Nutritional standards for children from 0 to 17 years old

The key to the health of any child is proper nutrition. But how does it feel to eat right? Each parent has their own opinion on this matter. Therefore, often in the diet of children there are irrational (forgive me for the tautology) "distortions". Healthy lifestyle adherents focus on vegetables and meat, forgetting that a growing body needs carbohydrates. And someone, on the contrary, gives the child freedom of choice and abuses dumplings and spaghetti. Finding a balance here is not easy, but it is there. Especially for seeking and scrupulous parents, the Ministry of Health has developed tables with nutritional standards for children from birth to adulthood.

The daily requirement for BZHU from 0 to 6 years

From birth to 6 years of age, the daily need for BJU varies greatly / istockphoto.com

Up to about six months, the child's daily requirement for proteins, fats and carbohydrates is completely and completely covered by the mother's milk. That is why doctors strongly discourage add water to babies, because it occupies the volume in the stomach that the nutrient fluid should fill in an amicable way. Remember, baby milk is a superfood that eliminates the need for all other foods for at least 6 months.

If, for some reason, you feed your baby with a formula, then you also don't have to bother too much. All modern formula for artificial feeding are maximally balanced for the needs of a child at a particular age. The only thing, with IW, it is very important to pay attention to the weight of the child - up to six months, the baby's need for BJU is calculated on the basis of this indicator. It is from the need for BJU (and not from the age of the child) that one must proceed when calculating his daily rate of the mixture.

From half a year, the child's motor and cognitive activity increases. This means that there is a need for additional food. From this time on, parents usually begin to enter first feeding. Where to start depends entirely on the needs of your little one. If the child is gaining weight well, then WHO recommends starting complementary foods with vegetable purees, then introducing cereals, fruit purees and meat (from 8-9 months). If the baby is small, "move" the porridge to the first place. Keep in mind, however, that breast milk (or formula) continues to dominate your baby's diet. Therefore, at the initial stages (from 6 to 9 months), complementary foods should only be an introduction to a new food and in no case should they replace the main food.

After a year, the child's need for energy and BJU increases sharply (according to the table of the Ministry of Health, from about 1100 kcal to 1385 kcal). This is due to the fact that at this age children already, as a rule, can walk. In addition, babies aged 1-3 will have several leaps in development. Therefore, a child needs 4 times more carbohydrates than proteins and fats. However, this does not mean that you need to feed the child with sweets. By carbohydrates, the MOH means cereals, vegetables, nuts, herbs, bread and pasta. Yes, a serving of durum wheat spaghetti won't hurt your two-year-old. Nutritionists even recommend adding this dish to your diet once or twice a week.

From 4 to 6 years of age, the child's energy "needs" increase by another quarter (from 1385 to 1700 kcal). At the same time, a high demand for carbohydrates remains, but the key value of animal proteins decreases. There should still be a lot of cereals and vegetables in the diet of preschoolers. You should also pay attention to foods rich in vegetable protein (legumes, nuts, seeds and green vegetables). The general ratio of BJU at this age should be approximately like this - 1: 1: 4, respectively.

The daily need for BJU for schoolchildren

For schoolchildren, the Ministry of Health reduces the need for carbohydrates and calories / istockphoto.com

Based on the table of the Ministry of Health, the need for energy and carbohydrates begins to fall in a child at school age. This is due to the fact that modern children lead a sedentary lifestyle. They sit in class, sit on extended classes (in smartphones) and mostly at home (in front of the TV). Therefore, the children's diet at this age needs to be revised. The Ministry of Health recommends focusing on proteins and fats in the nutritional norms of primary schoolchildren. Try to use healthy vegetable oils (olive, rapeseed) in cooking and add less butter (and even less spread) to dishes. Choose poultry and fish from meat products, but red meat should be limited to beef.

Similar principles are preserved in nutrition of schoolchildren and for the older age. The only thing, starting from the age of 11, the daily need for energy and BJU differs between boys and girls. This difference is rather arbitrary at 11-13 years old (plus or minus 100 kcal), but from 14 years old girls already need 300 kcal less than boys. It is worth paying special attention to this, because it is the older schoolgirls, according to statistics, who are most prone to eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, bouts of binge eating). To avoid this, nutritionists advise at this age to compose a diet with the child, based on the table of the Ministry of Health.

Daily nutritional norms for children from 0 to 17 years old / source: website of the Ministry of Health

At senior school age, it is already possible to apply the principles of healthy eating developed by the Ministry of Health for adults. This is not only calorie control, but also recommendations for food groups. So, on a daily basis, experts from the Ministry of Health advise the use of products from 5 main groups:

1. Colorful vegetables and legumes: 300 g of vegetables for 4-5 servings per day and 75 g of legumes (peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans, peanuts, lentils).
2. Fruits and berries: 300 g for 2 servings a day
3. Whole grains or cereals with minimal processing (cereals, whole grain breads, cereals and muesli, durum wheat pasta): 70 g for women and 90 g for men
4. Lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds: a meat dish once a day, 2-3 fish dishes a week, 1-2 eggs a day, 2 tablespoons of nuts or seeds a day
5. Milk, yoghurt, moderate-fat hard cheeses: 2 servings per day (serving is a glass of liquid milk product or 40 g for hard cheese)

For those who find it easier to perceive information visually, the Ministry of Health publishes a table that was developed by experts from the Harvard School of Nutrition and Public Health. The Ministry of Health says that these rules are suitable for both adults and children (only adjusted for age and nutritional norms calculated in the table of the Ministry of Health)

Harvard Medical School Healthy Eating Plate / Source: MoH website

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