New York City College of Technology
Nutrition
Food Choices and eating Habits of Children
 Professor: Dr. Joseph Obunike
May 9th 2011
Student: Hazel J. Ashby
Itâs important that we ensure children eat a healthy diet. The component of a healthy diet includes eating foods from all five food groups. This will guarantee the intake of a balanced diet. âNutrition plays such a vital role in the bodyâs susceptibility to disease that when one is suffering from an infectious disease their nutritional status can determine how well they respond to treatment. Dietary needs for children vary because at every developmental milestone their needs and activity levels are different. Good nutrition helps in the prevention of illness during childhood it can also help in the prevention of illness such as cardiovascular diseases later in life.â Parents must ensure that their needs are met. (Adele pp.981-985)
 Infants have the least food choices in comparison to all other age groups. Initially they are offered either breast feed or infant formula. This decision is usually made by the infantâs mother, several months prior to birth. There are various reasons that cause moms to decide whether to breast feed or bottle feed. Some just wants the best for their newborn and does whatever it takes to ensure their baby gets breast fed. Some just lack the ability to produce adequate amount of breast milk. Others are faced with the fact that they have to return to work soon. Breast milk is the best choice available to human infants. It is composed of all the necessary nutrients which are required from birth till 6 months. The only nutrient that is lacking in a breastfeeding diet is Vitamin D which can be obtained from being exposed to the sunlight. Infants that are breastfed benefits from receiving maternal immune factors which in activate harmful bacteria (cataldo et al P 318). This group is less likely to develop gastroenteritis and ear infections. The vision of children who were breastfed as infants were proven to be sharper than those of the formula fed children. Infants require 650 kcalories per day, whereas most adults require 2000 kcalories per day. When comparing the weight of an adult to an infant the caloric intake for an infant is high. This is due to the rapid growth rate of an infant. Their birth weight doubles in 4 months and triples in 1 year. They grow very rapidly thus the need for such high caloric intake. (Cataldo et al P 317) breast fed infants eat on demand, this means they eat whenever they are hungry.
Infant formula in the other alternative food choice thatâs available to newborns and infants. This is made from cowâs milk. âManufacturers prepare formulas from cowâs milk in such a way that they do not differ significantly from human milk in nutrients content. â(Cataldo et al P 319) Even though mothers make the initial choice as to whether their child will receive breast or bottle feeding. Not all babies tolerate infant formulas. Some needs to receive a lactose free diet and are fed soya based fortified formula. The various infant formulas have Vitamin C, Iron and Fluoride added to them.  (Cataldo et al P 319) Other infants lack the ability to metabolize the end product of protein. Phenylalanine an essential amino acid cannot be converted to tyrosine. In this case these infants are given arlimentum formula.  Once an infant has acquired a taste of either breast milk or infant formula itâs problematic to switch them to the other. When a Mother initiates breast feeding the infant develops taste and knows the smell of the breast milk. After some time, the infant refuses to suck on the rubber nipple and activate the extrusion reflex and rejects the nipple.  Vice versa with formula fed t infants, gets the feel of the rubber nipple and smell of the milk and protest if mom takes too long to initiate breast feeding. Infants that are formula fed usually eats every 3-4 hours.
According to Cataldo et al water is essential for our wellbeing. It makes up more than 60 percent of the adults body weight and a higher percentage of a child. Newborn infants do not require water in their diets. The amount of water in breast milk and infant formula is sufficient to sustain them. However, infant who live in very hot weather, or is ill will need to have supplemental water. This will prevent them from becoming dehydrated. The body can survive for only a few days without water in healthy people. It is important that we have adequate amounts of water in our diet. Supplement like multivitamins, fluoride, and iron are sometimes required for infants and children during infancy and childhood. (Cataldo et al P 210)
When an infant is 4-6 months they start getting introduced to regular foods e.g. rice cereal, pureed fruits, vegetables and meats. The infantsâ need for iron fortified foods increases. At this developmental stage a normal infant can now swallow non liquid foods. Parents are advised to foster good food choices that do not have too much sweet or salt in them. They should use foods that are prepared commercially in the USA or Canada tats safe for their consumption. âIron deficiency is common in young children throughout the world, especially between the ages of 6 months and 3 yearsâ. (Cataldo et al P321).
By the age of one a child should be able to consume all the various food choices that an adult eat. Parents should prepare foods and present them in a way that it will be appealing the child. It must be easy to swallow and should be cut in small bite size to make it easy for the child to eat.it is of vital importance that the parents or care givers foster good eating habits at this age. According to Cataldo et al, by doing so will allow the child to have a normal weight as the child grows. Within this age group a Childsâ appetite decreases and the rate of growth slows down until about puberty. Parents can assist these kids by providing healthy food choices and having them readily available as finger foods. Â Food choices like cheese, yogurt, milk, thinly sliced fruits are good choices for toddlers. Drinking adequate water and eating whole fruits, which provides fiber is another healthy food choice. Regular milk is introduced into the diet at this stage. One year olds should not be introduced to candy, heavily sweetened drinks, or sodas. âToddlers often develops physiological anorexia which results when the extremely high metabolic demands of infancy slows to keep pace with the more moderate growth rate of toddler hood.â (London et al P 710) a toddler should eat three meals and two to three snacks daily.
Preschool children can consume the same food groups as an adult. They should be served two thirds the size of an adult meal. Preschoolers use meal times as a socializing event. Their social skills are now developing. They should be encouraged to help with setting the table. This is an appropriate time to educate them about the nutritious foods. The preschooler experiences food jags. Parents must be encouraged to monitor their food intake on a weekly basis. The child is given the food or his or her choice along with other food choices. According to London et al it will be beneficial not give this child snacks in between meals if he does not eat a snack or meal. He will get hungry and will get accustomed of eating when meals are provided.
School aged children have a gradual rate of growth. As with the previous age group they can eat all the food choices an adult can have. At this stage they like to pack their lunches and can decide what they are going to take to school the next day. They usually prefer to eat the foods that are prepared at home they may refuse to eat foods that are not familiar to them. The school age group has growth spurts. During this time they will require an increased demand for caloric intake.
Adolescence requires over 2000 calories daily due to their rapid growth spurts. Some boys require 3000 calories if they participate in sports their demands for calories further increases. This is a delicate age group. Parents must observe their food intake. These kids are influenced easily by their peers. This places them as risk to get involved in making wrong choices of foods eating lots of potato chips and junk foods. Parents need to keep a watch on them. They are the ones who prepare most of their snacks and eat at least one meal at school. Girls are prone to develop anorexia during this developmental stage. Parents are to be educated on this in order for them to intervene appropriately. Schools have various health classes to teach teenagers about eating a well-balanced diet. They are required by all states. This will help parents in their endeavor to foster healthy eating practices.
Reference
 Ball, J.W, Binder, R.C, Ladewig, P.W, London, M.L (2003) Maternal Newborn and Child Nursing: Family Centered Care. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Cataldo, C., DeBruyne, L, Whitney, E. (2003). Nutrition and Diet Therapy. (6th ed) Belmont: CA. Wadsworth Thomson Learning.
Pillitteri, A., (1995) Maternal and Child Health Nursing (2nd ed) Philadelphia: PA. Lippincott, J.B. Company.
