Diet for Growing Children and Healthy Eating Tips

My kid plays and runs outside most of the day.



He loves sports and I am looking for a good diet plan for him. He is 5 feet tall, weighs 119 lbs and will turn 12 in August. Can you help me out with a good nutritious menu for him?

• Although the growth rate for boys in the age group of 9-13 is much steadier the energy and nutrient requirements are still high. In order to meet the nutritional requirements it is important to include a variety of foods in his diet.
• Encourage him to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, sprouts and pulses.
  
  
  
  The complex carbohydrates can be gained from whole cereals, grains and its products. These foods will also provide adequate fiber and deal with minor issues like constipation or flatulence.
• To include enough proteins in his diet include eggs, low-fat dairy products preferably milk, cottage cheese and yoghurt, fish, poultry with out the skin, lean meats and nuts in his diet.
• Encourage him to drink plenty of water as much is lost while he is indulged in any physical activity.
• Ensure that his diet is low in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol as these ypes of fat are the main culprits for many diseases in adulthood. To prevent this restrict the consumption of hydrogenated oils, butter, margarine, fatty cookies, sweets, cakes, pastries, shell fish, meat, pork, organ meats, and egg yolk.
• Although junk food and sweetened drinks are a favorite food of children in this age group learn to restrict the intake. You can give him healthier options at home by using whole wheat breads for pizza base, topping it with lots of vegetables and small amount of fat free cheese or fat free cottage cheese. If you make a burger, then add lots of vegetables or soya chunks in the cutlets. Shallow fry the cutlet instead of deep frying it and use whole wheat bread instead of the regular white bread. This way you can make these recipes healthy and interesting at the home level.
• Physical activity at this age is very important, at least a minimum of 30 minutes of any form of activity like swimming, playing table tennis, cycling, jogging, skipping, running, brisk walking or other sports which interests him will help him to remain fit.
  
  
  
  In addition, restrict the time spent on electronic media like television and computers. This causes inactivity which is the major reason for obese or overweight adults.