Children's menu must be prepared correctly, so every mom should know its basic components. And as some food groups should be present in the children's menu, why they are needed, and how the child's diet must change with age.

Habits of healthy (or unhealthy) food begins to produce children at an early age. The way you feed your baby when he is just learning to walk and talk, depends largely on how it will feel and look like decades later. Get rid of the habits laid in childhood is extremely difficult, so you should take care of that child to learn to eat properly. Doctors say that children should receive from your diet all the nutrients you need while not exceeding calorie intake. The child's daily diet should include:

• Grains: rice, pasta, buckwheat, whole wheat bread, milk porridge, and so on;
• Vegetables and legumes (beans, lentils, peas, and so on);
• Fruit;
• Milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese;
• Meat, poultry, fish and eggs;
• Nuts and seeds.

Butter and margarine should be used for children in very moderate amounts, and candy, chocolate bars, sodas, chips and similar products can be eaten only occasionally - the less the better. In addition, it is important that the child drank enough water.

Fruits and vegetables

This food group - a rich source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps to:

• Avoid vitamin deficiency Vitamins for everyone ;
• Prevent obesity;
• Prevent constipation and other disorders of the intestine;
• Normalize blood pressure;
• Lower cholesterol Cholesterin ;
• To normalize blood glucose levels.

In addition, fruits and vegetables contain large amounts of phytochemicals that can prevent the development of cancer or slow the growth of a cancerous tumor to prevent the number of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, cataracts. Of course, never too late to start eating right, but it would be better if the baby will get used to a healthy diet from an early age.

The recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables per day for children of all ages:

Serving of fruit is considered, for example, a medium-sized fruit (apple, banana, pear, orange), two small-sized fruit (apricots, plums, kiwis), a half tablespoon of dried fruit. A serving of vegetables is, for example, a half cup of cooked vegetables, one cup of vegetable salad Vegetable salads: the generous gift of nature Or one medium size potato.

Bread, cereal, rice, pasta

These foods contain large amounts of fiber, carbohydrates, protein, various vitamins and minerals. Representatives of this group of food must be a primary source of energy in the diet of a person of any age. Include children's menu is a variety of foods - wholegrain pasta and the usual, cereal from different cereals, white and raw rice, and so on.

The recommended number of servings for children of all ages:

Exemplary portions of foods in this group: two slices of bread, one cup of cooked rice or pasta, one cup of cereal porridge, 1 1/3 cup dry cereal for breakfast, a half cup of muesli.

Meat and its alternatives (fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and legumes)

Products from this food group contain protein, iron, zinc and vitamin C. Protein foods should be about 30% of the human diet; from this food group is recommended to choose less fatty foods - meat without fat, fish, and so on. Cooking for a child to be the most healthy ways - boiled, baked meat and fish, or cook on the grill, but do not fry. If the child does not eat red meat three to four times per week, the diet should include a large number of other iron-rich foods, such as fortified cereals, beans and fresh herbs. This is especially important for girls, vegetarians and children are actively involved in sports.

The recommended number of servings of meat and alternatives products for children of different ages in the following table. However, it should be noted that some children may eat more or less than the product of the group, depending on the level of physical activity and appetite, and if the baby wants to eat three servings of meat, instead of two, do not hinder him (unless, of course, this is no medical contraindications )

Per serving is considered to be 65-100 grams of cooked red meat or chicken, half a cup of cooked beans, beans, peas, lentils or canned beans, 80-120 g boiled fish fillets, two small eggs, 1/3 cup nuts, 1/4 cup of seeds .

Dairy

Dairy products - the main source of calcium, needed for the growth of healthy, strong bone; They also contain large amounts of protein and B vitamins

The recommended number of servings of milk products for children of all ages:

Portion is considered, for example, one cup of milk, 40 grams of cheese, 200 g of yoghurt.

Water

Water contains no calories, but is an essential element of the diet of any person. These figures in the table relate to any liquid which consumes a child - whether clean water, tea or soup. Children who play sports can drink far more water than recommended - this is normal; most importantly, that the level of fluid intake was below the norm.

The recommended amount of fluid per day for children of all ages:

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