Child and Preadolescent Nutrition
Nutrition Handout1
Child and Preadolescent Nutrition
Children between 5 and 10 years are also called “School-aged”. Preadolescents, or “tweens”, are been 9 and 12 years old (Brown, Isaacs, Krinke, Lechtenberg, & Murtaugh, 2013). School-aged children and preadolescents are still growing and it is important to have good eating habits so that future problems can be prevented.
Problems to Watch For
Under nutrition – Children and preadolescents should gain about 7 lb and 2.5 inches every year. The body needs enough healthy food to grow.
Obesity – Bad or unhealthy eating habits can cause children and preadolescents to become overweight. This can develop into health problems like obesity, diabetes or heart problems later in life.
Deficiencies – Deficiencies are when a child or tween does not get enough of a vitamin or mineral that their body needs. This can cause illness and loss of concentration.
Dental Caries – Tooth decay in the permanent teeth can cause periodontal diseases.
What Can You Do?
Be a good example of healthy eating by including fruit and vegetables in your diet.
Do not eat processed meat or refined starches like white bread or pasta. Avoid food that has preservatives and additives in it.
Teach your children to eat until they are no longer hungry and then stop.
If foods are not from a variety of different food groups, give them vitamins and mineral supplements such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Cut out all soft drinks, sugary sports drinks and candy to lower the risk of obesity and tooth decay. Eat foods that are high in fats or proteins instead.
Water is the best drink for children and tweens. If they need energy for sports, diluted fruit juice is better than energy or sports drinks.
References
Brown, J., Isaacs, J., Krinke, B., Lechtenberg, E., & Murtaugh, M. (2013). Nutrition through the life cycle (1st ed., pp. 319-330). Boston, MA: Cengage …
