A balanced, healthy diet for kids plays an important role during this age. Kids at the age group of 2-5 years have a need of around 1000 to 1400 calories daily, which is the minimum requirement of a healthy diet for kids as per the recommendations of almost all doctors. To aid the kids development & growth during this crucial stage of life, healthy meals for children must be taken by the parents. They can have fruits and vegetables along with the required grains. The meals can be made at home or can be purchased from the nearby store. However, the nutritious value of the food must be checked by the parent.
Making healthy diet for kids is very easy. It can be made by organizing family meal or parties at home or at any place where the kid can sit with his or her parents. This enables the children to learn the manners of sharing the food and also learn the food habits. The children have to be educated on the nutritional values of the food they eat and learn to control their desires for junk foods like fries and candies during their young age.
Kids start getting the interest towards eating healthy products like eggs and dairy products from their parents when they start showing interest towards learning to cook. This encourages them to start having the right ratio of milk with their meals. Milk is an important source of calcium for the body. Hence, the intake of two glasses of milk a day is recommended for the growing children. While purchasing milk products, choose the ones with the least fat content to avoid fats from getting accumulated in the body and increasing the cholesterol levels in the blood.
The same applies to fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables should be included in the meals as they are an important source of fiber and vitamins. While cooking food take care not to overcook them. Cooked vegetables and fruits will lose their nutrients and become tough and dry. Therefore it is important to choose cooked foods in a gentle manner with little oil or no oil at all.
Kids who prefer to have sweets during their diets should opt for low-fat or low-sugar fruits. Fruits should also be added in small portions to ensure that there is no increase in their calories. Similarly, the proportion of fish and meat in their diets should be increased to ensure they get all the essential nutrients without increasing their calorie intake.
Cooking meals together at home is one way of enjoying a meal with your kids without putting them under any pressure. They can sit together and enjoy the warmth of the kitchen while preparing the meals together. However, it is also important to remember that children tend to put off eating healthy meals till the evening and this might reduce the effect of having fun in preparing the meals together. The best way of ensuring they enjoy their meals is to have them eat them together as soon as possible after the dinner. This will ensure that they get the desired nutrition during the early hours of the morning.