NUTRITION for THE GROWING YEARS

Food nourishes life. The nutrients in food are vital for children to grow and maintain
sound health. The completeness of children’s nutrition depends on the food taken.
FOOD AND NUTRIENTS
• Different foods provide different nutrients,and in different amounts.
• No single food can meet all the nutritionalneeds of children.
• A wide variety of foods is required toensure that children get all the nutrientsthey need daily.

THE MAIN NUTRIENTS IN FOODS
ENERGY
• Energy is required to generate heat formaintaining body temperature and for fuelling all body functions, including:

• Voluntary (physical) activities: walking, sitting, talking, working, playingand everything else children do through the day.
• Involuntary (basal) activities: breathing, digesting food, blood circulation, maintaining muscular tone, transmitting nerve impulses.

• Carbohydrates, protein and fats provide energy; fats provide 21/4 times (9 kilocalories
per gram) more energy than carbohydrates or protein (4 kilocalories per gram).
• Energy from food must be sufficient to make sure that growth is achieved without compromise.

CARBOHYDRATES
• Both complex (starches) and simple (sugars) carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, the fuel that the body needs.
• Fibre, a type of complex carbohydrate, is essential for maintaining good health.
• Main sources of carbohydrates are grains, cereals and tubers.
• Carbohydrates are also found in fruits, vegetables and legumes (beans and pulses).
• Carbohydrates protect other nutrients from being used as energy sources.


PROTEIN
• Protein is the building block for muscles and other body parts.
• Protein also repairs and replaces tissues as well.
• Sources of protein include fish, meat, poultry, legumes, milk and dairy products.
• Adequate protein intake ensures optimum growth.


FATS
• Fats are important for providing energy, maintaining body temperature and making hormones and cells in the body.
• Fat from food is important for transporting fat-soluble vitamins and providing essential fatty acids that the body cannot manufacture on its own.
• Essential fatty acids are important for the development of the brain, nervous system and eyes.
• Main sources of fat are cooking oil, meat fats and table spreads.
• Fats are not unhealthy unless taken in excessive amounts.


VITAMINS AND MINERALS
• Vitamins and minerals are organic compounds that cannot be manufactured by the human body.
• Vitamins can be divided into: u Fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, D, E and K. Water-soluble vitamins: B-group vitamins and vitamin C.

• Minerals can be divided into:

• Macrominerals: calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulphur.
• Trace minerals: iron, manganese, iodine, zinc, selenium, fluoride, copper and cobalt.

• Vitamins and minerals are vital for health as they perform hundreds of functions in the body.
• A balanced diet can supply all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

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PROBLEMS RELATED TO FOOD & NUTRITION