Child Nutrition

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Summary

A healthy diet helps children grow and learn. It also helps prevent obesity and weight-related diseases, such as diabetes. To give your child a nutritious diet:

Make half of what is on your child's plate fruits and vegetables
Choose healthy sources of protein, such as lean meat, nuts, and eggs
Serve whole-grain breads and cereals because they are high in fiber. Reduce refined grains.
Broil, grill, or steam foods instead of frying them
Limit fast food and junk food
Offer water or milk instead of sugary fruit drinks and sodas

Learn about your children's nutrient requirements. Some of them, such as the requirements for iron and calcium, change as your child ages.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

Healthy Eating (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Healthy Eating for Families (Department of Agriculture)
Helping Your Child: Tips for Parents and Other Caregivers (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Nutrition (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
Nutrition for Kids: Guidelines for a Healthy Diet (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Diagnosis and Tests

Prealbumin Blood Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

10 Things To Know About Dietary Supplements for Children and Teens (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Avoiding Food Hassles with Kids (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Better Nutrition Every Day: How to Make Healthier Food Choices (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
Feeding Your Child Athlete (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Healthy Breakfasts for Kids: It's All about Balance (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
Healthy Snacks: Quick Tips for Parents (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
How to Make a Healthy Snack (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Nutrition Facts -- Read the Label: Tips for Parents (Food and Drug Administration) - PDF Also in Spanish

Specifics

Caffeine (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Calcium and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Carbohydrates, Sugar, and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Cholesterol and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Fats and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Fiber and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Iron (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Life Stages: Preschoolers (Department of Agriculture)
Protein Foods for Your Vegetarian Child (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Vitamin D (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Test Your Knowledge

Healthy Eating for Kids (Department of Agriculture)

Statistics and Research

Beverage Consumption Among Youth in the United States, 2013-2016 (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Nutrition (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Nutrition Disorders (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Definitions of Health Terms: Nutrition (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Also in Spanish
Find a Nutrition Expert (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Food and Nutrition Service Programs Contacts by State (Food and Nutrition Service)
KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)

Children

From the Label to the Table! (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
Why Drinking Water Is the Way to Go (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

Figuring Out Fat and Calories (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Guide to Eating for Sports (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
MyPlate Food Guide (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Take Charge of Your Health: A Guide for Teenagers (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Eating extra calories when you are sick - children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Child Nutrition is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

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