The Nutritional Needs of Preteens

The preteen kid (a child who is between 10 and 13 years of age) has specific nutritional needs. Keeping the prêteen well nourished is essential if you want the child to do well in school.

Feed your child based on the USDA food pyramid and make sure that –

• Half of your children's intake of carbs is grains and that boys are getting 5 ounces and that girls are getting six ounces
• A variety of vegetables are consumed as a source of vitamins and fiber with girls over 10 needing 2 cups of vegetables a day and boys needing 2 and ½ cups of vegetables
• Girls and boys over ten should have between one and one and ½ cups of fruit a day.
• Both boys and girls should have three servings of dairy products every day
• Boys and girls both need five ounces of meat per day
• As is true with younger children, pretends may not be getting enough calcium. Calcium helps ensure the proper formation of bones and teeth.
• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests that children between the ages of 10 and 19 should be getting at least 1300 milligrams of calcium every day.

Children that are allergic to cow's milk protein, or vegan, will need to find an alternative source of calcium. Some great foods high in calcium include cheese, soy milk, rice milk, salmon and broccoli

Vitamin D is essential for proper calcium absorption. 200 IUs of vitamin D everyday will help calcium to be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, ensuring that your child gets the most out of his calcium intake.

As school age kids develop healthy foods adults eat, along with more vitamins and minerals to support growing bodies. This means whole grains (whole wheat, oats, barley, rice, millet, quinoa); a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables; calcium for growing bones (milk, yogurt, or substitutes if lactose intolerant); and healthy proteins (fish, eggs, poultry, lean meat, nuts, and seeds).

Healthy fats are also important at this age as the brain is developing. There are two types that your child should be consuming.

• Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, and seeds
• Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines, or in unheated sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, and walnuts.

Pre adolescents should also avoid feed with vegetable shortenings, some margarine, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

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Understanding Preteen Eating Patterns

Preteens (kids aged ten to 13 years old) often display definite likes and dislikes when it comes to food. They can be quite tempted by junk food. thanks to being surrounded by messages from the media that make sugary, fatty or refined foods look delicious.

This age group also is hard to stop from snacking mindlessly between meals, especially while they are watching television.

One characteristic that your child might start to display at this age to a greater display is eating to comfort oneself. This is because a child this day may not know how to deal with approaching puberty, hormones and feelings about the opposite sex.

One pattern that could emerge is the one where your pre-teen eats to 'stuff down anger.' This is a hard-wired response to feeling anger that is satiated by the feeling of eating high calorie, salty foods.

Children from ages ten to 13 years old need to eat three sit-down square meals a day and at least three snacks a day to stay healthy. However some of these children may experience a big growth spurt that requires them to constantly be snacking. This is okay as long as the kid is not gaining a great deal of weight and as long as he or she is snacking on healthy foods.

Most preteens are happiest eating three meals a days. Studies have shown that kids who eat healthy meals at home are more likely to choose healthy snacks outside the home. That means saying ‘no’ to greasy chips and sugary candies.

You should also bag your child's lunch. Like play age kids, your preteen is vulnerable to the temptations at local fast food joints and has more expendable income of his own.

If your child must buy lunch then make sure he or she can make the right food choices. One way to control how your adolescent spends money on food is to give them a prepaid debit card; this will give you a good idea of how much they are eating and when they are eating.

Just as a brief recap preteens need to –
• Eat regularly
• Stay away from junk food
• Avoid excess salt and sugar
• Make sure they are getting enough calcium through food sources
• Make sure they are getting enough Vitamin D

The amount of food a child should eat from each food group on a daily basis is determined by his age, sex and physical activity level.

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