Rosalee Brown
THIS IS the first of a three-part series focusing on your child's nutrition in observation of Child's Month.
As we celebrate child's month, let us focus for a while on feeding the young child through to the adolescent stage. We spoke some weeks ago about weaning and the importance of transitioning from breast-feeding to table foods. Today we will look at the pre-school child.
After the usual rapid growth period of infancy, there is a slowing down of the physical growth rate in the pre-school and school years, which can create much anxiety for parents. Although the growth pattern is individual, it is usually erratic at times, with spurts of height and weight, followed by periods of little or no growth. These developmental patterns are similar to the changes in appetite and food intake in a healthy child. Parents need to be aware of these changes and not be unduly alarmed when food intake seems less.
Because of the developmental changes during this phase, nutritious foods are vital and should not be compromised. Children should consume adequate amounts of food to support growth and energy needs. Cereals, ground provisions and fat can provide a substantial percentage of this needed energy. Protein is important for tissue development, and can be had from chopped fish, meats, legumes and dairy foods. Because meats are chewy, they should be creatively incorporated into the meal to encourage acceptance. Fruits and vegetables are also important for their vitamins, minerals and fibre.
A pre-school child has a small stomach capacity and needs frequent meals up to six times per day in many cases and, therefore, meals should be small and nutritious. A guide usually used is to offer one tablespoon of each food for every year of age. For example, the two-three-year-old would consume two to three tablespoons of cooked vegetables (use this opportunity to introduce new vegetables) or two to three tablespoons of rice and one to two ounces of meat. Allow children to eat before they drink.
DRINKING
The drink is a meal and should not be excessive, as large volumes, more than half cup for this age group, can interfere with the intake of solids. Many children will refuse solids in preference of drinking. Drinks should be milk or soy based or unadulterated fruit juices. Large amounts of fruit juices can cause loose stools in some children and is a source of excess sugar. Small pieces of fruit are a better choice, as they contain fibre along with valuable nutrients and promote developmental skills.
SNACKS
Snacks are meal items and, therefore, should be nutritious and healthy. Snacks can include fruit pieces, pieces of vegetable, cheese, small sandwiches
and crackers with a nutritious spread. Parents should resist unhealthy chips, candies, cookies, cup soups and so on. Parents should not 'force feed' children, but allow them to request more food, if they desire.
Make mealtime quiet and relaxing and the child should be rested and comfortably seated. Children may not eat well after playtime, after a drink or snack, or within one hour before their meal. Therefore, meals should be planned and properly spaced. Children determine when they are hungry and with nutritious, substantial and appropriately spaced meals, a pattern is usually developed. Children should be given the opportunity to feed themselves, so shallow bowls and appropriate utensils should be provided, although at this stage the fingers are still used.
Food also provides, apart from valuable nutrients, the opportunity to develop eating skills and good nutrition habits, which should be built on for each stage of development.
The family provides an important classroom for teaching food-related lessons and the pre-school child patterns older siblings and adults for most food-related behaviours.
Next week we will look at feeding the school-aged child.
Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
