One Two Magazine Edition 1 December 2015 One Two Magazine Edition 1 December 2015 | Page 24

Nutrition in Children

Nutrition
Nutrition in children is
something that is too
commonly forgotten
about when it comes to
sport and exercise.
With obesity rates more than doubling in
children in the last two decades it is now
more important than ever that we take
more of an interest our kids diet. Not only is
a good healthy and balanced diet a major
contributing factor in how your child
performs during exercise but it is also
important for general good all round health.

Healthy Eating
All kids need to eat a variety of healthy
foods, and athletes are no different.
Everybody needs foods that include:

protein (found in meat, poultry, seafood,
eggs, beans, nuts, and dairy foods)

carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains are the best sources)

vitamins (as found in fruits and
vegetables, for instance) and minerals
like calcium (found in dairy products)
Kids need some fat, too, but that’s not
usually difficult to get. It’s found in meats,
cheeses, nuts, oils, and butter, just to name
a few.
Helping your child understand how nutrition
facts work plays an important role in
reinforcing healthy eating habits.

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in children
Eating for Sports.
So what makes athletes different when it
comes to eating? The main thing is that
athletes might need more food. Why? They
burn more calories by practicing and playing
so much.
School-age kids (ages 6 to 12) generally
need between 1,600 and 2,200 calories a
day. An athlete who is more active than a
typical active kid might need to eat more.
Calorie needs go up during puberty, so that
can make a difference, too.

But each kid is different. It’s important to
consider how much time they are actuall B