Nutritious diet

 Topic - What is healthy nutritious diet for different age group? Is your family getting proper nutritious diet ?

Healthy nutritious diet for different age group -

Infancy (0 to 12 months)

Babies usually double their length and triple their weight between birth and one year of age. Breastmilk generally supplies a baby with the required amounts of nutrients, fluids and energy up to about six months of age. It is recommended that infants be exclusively breastfed up to around six months of age.

Solids should be introduced around six months of age to meet your baby’s increasing nutritional and developmental needs. However, breastfeeding should continue until twelve months of age and beyond, or for as long as the mother and child desire.

Pre school and school going children

Once a child is eating solids, offer a wide range of foods to ensure adequate nutrition. Young children are often picky with food, but should be encouraged to eat a wide variety of foods. Trying again with new foods may be needed for a child to accept that food. As many as eight to fifteen times may be needed.

During childhood, children tend to vary their food intake (spontaneously) to match their growth patterns. Children’s food needs vary widely, depending on their growth and their level of physical activity. Like energy needs, a child’s needs for protein, vitamins and minerals increase with age.

Ideally, children should be accumulating stores of nutrients in preparation for the rapid growth spurt experienced during adolescence. Appropriate weight gain and development will indicate whether food intake is appropriate.

Adolescence

The growth spurt as children move into adolescence needs plenty of kilojoules and nutrients. For girls, this generally occurs around 10 to 11 years of age. For boys, it occurs later, at around 12 to 13 years.

Recommendations include:

The extra energy required for growth and physical activity needs to be obtained from foods that also provide nutrients, instead of just ‘empty calories’.

Takeaway and fast foods need to be balanced with nutrient-dense foods such as wholegrain breads and cereals, fruits, legumes, nuts, vegetables, fish and lean meats.

Milk, yoghurt and cheese (mostly reduced fat) should be included to boost calcium intake – this is especially important for growing bones. Cheese should preferably be a lower salt variety.

Adolescent girls should be particularly encouraged to consume milk and milk products.

Young Adults

Moving away from home, starting work or study, and the changing lifestyle that accompanies the late teens and early 20s can cause dietary changes that are not always beneficial for good health.Nutrients recommendations depend upon lifestyle and physical activity.

Old Age

Physical activity is not much during old age hence carbohydrates and fats need to be restricted. But there is muscle loss and fragility of bones is common, hence protein is required to make up for the loss and for maintaining growth of cells.

Since teeth start falling off hence chewing becomes difficult and thus milk is a good option for old people.