The awareness about proper nutrition should be created among children from a young age so that they develop healthy dietary habits that can sustain them throughout their lifetime. Many parents argue that teaching their children about the importance of including healthy food items in their everyday diet seems to be a futile exercise as much of it is undone by television commercials for junk food.

However, you can always instill healthy eating habits in your little one by setting an example and preparing nutritious food at home that takes care of all their dietary needs. The dietary needs of school-aged children are different from those in their teens. You need to take this in to consideration while preparing meals for them or while packing their lunch.

If you have a toddler or young children at home, it is extremely important that you follow the under mentioned dietary guidelines.

• Include at least two servings of fresh fruits and vegetables in their daily diet. For instance, you can give them an apple during snack time instead of fries. You can also make crunchy vegetable salads or soups for your little ones.
• The every day diet of toddlers and young children should include daily servings of whole grain food in the form of buckwheat pancakes or whole grain bread for breakfast. In addition, you can use brown bread for making a sandwich for them for school lunch and cook brown rice at home for the evening meal.



• To make sure that your toddler grows up with strong bones and does not suffer any major nutrient deficiency you should give him three servings of milk and dairy products in a day. In case you little one is not too fond of milk, you can try other tasty alternatives such as cheeses and yogurt.
• Since protein is the building block of our body, encourage your child to have two servings of this every day. Food items such as eggs, baked beans, fish, salmons, chicken, and lentils are a good source of protein.
• A healthy diet plan for children will remain incomplete sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals. Your kid can easily get these by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables. Vitamins and minerals are not only important to boost the body immunity but also play a vital role in determining the overall health.

You can always consult your doctor while planning the diet chart for your kid.