A child is not going to grow taller than what he will due to genetics but when you offer the correct nutrients balance (this includes fat, protein, carbs, right amount of calories, minerals and vitamins) you will maximize the growth potential. Poor nutrition is going to lead towards permanent stunting or serious growth delays. Because of this, thanks to the recommendations of Kingsberg Medical, here is what you need to always remember about foods that increase child growth. Remember that cooking with kids can be fun and most of the food that the child needs can be offered through daily meals.
The Importance Of Protein
Children that will consume way too little protein will never reach that desired full growth potential. The recommendations are the following:
- 1 to 3 years old – 13 grams daily
- 4 to 8 years old – 19 grams daily
- 9 to 13 years old – 34 grams daily
Keep in mind that these are minimums recommended. More may be needed. Great sources of protein include turkey, eggs, chicken, lean meats, soy products, nuts, seeds and dairy foods. The foods that come from animal sources were proven to be particularly useful for child growth.
Counting Calories
Besides the necessity to eat foods that are nutrient-dense, the right number of calories is really important for child growth. It is also vital for boosting the growth of the children that were malnourished. Children 2 to 3 need around 1000 to 1400 calories, 4 to 8 requires 1200 to 2000 and 9 to 14 requires 1400 to 2600. It might seem like a lot but when children are really active, they do need more calories.
Minerals And Vitamins
Every single day the child needs to receive the adequate quantities of minerals and vitamins. That will maximize growth for the child. Basically all the micronutrients are really important. However, the key nutrients for accelerating growth in kids are vitamin A, iron and zinc. Zinc and iron will be really abundant in sea food, legumes, dark meat chicken and foods that are fortified with zinc or iron (many cereals are like this). In order to make sure that the child has all the vitamin A needed, focus on carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, spinach, peppers, mangoes and cantaloupe.
Dairy Products
Dairy products (mostly milk in most cases) will help the child to grow up to the maximum allowed by genetics. It was proven that the consumption of dairy foods, especially milk, will lead to a higher growth factor in the child. At the same time, it will increase leg bone length. Proof of that was discovered for boys. Most children will need around 2 to 3 dairy foods cups daily, based on how many calories are recommended and age.
As you can easily notice, it is really important that the child eats as much as needed and that the diet is as diverse as possible. Most nutrients are important but those that were mentioned above are definitely more important. Focus on them and do be sure that you measure everything appropriately.
