Dietary Guidelines

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans vary based on age and sex.  For pediatrics in general, the age groups can be separated for different age groups, according to the Dietary Guidelines 2015 (2015).  Nutritional intake needs therefore vary from group to group for children of all ages.  The guidelines give a base calorie intake recommendation for each sub-group and further break down the recommended intake of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. The chart according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the 2005 USDA guidelines outlines the specific margins for calorie requirements of different age groups:

Thinking of good recipes and foods to prepare for children can be a challenge. According to Registered Dietitian Dayle Hayes, "an appropriate serving size for children 2 to 3 years of age is about one-half of an adult serving" (2017).  The food groups to pay attention to for children's nutrition are grains, vegetables and fruits, milk, and meat/beans/eggs.  Since kids are full of energy for playtime and exercise throughout the day, it's important to periodically refuel with proper water intake (see "Water Intake" blog post for additional water recommendation information) and nutrient nourishment for their active bodies.   Most parents will allow their children to eat whatever they usually prepare for lunch and dinner once their child is old enough.  This can be both beneficial and detrimental since children's bodies are so much different than adults.  Training kids to eat what their parents eat can be useful when promoting foods like fruits and vegetables, since the kids usually eat what mom or dad eat.  The downfall would be that some kids then wouldn't get their own nutrition plan specifically for their own needs.  A multi-vitamin may be a good supplemental option, so even if kids aren't experiencing the diversity of different adult foods to get all their nutrients, they can still get what they need.  Most vitamins even resemble and taste like candy so children will look forward to having them.  The following link provides good link to recipes for children to make mealtimes and snacks easier:

http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/nutrition/dietary-guidelines-and-myplate/size-wise-nutrition-for-preschool-age-children

This information can all be very overwhelming to follow, especially as kids switch into the next age group. A list like this is hard to conform to especially since some children have a mind of their own and have no idea what vitamins and minerals even are. Parents should not be pressured or feel as if they are not properly feeding their children if they aren’t meeting these requirements.  They are meant to be something to strive for, but if a child doesn’t meet all these levels, they still won’t be at risk for deficiency/toxicity unless there is a severe lack of ability to provide for one’s child.  An area that contains a higher risk for this situation is from low-income families with single parents. 

References
Appendix 7. Nutritional goals for age-sex groups based on dietary reference intakes and dietary guidelines recommendations. (2015). Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020. Retrieved from: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-7/ 

Balance food and activity. (2013). National Heart, Blood, and Lungs Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/healthy-weight-basics/balance.htm

           Hayes, D. (2017). What and how much should my preschooler be eating? Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Retrieved from: http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/nutrition/dietary-guidelines-and-myplate/size-wise-nutrition-for-preschool-age-children

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