Pediatric Care Group, PC, understands the importance of nutrition. We are determined to ensure that your child’s health has a strong foundation through a balanced diet.
The Importance of a Healthy Diet
If your child has weight management issues or is suffering from obesity, we’re here to help. We offer everything from dietetic counseling to meal planning for your child to get healthy and stay healthy.
An Easy Way is to Track Daily Servings
Calories
Female- 1600 daily calories
Male- 1800 daily calories
Fat
25-35% of diet
Milk/Dairy
3 cups
Lean Meats/Beans
5 oz.
Fruits
1.5 cups
Vegetables
Females- 2 cups
Males- 2.5 cups
Grains
Females- 5 oz.
Males- 6 oz.
According to the American Heart Association, this eating pattern supports a child’s normal growth and development. It provides enough total energy and meets or exceeds the recommended daily allowances for all nutrients for children and adolescents, including iron and calcium.
Other recommendations include:
- Eat foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
- Keep total fat intake between 30 to 35 percent of calories for children 2 to 3 years of age and between 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years of age, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
- Eat only enough calories to maintain a healthy weight for your height and build. Kids should be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.
- Don’t overfeed. Estimated calories needed by children range from 900/day for a 1-year-old to 1,800 for a 14–18-year-old girl and 2,200 for a 14–18-year-old boy.
The full list of information any recommendations can be found here.