Importance of a Healthy Diet for Children

A child learns her eating habits from the adults in her life.

A child's eating habits should always be of great concern to parents for many reasons. Skin, hair, teeth and organs depend on a regular diet of healthy foods, beverages and supplements.

Development

Healthy teeth need a diet rich in calcium.

A child's eating habits have a direct relation to her growth and development. For example, a child who does not drink milk could suffer a lack of calcium, which causes tooth decay and brittle bones.

Prevention

Nutrients and vitamins are ingested through a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Healthy eating habits prevent or minimize symptoms of disease. A diet high in vitamin C, found in citrus fruits and juices, will aid in keeping colds away. Sufficient amounts of iron, prevalent in meats, leafy greens and legumes, will prevent children from becoming anemic.

Set the Stage for Adult Health

Milk can help protect an individual from osteoporosis later in life.

Teaching a child to eat a well-balanced meal will help set the stage for a healthy adult. A young person who consumes plenty of dairy products, and continues to do so through adulthood, will be less likely to develop osteoporosis.

Healthy Eating Habits are a Legacy

When a child grows up and starts a family, she will tend to replicate the eating habits learned as a child. It is very important for future generations that children learn to eat foods that provide all the daily vitamins and nutrients needed to grow up healthy and strong.

References

• Kid's Health: Healthy Eating
• The Vitamin & Nutrition Center: Vitamins for Children
• Keep Kids Healthy: Calcium Requirements
• Keep Kids Healthy: Preventing Iron Deficiency Anemia