TOP healthy products for children's health: nutritional features, vegetarianism

The most ardent desire of all parents is that their child never gets sick and develops fully. However, in the modern world, fewer and fewer children are born with good health.

The most ardent desire of all parents is that their child never gets sick and develops fully. However, in the modern world, fewer and fewer children are born with good health. While the mother is breastfeeding, the baby gets everything he needs from her milk. But when he begins to eat regular food, his body experiences a serious deficiency in some essential substances, even if the diet is thought out to the smallest detail, and the family lives in a favorable climate with a lot of sun. What can we say about “little-toed” children who live in a region where there are few sunny days?!

Vitamin and mineral complexes help strengthen the baby’s immunity and ensure the proper development of his body. We have compiled the top best drugs for children of different ages, because the needs for vitamins, minerals and other substances differ during certain periods of growth.

Features of proper nutrition for children

The peculiarities of baby food are to ensure that the child receives all the necessary nutrients and thereby strengthen his health. But not only the composition of the menu is important - adherence to the food intake is also necessary for the full development of children and adolescents.

The nutrition of children and adolescents has many differences from the nutrition of an adult. The main difference is that a young body is actively developing and growing, the endocrine glands produce hormones at an accelerated rate, oxidative processes and food absorption occur quickly, which leads to a constant need to compensate for the lack of certain nutrients.

To maintain the high metabolism of a child, necessary for his full growth and development, it is very important to adhere to the principles of a healthy diet and enrich the daily menu with fresh, healthy foods. Only natural food can help a child or teenager’s body fight negative external factors and safely continue its physiological development.

What fruits can an 8 month old baby eat?

From this age, you can significantly diversify the baby’s diet: bananas, prunes, apricots and even melon may appear on his table. The children's diet is enriched thanks to the fact that raw fruits can now be given. And serve them not only in the form of purees. Fruit pieces are still taboo, so nibbler comes to the rescue. This is a special device into which chopped pieces of fruit are placed (no need to chop). Through a silicone mesh, the baby sucks the fruits, receiving not only tasty juice, but also nutritious puree, which he independently squeezes out with his tongue and sponges. Now the baby can try a wide range of fruit flavors.

Still remember to carefully monitor your baby's reaction to each fruit. To do this, give only one-component purees, or pieces of one fruit, in order to know exactly which fruit the body responded to with a negative reaction.

Principles of proper nutrition

After a year, children are ready to gradually join the “adult table”, if the child has a food interest. But the introduction of children into the world of adult dishes should be gradual. In children, the function of the digestive system is not yet sufficiently developed; it will be ready to fully break down and digest all food components (fats, proteins and carbohydrates) only by the age of 5-6 years. Therefore, in preschool children, the lack of high-quality, complete, proper, balanced nutrition is especially fraught with various chronic diseases.

We recommend

“Buckwheat tea: beneficial properties, contraindications and reviews” Read more

Children's health directly depends on proper nutrition

:

1. Feeding a varied and balanced diet.

   A growing child's body needs proteins (sources of building materials), carbohydrates (sources of energy) and fats (additional sources of carbohydrates, building materials, and also facilitating the absorption of some important vitamins) and vitamins themselves.

   Each product contains a certain set of nutrients: its combinations of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and micro-macroelements. The more varied a child’s diet, the more biologically active substances enter the child’s body. At the same time, one should not overuse the same type of product.

   An optimal diet is one that provides the body with everything it needs, that is, it contains fruits, vegetables, lean meat and fish, dairy and fermented milk products, legumes, cereals, eggs, nuts, seeds, and honey. It is better to minimize the consumption of sugar and flour products. The amount of food entering the body directly depends on the child’s age and is calculated in children’s fists - 1 serving of vegetables or fruits is equal to a child’s fist. For example, the daily intake of the same vegetables and fruits is 5 servings, only the size changes in accordance with the change in age and the increase in the same fists.

2. Moderate nutrition

   within reason, it allows the body to quickly and fully cope with the “processing” of incoming food. Constant overeating leads to the accumulation of fat mass, reduces the functioning of the immune system, causes fatigue, disruptions in the functioning of the body and leads to many diseases. Malnutrition leads to exhaustion, health problems, and nervous breakdowns.

3. Compliance with diet

   adjusts the child’s body to produce the enzymes necessary for digestion at certain times, thereby helping the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and the pancreas in particular. Systematic nutrition improves the digestion and absorption of nutrients and vitamins.

   Read also:  Recipes for delicious and affordable soups for children over 1 year old

   It is advisable to eat food at a constantly allotted time with the possibility of slight deviations of 15-30 minutes or based on the circumstances (the child is sick, or there will be sports training that day; summer time, when the child walks a lot or winter time, when children mostly drive sedentary lifestyle).

   Children over three years old eat 4 times a day. However, for children aged 1 to 3 years, a fifth (evening or night) feeding is also allowed.

   An example diet looks like this:

   :

   8.30 – breakfast.
4. 12.30 – lunch.
5. 16.00 – afternoon tea.
6. 19.00 – dinner.

Between breakfast, lunch and dinner, if the child wishes, a small snack of raw fruits or vegetables is possible.

7. Cooking food

   immediately before eating fresh food. During long-term storage, products deteriorate, the content of valuable substances in them decreases, and the amount of histamine increases. When we reheat food, it significantly loses useful substances and produces toxic nitrites, which can cause poisoning in a child’s body. It is ideal to consume cooked food for a maximum of two days; by the way, this applies not only to the child’s body, but also to adults.

   We recommend

   “Psyllium is a valuable supplement for health and weight loss: features, useful tips and recipes” Read more

   To preserve minerals and vitamins in food, try to steam dishes, or at least boil them in water, stew or bake them. Moreover, the shorter the heat treatment of vegetables and fruits, the better. Children should not be given fried foods, herbs and spices, which irritate the gastric mucosa and are poorly absorbed, which leads to colic, gastritis, ulcers, liver and kidney diseases.

   Now we are offered a large number of refined products for consumption, i.e. specially processed to increase their attractiveness (snow-white flour, transparent, odorless vegetable oil, polished rice).

   During the refining process, foods lose vitamins and minerals, as well as auxiliary substances that help them digest and absorb. As a result of thoughtless refining of food, products become inferior, because... cannot be completely absorbed by the body. For example, if we take the process of making bread, then 80-90% of B vitamins are lost on the way from whole grains to the finished bread on the store shelf. And this happens with a huge number of products.

8. Changes in diet according to the season

   . The best time to buy fruits and vegetables is during their ripening season in your area. It will be both cheaper and more useful. Products from other countries subject to long-term transportation are treated with special substances and lose most of their beneficial properties.

   In summer and autumn, it is necessary to increase the amount of plant foods, using all seasonal fruits, berries, vegetables and herbs in their natural form. In winter, add more foods rich in proteins and fats to your diet. In winter, you can use frozen products rich in vitamins and nutrients. This is an excellent option, since most berries, fruits and vegetables retain all their beneficial properties when frozen, so we have the opportunity to consume them during the winter. In spring, you should not give early greenhouse vegetables, which, as a rule, contain significantly increased doses of nitrates and nitrites.

   Read also:  Pumpkin for a baby: when to give it, how much to cook, how to cook
9. Ensure your child enjoys food

   – You cannot force a child if he categorically refuses to eat. Invite your child to the table later, when he is really hungry.

   You can try to unobtrusively persuade your child and attract him to food:
10. before eating, give your baby a piece of apple, which will stimulate the appetite;
11. Appetite is improved by walks in the fresh air, sports, and outdoor games;
12. set the table beautifully, arrange the plates of food in an appetizing way;
13. put some food on the child’s plate so that he can cope with the food, and most importantly, see the result - an empty plate;
14. do not use too cold or hot dishes, food should be warm;
15. invite the whole family to the table;
16. ask to save the kitten, which is hidden at the bottom of the plate (drawn on the plate);
17. Do not turn on the TV while eating, turning the meal into entertainment.
18. Compliance with drinking regime.

    Water is not a food product, but it is a very important part of our diet. In children, due to their high mobility, water loss is very noticeable. Therefore, they should drink as much as they want. The main thing is that it is not only sweet compotes or store-bought juices, which suppress appetite. It is better to drink plain water, mineral water without carbon, dried fruit compotes without sugar, fruit drinks, children's teas based on medicinal herbs and berries.

    We recommend

    “Metabolism: foods to speed up metabolism and lose weight” Read more

    You should not drink during or immediately after a meal, especially too much (more than a glass)! The fact is that drinking liquid dilutes saliva and gastric juice, reduces the concentration of digestive enzymes, which makes digestion difficult. It is recommended to drink half an hour before meals or an hour after meals. But if a child eats dry food and has difficulty swallowing it, then you can drink a little water.

    In order to teach your child to drink water, there are several options - you can get your child a separate motivating bottle that he will enjoy holding. In this case, the child forms positive connections in the brain in connection with the process of drinking clean water. If the children are older, you can play games with them where water is one of the components of the game.

Fruits for toddlers from 2-3 years old

At two years old, babies' mouths are already well-equipped with teeth - you can even give them pieces of hard apples and pears. But treat such delicacies only in the presence of parents. Make sure that the child sits up straight while eating and does not jump or run. Now your child can be fed fruit in any form: raw, baked, boiled, pureed or whole. Children are given all seasonal fruits and vegetables. Take into account the individual characteristics of the child’s body. If constipation is common for your baby, give plums, apricots and cherries that cause a laxative effect. If diarrhea occurs frequently, treat your child to intestinal strengthening pears, black currants and blueberries.

It is important to produce fruits that are peeled and pitted. Cut into pieces. Many people are interested in how much fruit a child can eat per day. At two years old, a baby should eat at least 100-150 grams of fragrant fruits.

What fruits should I give my child at 3 years old? More exotic ones can rarely be carefully added to seasonal fruits. Don't forget to monitor your body's reaction. Give any new fruit the same way you started feeding your baby: with half a teaspoon. If allergies do not appear, increase the portion. Also, be careful when feeding allergy-causing citrus fruits and red berries.

Nutritional features of children of different ages

The body of children and adolescents has a number of significant features and differences from an adult. Children's body tissues consist of 25% proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts and 75% water. The basal metabolism in children proceeds 1.5-2 times faster than in an adult. In the body of children and adolescents, in connection with their growth and development, the process of assimilation (anabolism) prevails over dissimilation (catabolism). Due to increased muscle activity, their total energy costs are increased.

The average energy consumption per day (kcal) per 1 kg of body weight for children of various ages and adults is

:

• up to 1 year – 100.
• up to 1 to 3 years – 100-90.
• 4-6 years – 90-80.
• 7-10 years – 80-70.
• 11-13 years old – 70-65.
• 14-17 years old – 65-46.
• adults - 45.

For normal physical and mental development of children and adolescents, a complete, balanced diet is necessary, ensuring plastic processes and energy expenditure of the body, taking into account its age. The energy value of the daily diet of children and adolescents should be 10% higher than their energy expenditure, since some of the nutrients are necessary to ensure the processes of growth and development of the body. The ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates in the diet of children over 1 year of age and adolescents should be 1:1:4. Daily physiological nutritional norms for children of different ages are shown in the table

:

The need for nutrients in children is inversely proportional to their age (the smaller the child, the greater the need), since the child grows especially rapidly in the first years of life.

Much attention in the nutrition of children and adolescents is paid to its amino acid composition as the main plastic material from which new cells and tissues are built. With a lack of protein in food, children's growth is delayed, mental development lags, the composition of bone tissue changes, resistance to disease and the activity of the endocrine glands decrease.

When essential amino acids are balanced, milk and dairy products are considered the best food for children. For children under 3 years of age, the daily diet should include at least 600 ml of milk, and for school-aged children - at least 50 ml. In addition, the diet of children and adolescents should include meat, fish, eggs, cereals - products containing complete proteins with a rich amino acid composition.

We recommend

“Proper diet: menu planning and ready-made recipes” Read more

Fats play an important role in child development. They act as plastic, energy material, supply the body with vitamins A, D, E, phosphatides, polyunsaturated fatty acids necessary for the development of a growing organism. Cream, butter, vegetable oil (5-10% of the total amount) are especially recommended. The daily requirement for fats is the same as for protein. The energy value of fats in the daily diet should be at least 30%. With insufficient fat intake in children, resistance to disease decreases and growth slows down.

Children have increased muscle activity, and therefore their need for carbohydrates is higher than adults, and should be 10-15 g per 1 kg of body weight. The amount of sugars should be 25% of the total amount of carbohydrates. However, an excess of carbohydrates in the diet of children and adolescents leads to metabolic disorders, obesity, and a decrease in the body’s resistance to infections.

TOP most useful products for children

1. Oily fish and caviar

   — children need animal protein, but it is better to get it not from meat, but from fatty fish, because such fish (salmon, salmon, sardines) are rich in Omega 3, which are extremely important for improving brain function and strengthening the immune system. Nutritionists believe that the healthiest breakfast for a schoolchild is a sandwich made from wholemeal bread with a small amount of butter and fish roe.

2. Oatmeal

   — oats are considered one of the healthiest grains: it stimulates blood circulation (including in the brain). Let’s not forget about B vitamins, of which oats, as well as all grains, have plenty (this group of vitamins is needed for both adults and children, because it is considered a storehouse of energy, which all cells of the body need, and, above all, brain).

3. Blueberry

   - The composition of blueberries, rich in antioxidants and vitamins, makes them especially useful for improving brain function. This berry helps you think well, assimilate and remember acquired knowledge well at any age. By the way, it also helps strengthen the retina.

   Read also:  Is it possible to use pomegranate while breastfeeding in the first month?

4. Apples

   - one of the richest fruits in vitamins and microelements, which help the overall strengthening of the body and improve immunity. At the same time, the phosphorus contained in apples helps strengthen the nervous system and stimulates brain activity. In addition, natural apple juice is an excellent antioxidant.

   It is very convenient to give apples to a schoolchild so that he can have a snack during recess. A child can eat at least one apple a day, which will have a positive effect on the child’s learning ability, memory and brain function.

5. Carrot

   — in addition to its positive effect on vision, carrots are useful because they facilitate memorization, as they actively stimulate metabolism throughout the body, including the brain. Therefore, if your child is expected to memorize large amounts of information for the exam, offer him grated carrots with vegetable oil or, better yet, flaxseed oil.

We recommend

“The most dangerous fats: how they affect health” Read more

6. Kiwi

   - Just one kiwi contains the daily requirement of vitamin C, which is a source of antioxidants that protect the brain from free radicals. Free radicals, in turn, impair memory and negatively affect the ability to make decisions.

7. Butter

   - it has been scientifically proven that in no case should saturated fats and “correct” cholesterol be excluded from the diet of children under 2 years old - they play an important role in the development of the children’s brain and nervous system. Give preference to organic oil and, in consultation with your pediatrician, introduce it into your diet by adding a small amount to baby food.

   Our mothers and grandmothers were carriers of valuable information about butter on an intuitive level. There is, perhaps, not a single schoolchild of past years who would not eat sandwiches with butter in the morning. And this makes sense. Fats help maintain a feeling of fullness for a long time and better absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

8. Beans and lentils

   - Legumes are an important source of vitamins. When preparing a child’s diet, special attention should be paid to beans and lentils. They contain many vitamins and minerals - iron, zinc, manganese - and other beneficial substances, such as folic acid.

   In terms of protein content, beans and lentils are very close to meat products. If you're looking to add variety to your diet while maintaining nutritional value, legumes are a good alternative.

   To make beans and lentils easier and faster to cook and to remove phytic acid, they should be soaked in water overnight. In the morning, the beans need to be strained and cooked until soft. If you are cooking red lentils, you don't need to soak them, as they cook quite quickly. Legumes can become either an independent side dish or an integral ingredient in various soups and vegetable stews.

9. Herbs and spices

   - childhood is not a reason to give up herbs and spices. Add them to the dishes you prepare for your children. They will help make the dish tastier and more interesting, add variety to the usual menu and saturate the food with additional vitamins and minerals. Herbs are a valuable source of vitamin E and strengthen the immune system, while spices improve the functioning of the digestive system and have a positive effect on the overall tone of the body.

   Popular and healthy combinations: fruit purees with cinnamon, cauliflower with nutmeg, meat gravy with cumin or oregano, vegetables or chicken with thyme, avocado with cilantro, fish with parsley and lemon.

10. Natural yogurt

    - it’s not only tasty, but also healthy. All children are partial to this product and gobble it up with great pleasure. And parents are only happy, because yoghurts contain a large amount of vitamins, calcium, and other beneficial substances that help the child grow healthy and smart. However, it is important to clarify here that yoghurts, which are available in great abundance on supermarket shelves, are not a completely healthy product for your child.

    We recommend

    “Fats in nuts: Top 10 healthiest nuts and their effect on weight loss” Read more

    Jars of dyes and flavors contain too much sugar. Choose natural yoghurts without additives for your child. You can sweeten them with natural treats - for example, berries and fruits, honey, syrups. It is also very important to consider that dairy products are one of the most popular allergens, especially for children, so if your child has an allergy or intolerance to dairy products, it is necessary to either exclude or limit their consumption.

11. Red meat

    — iron and zinc, which are contained in large quantities in red meat, are perfectly absorbed by the child’s body. Red meat is a unique source of complete protein, which is essential for normal human growth and development.

    B vitamins strengthen the immune system, improve vision and have a positive effect on digestion. Preference should be given to beef - it contains the optimal combination of nutrients. Red meat also includes pork, lamb, horse meat, and rabbit.

    To make the vitamins and minerals contained in red meat even better absorbed by your baby’s body, combine it with vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C or herbs. These are, for example, tomatoes, bell peppers, citrus fruits - tasty, nutritious and healthy. Do not forget that children have physiologically reduced acidity of gastric juice, so the preferred preparation option would be in the form of minced meat (cutlets, meatballs, etc.) for better absorption.

At what age are children given fruit?

In the first six months of his life, the baby receives all the necessary substances from breast milk or formula. They have everything a fast-growing body needs. And only at the turn of 6-7 months are complementary foods introduced - vegetable, fruit purees and porridges. Moreover, it is desirable that at the initial stage these are not fruits or berries, but vegetables. As a rule, kids like sweet apples or pears much more than unleavened zucchini or broccoli. And if you start pampering your baby with aromatic fruits right away, he simply will not want to eat the vegetables and cereals that his body needs.

Prohibited products for children

A child’s subsequent health and ability to realize himself in adulthood depend on proper nutrition in the first years of life. Therefore, it is important to lay the foundation of proper nutrition from an early age in order to avoid health problems in the future.

Most pediatricians have come to the conclusion that breastfed children should not receive whole cow's or goat's milk in any form. If a child is deprived of the opportunity to receive mother's milk, then infant formulas adapted to breast milk are recommended for such children. Cow's milk is considered heavy food for a baby. It contains a large amount of proteins, fats, and mineral salts. The child's kidneys begin to work with great effort, which leads to their overload. Fluid is excreted in greater quantities than is necessary according to the physiological norm, which leads to thirst for the baby.

In addition, children under two years of age have not yet developed enzymes capable of breaking down the nutritional components of cow's milk. As a rule, cow's milk is not completely absorbed by the child's body.

Now let's look at children under 3 years of age and what restrictions there may be at this age.

Salt and sugar should not be given to children, at least until they can be avoided. It is best not to give these products until the age of three. Since adding salt and sugar is considered traditional in cooking, sooner or later the baby will become familiar with the taste of salty and sweet food in kindergarten or school.

Semolina

- it turns out that it contains gliadin - one of the components of gluten, which complicates the work of children's intestines. Phytin, another ingredient in semolina, inhibits the absorption of vitamin D and calcium.

Semolina gluten can cause allergic reactions in a child in the form of red itchy spots. Excessive feeding of semolina porridge often leads to overweight children, which is difficult to get rid of later.

Parents often switch children aged 4-5 years to adult food. But even at this age it is recommended to observe some restrictions.

Honey

- a healthy natural product containing many biologically active components, macro- and microelements, vitamins. But this beekeeping product can cause allergic reactions. In early childhood, it is better to avoid honey and introduce it into baby food with caution later. You can try beekeeping products - royal jelly, bee bread, propolis. They are excellent immunomodulators and help in the fight against viruses and influenza.

Sausages and sausage products

It is allowed to give to children after three years of age, prepared using special technology for baby food. Labels on such products usually contain inscriptions indicating at what age the product can be consumed. There will be no great harm to the child’s health if he eats baby sausages no more than once every two weeks. Roskontrol does not recommend giving small children sausage products intended for adult food. These products contain many ingredients that are harmful to the child's body: preservatives, flavor enhancers, phosphates, nitrites and other harmful "eats".

We recommend

“Proteins in products for weight loss: features of protein diets and sample menu” Read more

Chocolate

— this treat should not be given to babies for a number of reasons:

• chocolate contains sugar;
• cocoa powder can cause allergies;
• Cocoa butter is difficult for a child's gastrointestinal tract to digest.

In the industrial production of baby food, there is a list of products that are unacceptable for children

:

• vinegar;
• ethyl alcohol with a concentration of more than 0.2%;
• apricot kernels;
• sweeteners (except for those special for dietary and baby food);
• artificial flavors;
• benzoic and sorbic acids (they are used as preservatives);
• hot and hot spices: pepper, mustard, horseradish;
• red meat, fish and poultry after re-freezing;
• trans fats and hydrogenated oils;
• diffusion concentrates for juices;
• food additives (various E additives not permitted in Russia for the production of baby food).

If the child does not eat fruit

It is difficult for some children to limit the consumption of juicy fruits, while others have to be forced to eat them. Today, more and more children ignore aromatic fruits and berries.

• Determine the reason why your baby refuses fruit. He may not like the consistency of the fruit, then try another one.
• It may be difficult for the baby to chew and swallow hard pieces - in this case, even for infants, give peeled fruits and treat them to puree
• A vase with seasonal fruits should be in a prominent place - let the sight and aroma of juicy fruits attract the child
• Often children do not want to eat fruit because they are spoiled with sweets in excess. Limit the consumption of sweets and cookies, offering aromatic fruits instead
• Do not spoil your children with store-bought products with bright, unnatural flavors. They get used to food that smells strongly and is rich in flavors, and natural fruits seem bland to them.
• Eat fruits and berries yourself regularly, setting an example for your child
• Do not force children to eat fruit, as this will only cause disgust.

Turn eating fragrant fruits into a holiday: use interesting fruit recipes for children. A variety of salads, smoothies, purees containing yogurt, sour cream or cream will attract the child. Make beautiful compositions that beg to be put into your mouth. Prepare fruit puree with added cream, freeze it, and feed your picky eater healthy and delicious ice cream. Prepare interesting fruit dishes with your child - he will probably want to taste his creativity.

Vegetarianism: is it suitable for children?

From a health point of view, any dietary restrictions are a risk factor. There is no single product that completely satisfies our nutritional needs. That is why official recommendations regarding the diet of children refer specifically to a varied diet, which, among other things, includes lean meat.

However, there is evidence that a well-planned vegan and vegetarian diet is suitable even for nursing mothers and young children. True, not all pediatricians share this opinion, because it is quite difficult to develop a complete children’s diet with food restrictions - partly because the need for nutrients depends greatly on age.

Let's look at some of the problems that parents may encounter when they decide to switch their child to a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarian diet for children under three years of age

Vegetarianism and the impact of this style of eating on children’s health began to be studied 30 years ago. In 1988, British researchers observed for several years how children (one to five years old) who ate a vegan diet grew and developed. Most vegan children grew normally, but tended to be shorter and weigh less than their peers. Calcium and vitamin D intakes in these children were below the recommended values. Despite the fact that the diet of the study participants was generally adequate and well-planned, some of them still received little vitamins B2 and B12.

The main source of protein and nutrients for babies under six months of age is breast milk, and for vegan babies, soy formula. According to the recommendations of American doctors, children who are exclusively breastfed and whose mothers (vegetarians) do not take nutritional supplements need to receive additional vitamin B12. And infants and infants receiving less than one liter of soy formula should receive additional vitamin D.

Recommendations for introducing solid foods into the diet are the same for vegetarian and non-vegetarian children. Children over six months of age should get iron from fortified foods. Vegetarian children over six months old can use tofu puree, cottage cheese, milk or soy yogurt, bean, pea, chickpea or lentil puree as a source of protein.

As a rule, adult vegetarians tend to eat low-fat and low-calorie foods, which also take up a lot of space in the stomach. Such food allows you to feel full and not overeat. The stomach volume of a 1-3 year old child is about 200-300 ml. On a vegetarian diet, children fill their stomachs too quickly and stop feeling hungry long before they get all the nutrients they need.

Vegetarian diet for primary schoolchildren and teenagers

In 1999, Brussels researchers studied the health of 82 vegetarian children and adolescents and concluded that they were developing well. True, some vegetarians were thin and not as strong as their peers. However, the results obtained are not enough to say that a vegetarian child will certainly grow up thin and weak.

To summarize, we can say that a vegetarian diet for school-age children and teenagers has advantages and disadvantages. In general, most researchers believe that the younger the child and the stricter his diet, the higher the risk that he will not have enough vitamins and complete protein. However, this does not mean that a teenager’s vegetarian diet needs to be planned less carefully than a baby’s menu: despite the fact that a teenager’s need for some nutritional components is less, getting them in sufficient quantities is still very important.

The benefits of fruits for children

For infants, fruit is a way not only to diversify a meager menu, but also to saturate the body more fully. With fruits, children receive many vitamins, micro- and macroelements. Plums and baked apples contain healthy pectins, which are not found in raw fruits. Apples also contain vitamins A, C, and B. Citrus fruits are a source of vitamin C - a friend of children's immunity and an enemy of colds. Apricot contains calcium, iron, ascorbic acid and vitamin A. A hearty banana is very rich in potassium, and persimmon is rich in carotene, which is good for vision.

In order for the fruit to be beneficial, the main thing is to take into account the characteristics of your child’s body and purchase the fruit in trusted stores. Pay attention not to glossy beauty, but to naturalness. Feed your child seasonal fruits; expensive and tasteless strawberries will not be beneficial in winter. Wash all fruits thoroughly.