Many food habits, likes and dislikes are established during this time. New friends at school and advertisements in the mwdia may influence their food habits. My son comes and demands food that he sees in his classmates’ lunch boxes because he finds it more exciting than what we offer. Children this age are often willing to eat a wider variety of foods than they would have a couple of years earlier. Use that to your advantage and offer new foods more often. Eating healthy after-school snacks are important, as these snacks may contribute up to one-third of the total calorie intake for the day.

Meat, particularly red meat and fish are rich sources of iron. Pulses (beans and lentils), green vegetables and fortified cereals are also good sources of iron. Iron is needed for healthy blood and research has shown that some children have low intakes of iron, particularly older girls.

Complex carbohydrates such as those found in chapattis, rice, bread and cereal form the foundation of a solid active diet. You can explain to your child that thesse Carbohydrates are like fuel for the body. Active kids need more calories than their sedentary counterparts and experts insist that the best way to get those extra calories is from complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for exercise because they provide fuel in a form that is easily burned by the body. Carbohydrate-rich foods also provide many important B vitamins that are needed to help put that enery to use. Consuming Carbohydrates a few hours before your child is physically active will help supply energy during the event and some carbohydrates eaten soon after will help replenish the muscles with fuel.

Try and serve at least two portions of fish a week because fish are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals and they are low in saturated fat. Fish also contain omega 3 fatty acids. Protein is necessary for tissue building and repair. But there is no foundation to support the common belief that eating excessive amounts of protein will help build bigger or stronger muscles. Children aged between six and 10 years of aged need about 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. On a daily basis, that comes to about 24 to 28 grams of protein. Drinking two to three glasses of milk plus a small serving of pulses at lunch and dinner easily makes for this amount. Spread out protein intake over the course of the day. Too much protein can lead to dehydration since the kidneys will pull water from the boby to help dilute the excess nitrogen (a breakdown product of protein) in the urine. For this reason, steer away from protein powders and amino acid supplements.

Fat is important to your growing child in order to help his body absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, and to supply essential fatty acids. When children need lots of energy. Very active children need lots of energy and will need moderate amounts of fat in their diet to meet that need. Fat is also essential for hormone production and sources of fat usually contain increased iron, protein and calcium. But this does not mean that you can allow your child to go overboard on junk and sources high in saturated fats (these should make up no more than 10 per cent of his total calorie intake). Fats should be primarily mono-unsaturated or polyunsaturated and should make up no more than 30 per cent of his total calorie intake.

Growing children have a greater body surface area compared to their body weight. This means that children should drink more fluids as compared to adults. Liquids are the most importants part of an active child’s diet. Fluid is important to prevent over heating and dehydration. muscles tend to heat up when a child is physically active and extra fluid is needed to maintain the blood volume so that circulating fluid can reach into muscles and carry the heat away to the skin. The heat released primarily by sweating. Sweating, without replacement fluids, can lead to dehydration. One of the first symptoms of dehydration is fatigue. Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of fluid imbalance. This is because they don’t handle heat well they get hotter during exercise and their hearts have a lower blood output. Unfortunately for young children, thirst is not a good indicator of hydration needs. Be sure your child drinks water before, during and after he plays any game that may be physically challenging. The best fluid replacement is water. But if your child is more apt to drink it if it is flavoured, than a sports drink or a diluted juice would work. A full strength juice or juice drink has too concentrated a source of carbohydrates (sugars) which are not needed by the body. juicy fruits like watermelon, tomatoes, grapes and oranges are good choices.

Parents must be careful about their growing child’s calcium intake, as in recent years, children have actually experienced a decline in their calcium intake. Milk, cheese, yoghurt, and nuts are rich in calcium, which is needed for healthy bones and teeth. Apart from dairy products that are rich in calcium, green leafy vegetables are also a good source of dietary calcium. Calcium supplements are usually not recommended unless prescribed by a doctor. Citrus fruit (such as oranges and lemons), tomatoes and potatoes, are all good sources of vitamin C which is essential for health. Vitamin C may help the absorption of iron, so having fruit juice with an iron-rich meal will increase iron absorption. Milk, butter, green vegetables, carrots are all good sources of vitamin A which is important for good vision and healthy skin.

Nutritionists say that this is the most important meal of the day. Although this is the one meal kids least want to have on most school days, insist on serving it, even if it has to be “on the run.” What you eat for breakfast matters. Cereal (particularly whole grain types) with milk and fruit make a quick meal that offers an array of nutrients. A stuffed parantha. scrambled egg stuffed into half a whole grain pita pocket and topped with sandwich, idlis, milk and toast are some ideas for quick meal on those chaotic mornings.

Healthy snacks

After-school snacks can be a nutritious way to make sure children get the energy and nutrients they need to properly fuel their bodies and to ensure proper growth and development. Snacking can be part of a healthy diet if snacks are chosen correctly. It is another opportunity to incorporate needed food groups into the child’s daily diet.

Parents who have school-going children will agree that packing lunch for their kids is no easy task. While kids want something that is tasty, interesting and varied, parents usually want to stuff their boxes with good health and nutrition. To ensure your child actually eats the health conscious lunch you send, make sure you pack something you know he loves, but try not to compromise nutrition with junk food. At the same time, do listen to your child and ask what he would like to eat during his lunch. But remember – not everything needs to be healthy and nutritious. Atreat now amd again won’t hurt.

Eating sweet and stickly foods frequently between meals causes dental decay. Snack foods such as cakes, biscuits, crisps, chocolate and sweets, are often high in sugar and saturated fat, and low in certain vitamins and minerals. You cannot totally avoid these foods, but you can control the amounts. Make these an occasional treat. You could do whay I do – I let my kids pick two days as weekly sweet daye. It works most weeks!