Balanced Diet for Children

A balanced diet nourishes the child well. It also means that foods on a balanced, healthy diet shouldn’t have labels assigned to them such as good and bad foods. Overall, good nutrition could include any food and look completely different between households. Furthermore, this diet emphasizes foods that are backed by evidence that support optimal health, meet nutritional needs, reduce the risk for chronic disease, and improve longevity and quality of life. 

Improving a Balanced Diet in Children

Help your kids get the nutrients their bodies are craving with this nutritional breakdown:

• Protein: Choose lean meat and poultry, seafood, eggs, peas, beans, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
• Fruits: Encourage your child to eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen, or dried fruits rather than fruit juice. Look for canned fruit that says it’s light or packed in its juice which means it’s low in added sugar. When consumed in excess, dried fruits can contribute extra calories.
• Vegetables: Serve a variety of fresh, canned, frozen, or dried vegetables. Aim to provide a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, beans and peas, or starchy each week. When selecting canned or frozen vegetables, look for options lower in sodium. 
• Grains: Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, popcorn, oatmeal, quinoa, or brown or wild rice. Limit refined grains such as pasta, white bread, and rice.
• Dairy: Encourage your child to eat and drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as cheese, yogurt, milk, or fortified soy beverages. 

Limit the Following to Maintain a Balanced Diet

Aim to limit your child’s calories from:

• Added sugar: Sugar should be limited. Added sugars are not naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fruit and milk. Brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, corn sweetener, and corn syrup are all examples of added sugars. Check the nutrition label. Choose cereals with a minimal amount of added sugar. Steer sugary beverages such as sports drinks and energy drinks.
• Saturated and trans fats: Avoid saturated fats – fats derived primarily from animal sources, such as red meat, poultry, and full-fat dairy products. You can replace saturated fats with vegetable and nut oils, which contain essential fatty acids and vitamin E. Healthy fats are also naturally found in olives, nuts, avocados, and seafood. Eliminate partially hydrogenated oils from your diet to limit trans fats.
• Sodium: In the United States, most children consume too much sodium every day. Instead of snacking on chips and cookies, encourage children to eat fruits and vegetables. Read the nutrition labels and choose low-sodium products.

You don’t have to overhaul the entire meal plan for your child. You just need to find a few alternatives to unhealthy items in your fridge or pantry. You may need to slowly start adding in more until you’ve adopted healthier food choices and give it to your children.