Healthy food is essential to staying healthy and preventing illnesses, weaknesses, and deficiencies. Therefore, it’s important to eat nutritious foods to maintain overall well-being. This healthy food is a result of consistently following a balanced diet. A balanced diet includes various food groups that ensure to incorporate all nutrients that are essential for the body to grow strong and healthy.
Table of Contents:
In this blog, we will delve into different food groups for kids that are essential to be a part of a balanced diet for kids.
Food groups are categorised into 7 to 10 basic food groups that can help people make nutrient rich choices. With food groups, people can ensure an adequate intake of nutrients including essential vitamins and minerals that support kids in overall growth and development.
On a daily basis it’s essential to tick mark all these basic food groups for children. The food groups are:
| 1 | Fruits | Fruits are rich in vitamins, fibre and antioxidants. Consuming seasonal fruits like mangos, apples, bananas etc. is beneficial to support in growth and development. |
| 2 | Vegetables | Seasonal vegetables like spinach, beetroot etc. contain essential vitamins and minerals like b-complex, iron and zinc that are needed for various bodily functions. |
| 3 | Cereals and millets | Grains like rice, wheat, millets etc. are a rich source of carbohydrates, and also provide energy. |
| 4 | Dairy | Dairy products like milk, paneer, curd, buttermilk, and cheese are rich in calcium and vitamin D that are important for building strong bones and teeth. |
| 5 | Nuts, oil seeds, oils and fats | Some examples of these include peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazel nuts and vegetable oils. |
| 6 | Pulses | Pulses are also a good source of protein and fiber. Children should eat lentil, green gram, chickpea, rajma, cowpea etc. daily. |
| 7 | Roots and tubers | Beetroot, radish, carrot, tapioca, sweet potato etc. should also be included in children’s balanced diet. |
| 8 | Green leafy vegetables | Vegetables like spinach, kale etc provide iron to children. |
| 9 | Flesh foods | Marine fish, poultry and lean cut meat are rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids and proteins. |
| 10 | Spices and herbs | Turmeric, ginger, mustard pepper, cumin coriander etc. also contain vitamins and minerals and should be made a part of children’s diet. |
The food pyramid for kids is a visual tool that helps kids understand the appropriate portions of each food group that should be consumed daily as per their age and gender. The base being the widest indicates the food group that should be consumed the most and the top indicates what should be consumed less like sweets and fats.
Food pyramid for balanced diet for 2000 kcal.
With modern nutritional guidelines, the food pyramid for kids changed and is now called my plate of the day. This tool divides food groups into sections to signify what should be consumed and how much.
Parents can take guidance from the “my plate for the day” to plan meals for their kids.
The best way to build a balanced diet for kids is to take guidance from ‘my plate for the day’. By simply including all 5-7 basic food groups from the food groups list daily, you can provide all essential nutrition to kids.
Here’s an example of a sample meal that includes all food groups:
The portion of food that kids should eat daily depends on their age, weight and lifestyle. However, the typical food serving sizes for a balanced diet of 2000kcal are:
It’s important to understand the various food groups and why they are essential to create a balanced diet. This can help parents to create a balanced diet for kids including 5-7 food groups that can help them in receiving wholesome nutrition. You can introduce Complan milk as a part of the balanced diet for your little one as it contains 34 vital nutrients needed for a kid’s growth and development.
The five basic food groups are fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy products and grains.
2. How do food groups contribute to a balanced diet?
The food groups ensure diversity and variety in the balanced diet to meet the age-appropriate adequate nutrient requirement.
3. What is the food pyramid, and how can it help my child’s nutrition?
A food pyramid is a visual guide that helps kids to understand the adequate portion that they need to eat every day.
4. How do I ensure my child eats a balanced diet every day?
Include a variety of foods from all 5 basic food groups in their daily meals and include healthy snacking.
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