Nutrition for children under 6 years old

You must have heard of childhood obesity. This disease is commonly mentioned on television, radio, the Internet, in books, newspapers and magazines. However, all of the above information only focuses on overweight and obese children. Many parents are still very confused and confused about what their child should eat, how much of the nutrition they need, whether their baby can absorb enough calcium and iron or is eating too much fat.
Whether your baby is a toddler or a teenager, what your baby eats is important for both physical and mental development. Here's what your baby needs no matter what age he or she is.

Infant

During this stage, almost everything a baby eats is milk - whether it's breastmilk, formula or a combination of the two. Breast milk and formula provide the essential nutrients every baby needs for the first year of life.

By around six months most babies are ready to start eating solid foods like iron fortified infant cereals and pureed fruits, vegetables and meats. Because breastmilk may not provide enough iron and zinc by the time your baby is about six to nine months old, cereals and meats can be very helpful for an infant's nutritional needs.
Once you start offering more foods, don't offer low-fat foods. You will not want to limit fat for children under two years old knowing that large amounts of fat are very important for brain and nerve development of babies.

Toddlers and preschoolers

Toddlers and preschoolers have a spike in growth and their appetite always comes very quickly. Therefore, the baby can eat a lot in one day and then eat almost nothing the next. That is a very normal thing. As long as you feed your baby healthy foods, he will get all the nutrients he needs.

Another issue that parents should consider is calcium. Calcium helps your baby develop body and is essential for babies to develop strong bones and teeth and milk is the best source of calcium for your baby.

Children with milk allergy, lactose intolerance or those who do not like milk can supplement calcium by using lactose-free milk, soy milk, tofu, sardines, calcium-fortified orange juice, and cups, waffles, oatmeal. In some cases, your doctor may recommend giving your baby calcium supplements .

Fiber is one of the essential substances for the body. Toddlers and preschoolers will insist on eating what they want, particularly bland starchy foods like fried chicken, chips, and pasta. But this is really the time to encourage your child to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans to provide fiber. Not only can fiber help prevent heart disease and other ailments, it also aids digestion and prevents constipation. Fiber is a substance that both you and your baby need in order to have a healthy body.