogurt, smoothies or cheese after school and between meals for a nourishing calcium-rich snack.
- Calcium-fortified juices and cereals are fine non-dairy alternatives to help meet your child’s daily requirement.
Many kids ages 9 to 18 don’t get the recommended 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day, but at every age, from infancy to adolescence, calcium is one nutrient they simply can’t afford to skip.
Fiber
Everyone needs plenty of fiber each day to keep the digestive system working well. Here’s how to get your kids used to the taste of fiber-rich foods:
- A bowl of high-fiber cereal is a great start to meeting your child’s daily needs. Read food labels to find whole-grain cereals that provide 3 grams or more of fiber per serving. Add sweetness to cereal with fresh, canned (unsweetened) or frozen fruit.
- Have cut-up whole fruits and veggies on hand to help your child meet the recommended five or more daily servings of fiber. Keep fruit juice to a minimum. Whole fruits and vegetables contain much more fiber and less sugar than most juices.
- Beans are loaded with fiber and protein. Drain and rinse canned beans and toss into soups, stews, salads, scrambled eggs and omelets, and salsas.
Fiber-rich foods are filling, which helps discourage overeating — even though fiber itself adds no calories. Fiber may also lower LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and help prevent diabetes and heart disease.
Protein
Every cell in the body is made of protein, which makes this major nutrient essential for healthy growth and development. Protein is found in animal products such as dairy, eggs, seafood and meats. In somewhat lesser amounts, it is also in beans, nuts, vegetables and grains.
Boost your child’s nutritional intake with these protein-rich food ideas:
- Even finicky kids love eggs. French toast, scrambled eggs, pancakes and omelets are kid-pleasing dishes that contain plenty of protein, iron and other important nutrients.
- Branch out from fish sticks and try salmon dishes that kids will enjoy. Top salmon or other fish fillets with salsa or teriyaki sauce to give your child lean protein along with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
- Add nuts to cereals, yogurts or vegetables for added protein, fiber and healthy unsaturated fats.
Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein, and you use protein to make enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood.
Antioxidant Superfoods
Antioxidants help defend the body against harmful substances that can damage cells. Power up your child’s diet with foods rich in antioxidants, such as almonds, berries, citrus, carrots, spinach, tomatoes and bell peppers.
Many foods packed with antioxidants can easily be added to kids’ diets.
- Bring orange wedges, 100% citrus juice, fruit or nut granola bars to the next sports practice for a refreshing and energizing treat.
- Pack school lunches with baby carrots, grape tomatoes or red bell pepper slices for a fiber- and antioxidant-rich lunch or snack.
- Add plenty of antioxidant-rich tomatoes or tomato sauce to pizza, spaghetti, meatloaf, soups and stews.
Ensuring a good amount of antioxidant-rich foods in children’s diets can reduce the chances of cancer, lower high blood pressure, minimize wrinkles as they get older and help their hearts stay healthy.
Iron
Children’s diets are often lacking in iron, a mineral that carries oxygen in the blood and helps keep kids energized. Boost the iron in your kids’ diet with lean meats, eggs, fish, dark leafy greens, beans, dried fruits and iron-fortified grains.
Use these tricks to add iron to your kids’ diets:
- Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron, so pair eggs with oranges or orange juice.
- Serve spinach salads topped with strawberries, dried cranberries and/or slivered almonds and a light raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The fruit will help the body absorb the iron in the spinach, and kids will love the taste.
- When kids refuse a meal, offer iron-fortified cereal topped with low-fat milk or yogurt and fruit as a healthy meal substitute.
Recommended daily calorie intake depends on your child’s age, size, and gender, but most preschoolers require between 1,000 to 1,600 calories a day. We’ve got a few tips to help you build healthy eating habits in your preschooler.
10 Helpful Tips for Eating Healthy in Preschool
- Take the “division of responsibility” approach to meals. In a nutshell: you decide what, when, and where to offer food. It’s up to your child to decide how much and whether they will eat it.
- Send him off with a protein-packed breakfast to fuel his busy day. Some kids just aren’t breakfast eaters, but if yours is, this is a great opportunity to load him up with the energy he’ll need to tackle his busy day.
- Choose lunch foods you know he’ll like. If he rejected last night’s pasta, don’t pack the leftovers in his lunchbox in the hopes that he’ll eat it. Stick with a tried and true rotating repertoire of high energy, non-processed foods to keep him upbeat and active throughout the day.
- Ask him what his friends are eating for lunch. He might try something new if he sees one of his new friends eating it, too. But seriously, don’t sweat it if his lunchbox is still full when you pick him up.
- Make sure he gets lots of physical activity every day. The more active he is, the hungrier he will be!
- Have dinner together as a family as much as possible. This is probably the best way to encourage healthy eating habits–you set a good example, and you can try new foods together.
- Don’t use sweets as a reward. This is a tough one and can be hard to follow when you’re frazzled and it feels like he hasn’t eaten a vegetable in days. You might be successful in the short run, but you don’t want to set a precedent that vegetables are something to be “endured.”
- Offer new foods all the time. And even if he rejects lentils one night, give it a shot again soon. It might take a few tries for him to decide if he really likes it or not. Or also try a different preparation–if he rejected the lentil salad, maybe he’ll like lentil soup instead.
- Enlist his help in the kitchen. Getting him involved in the food prep is a great way to spend time together, but it also will teach him skills he’ll use his whole life. Let him measure, stir, tear, mix, mash, and pour, all while you’re teaching him about good nutrition habits.
- Relax! This can often be one of the more infuriating pieces of parenting advice, but it’s true. Avoid power struggles over food and we guarantee that you’ll raise a healthy eater.