Child Nutrition Summary A healthy diet helps children grow and learn. It also helps prevent obesity and weight-related diseases, such as diabetes. To give your child a nutritious diet Make half of what is on your child’s plate fruits and vegetables Choose healthy sources of protein, such as lean meat, nuts, and eggs Serve whole-grain breads and cereals because they are high in fiber. Reduce refined grains. Broil, grill, or steam foods instead of frying them Limit fast food and junk food Offer water or milk instead of sugary fruit drinks and sodas Learn about your children’s nutrient requirements. Some of them, such as the requirements for iron and calcium, change as your child ages. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NIH MedlinePlus Magazine 10 Healthy Breakfast and Lunch Tips 6 Easy Steps toward Healthier Eating Back-to-School Health Tips: Breakfast & Lunch Planning For a Healthy School Year: Healthy Eating Teenagers 5 Reasons to Pack Your Lunch Nemours Foundation Charge Up! Healthy Meals and Snacks for Teens National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Eating Well While Eating Out Nemours Foundation Energy Drinks and Food Bars: Power or Hype? Nemours Foundation Figuring Out Fat and Calories Nemours Foundation Guide to Eating for Sports Nemours Foundation MyPlate Food Guide Nemours Foundation Soy Foods and Health Nemours Foundation Related Issues Be a Healthy Role Model for Children: 10 Tips for Setting Good Examples Department of Agriculture Better Nutrition Every Day: How to Make Healthier Food Choices National Institutes of Health Breakfast: The Key to Learning Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Cut Back on Your Kid’s Sweet Treats: 10 Tips to Decrease Added Sugars Department of Agriculture Feeding Your Child Athlete Nemours Foundation Healthy Breakfasts for Kids: It’s All about Balance Food and Drug Administration Healthy Foods under $1 Per Serving American Heart Association Healthy Post-Play Snacks American Heart Association Healthy Snacks for Kids: 10 Child-Friendly Tips Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Is My Child’s Appetite Normal? Food and Nutrition Service Kid-Friendly Veggies and Fruits: 10 Tips for Making Healthy Food Choices More Fun for Children Department of Agriculture Make Fast Food Friendlier American Heart Association Portion Size Versus Serving Size — What’s the Difference for Kids? 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Nemours Foundation Vegetarianism Nemours Foundation Vitamin D and Your Child Nemours Foundation Statistics and Research CDC Vital Signs: Progress on Children Eating More Fruit, Not Vegetables Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Children and Dietary Supplements National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Consumption of Diet Drinks in the United States, 2009‒2010 National Center for Health Statistics Fruit and Vegetable Consumption of U.S. Youth, 2009-2010 National Center for Health Statistics Low-fat Milk Consumption among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2007-2008 National Center for Health Statistics Nutrition and the Health of Young People Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Trends in Intake of Energy and Macronutrients in Children and Adolescents from 1999-2000 through 2009-2010 National Center for Health Statistics Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Adolescent Nutrition National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Nutrition National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Nutrition Disorders National Institutes of Health Encyclopedia Cow’s milk and children Food jags Kwashiorkor Reference Desk Definitions of Health Terms: Nutrition National Library of Medicine Array Eating extra calories when you are sick – children Children Eating for Sports Nemours Foundation Food Guide Pyramid Becomes a Plate Nemours Foundation Food Labels Tell the Story! National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Why Drinking Water Is the Way to Go Nemours Foundation Find an Expert Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics KidsHealth Nemours Foundation National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute of Child Health and Human Development School Meals Contacts by State Food and Nutrition Service Health Check Tools Food-A-Pedia Department of Agriculture Start Here Health and Nutrition Information for Preschoolers Department of Agriculture Healthy Eating Nemours Foundation Helping Your Child: Tips for Parents National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Nutrition Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Nutrition for Kids: Guidelines for a Healthy Diet Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Diagnosis and Tests Prealbumin Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Journal Articles Adolescent nutrition Child nutrition Latest News School Breakfast Programs Vital, Even If Some Kids Also Eat at Home HealthDay Kids’ Fruit Drinks, Juices Contain Day’s Worth of Sugar HealthDay FDA Suggests Limit for Arsenic in Infant Rice Cereal HealthDay Spring a Good Time to Instill Healthy Habits in Kids HealthDay Fatty Foods During Teen Years May Influence Later Breast Cancer Risk HealthDay Restrictive Diets May Cause Thyroid Troubles in Young Kids HealthDay Teens Who Eat Lots of Fruit May Lower Their Breast Cancer Risk HealthDay Toddlers’ Sweet Tooth a Weight-Gain Danger, Study Confirms HealthDay Preschoolers’ Diets Improved After Federal Food Voucher Changes HealthDay More Healthy Foods Offered in School Lunches, Study Finds HealthDay