Child Nutrition

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

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 Lifestyle: Children's Health (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Helping Your Child: Tips for Parents (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Nutrition (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Prealbumin Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

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
• Be a Healthy Role Model for Children: 10 Tips for Setting Good Examples (Department of Agriculture) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Better Nutrition Every Day: How to Make Healthier Food Choices (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Cut Back on Your Kid's Sweet Treats: 10 Tips to Decrease Added Sugars (Department of Agriculture) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Feeding Your Child Athlete (Nemours Foundation)
• Healthy Breakfasts for Kids: It's All about Balance (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Healthy Foods under $1 Per Serving (American Heart Association)
• Healthy Post-Play Snacks (American Heart Association)
• Healthy Snacks for Kids: 10 Child-Friendly Tips (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Is My Child's Appetite Normal? (Food and Nutrition Service) - PDF
• Kid-Friendly Veggies and Fruits: 10 Tips for Making Healthy Food Choices More Fun for Children (Department of Agriculture) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Make Time for Breakfast (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• Portion Size Versus Serving Size (American Heart Association)
• Showing Parents How to Talk to Their Kids about the Nutrition Facts Label (Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
• Tips to Make Fast Food Friendlier for Kids (American Heart Association)
• Top Ten Tips for Dealing with a Picky Eater (American Heart Association)

Specifics

• Caffeine and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Calcium and Your Child (Nemours Foundation)
• Carbohydrates, Sugar, and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• CDC Vital Signs: Reducing Sodium in Children's Diets (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 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
• Food Labels for Infants under Two (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• Healthy Drinks for Kids (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Healthy Eating for Preschoolers (Department of Agriculture) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Iron and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Sports and Energy Drinks: Should Your Child Drink Them? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Teach Your Teen about Food Labels (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• Vegetarianism (Nemours Foundation)
• Vitamin D and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Health Check Tools

• Food-A-Pedia (Department of Agriculture)

Statistics and Research

• CDC Vital Signs: Progress on Children Eating More Fruit, Not Vegetables (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Adolescent Nutrition (National Institutes of Health)
• 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)

• Article: Effectiveness of school food environment policies on children's dietary behaviors:...
• Article: Gastroesophageal Reflux: Regurgitation in the Infant Population.
• Article: Serum hepcidin levels, iron status, and HFE gene alterations during...
• Child Nutrition -- see more articles
• Adolescent nutrition -- see more articles

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 (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
• School Meals Contacts by State (Food and Nutrition Service)

Children

• Eating for Sports (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Food Labels Tell the Story! (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
• Why Drinking Water Is the Way to Go (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• 5 Reasons to Pack Your Lunch (Nemours Foundation)
• Charge Up! Healthy Meals and Snacks for Teens (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Eating Well While Eating Out (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Energy Drinks and Food Bars: Power or Hype? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• 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
• Soy Foods and Health (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

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