Dietary Needs of the Child

Feeding a growing child

Once a baby moves on from milk, a good diet becomes one of the biggest influences on how well a child grows, learns and stays healthy. Planning it well is a real skill. This module works through what a young child needs: - Weaning and a balanced diet: moving onto solid food, and the Eatwell Guide.\n- The food groups: what each one does for a growing body.\n- Planning meals: weighing age, budget, time, skills and what the child will actually eat.\n- Labels and special needs: reading food labels and handling allergies and other needs. Milk feeding of a newborn belongs to an earlier module. Here the focus is the solid diet of a child from weaning through to about five years old.

Words for a child diet

Five terms you need before you use them. Learn what each one means.

Match each food group to what it does

A healthier snack against a less healthy one

Snacks are a big part of a young child diet, and small choices add up. Learning to compare them is a useful skill.

Which meets a growth need?

A young child is growing quickly and building muscle and new tissue. Which nutrient is especially important for this?

• Protein, because it builds and repairs the growing body
• Only sugar, purely for quick energy
• No particular nutrient is needed for growth
• Large amounts of fat above all else

Tap the two things worth checking on a food label

Tap the TWO things a carer should check on a food label when choosing for a child.

• How much sugar the product contains
• How much salt the product contains
• The colour of the packaging
• How catchy the advertising slogan is

Planning a child meal

Planning a meal for a young child means juggling several things at once, and the exam rewards you for naming them. Think about the age and stage of the child, and offer a balanced variety across the food groups. Work within the budget, time and skills the carer has. Make it appealing, since a child who likes the look of food is far more likely to eat it. And always allow for special needs: an allergy, a vegetarian household, or a cultural or religious requirement. Bear in mind, too, that food advertising often pushes sugary or salty products at children, so a careful carer reads past the packaging.

Pick the true facts about a child diet

Select the TWO statements that are true.

• A balanced diet gives a child the variety of nutrients they need
• Reading food labels helps a carer choose lower-sugar options
• Sugary drinks are the best choice for a young child teeth
• A diagnosed food allergy can safely be ignored

Order how to plan a healthy meal for a child

Put the steps of planning a healthy meal for a young child in a sensible order.

• Think about the child age and any special dietary needs
• Choose foods across the groups for a balanced meal
• Check the budget, time and skills available
• Make the meal appealing so the child will eat it
• Serve it and note what the child enjoyed

One lunchbox, balanced and appealing

Follow a carer packing lunch for a three-year-old, and see the thinking behind a good meal for a child. A balanced plate: she includes a wholemeal sandwich for energy, some chicken for growth, cherry tomatoes and grapes for vitamins, and a little cheese for strong bones. Keeping it safe: she knows the child cannot eat nuts, so she checks every label and leaves out anything containing nuts or traces of them. Making it appealing: she cuts the sandwich into small shapes and adds some colour, because a child who likes the look of food is far more likely to eat it. Watching the sugar: instead of a sugary drink she packs water, to protect the teeth of the child. A little thought turns a lunchbox into a balanced, safe and tempting meal, which is exactly what a growing child needs.

Complete the child diet facts

Gradually introducing solid foods alongside milk from around six months is called _____. The model showing the right proportions of each food group is the _____ Guide. A harmful reaction of the body to a particular food is an _____. A substance in food the body needs, such as protein, is a _____.

Build a child diet point

Choose the words that complete this statement about feeding a child.

The child diet run

Five questions on the dietary needs of a child. Three lives.

Feed the child well

Read each case and choose the best response, then think about why.

• A baby is around six months old and has had only milk so far. What is the sensible next step?
• A child has a diagnosed nut allergy. How should their meals be planned?
• A child refuses vegetables and asks only for sweets. What is a sensible approach?

Explain how to plan a healthy diet for a young child

A student in the year below does not understand how to feed a young child well. Explain how using what this module has covered.

• Explain what weaning is and roughly when it begins
• Explain what a balanced diet for a child includes
• Explain two factors a carer weighs when planning a meal
• Explain how to handle a child with a food allergy
• Finish by explaining why reading food labels helps