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Nutrition to Grow On: Helping Youth Learn
Food restriction can slow a child's rate of growth and delay the onset of puberty. It has also been linked to the development of eating disorders in a small number of individuals. If the restriction is prolonged or severe, a shorter adult height may result, especially if severe restrictions occur during the adolescent growth spurt. That is not to say that changes should not be made in the caloric intake and exercise patterns of severely overweight children. These changes, however, should always be medically supervised. Although children may be eating the right amount of food, they often do not choose the best types of food for growth and health. This lesson discusses the importance of a proper diet for growth and maintenance of a healthy body.
The activities will help your students:
For Your Information
A healthy diet for children has four characteristics:
-Second, a healthy diet is balanced. This means it does not rely too heavily on one type of' food and exclude other types of foods. A balanced diet is one that includes vegetables, fruits, breads and cereals, dairy foods, and protein foods. For example, although milk is part of a healthy diet, a child who drinks plenty of milk but will not eat fruits and vegetables does not have a balanced diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends eating a variety of foods each day from five food groups: Food Group Vegetables Fruits Breads, cereals, rice, pasta Milk, yogurt, cheese Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, dry beans and peas Suggested Servings 3-4 servings 2-4 servings 6-11 servings 2-3 servings 2-3 servings The suggested servings listed above are basic guidelines. Some students in your class, such as those who are beginning their adolescent growth spurt, may need more servings of the foods listed because of the energy needed to support rapid growth. -Third, a healthy diet includes a wide variety of foods. There is no one perfect food. Different foods contain different amounts of carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. A varied diet is far more likely to contain all the nutrients needed for growth and health than a diet that includes only one or two foods from each food group. For example, a child who eats two bananas each day is meeting his/her recommended number of fruit group servings. However, bananas are not a good source of some of the nutrients, such as vitamin C, that are rich in other fruits. Therefore, the vitamin C content of this child's diet may not be adequate. -Finally, a healthy diet uses moderation. This means it limits excess fat, sugar, and sodium. Some fat, sugar, and sodium in the diet are fine. They provide energy (fat and sugar) or essential nutrients (fat and sodium), as well as make eating more enjoyable. Yet, too much of these can contribute to health problems: Fat‹Too much fat in the diet over a long period of time may increase the risk of heart attacks and some types of cancer. It is especially important to eat lower amounts of fat if there is a family history of heart disease. Sugar‹Large amounts of dietary sugar along with poor dental hygiene can cause cavities. Additionally, sugar is a source of empty calories. It provides energy but does not provide nutrients, and thus can contribute to a poor diet. Sodium - Sodium is a nutrient needed by the body every day and exists in many foods. A high sodium diet can cause high blood pressure in some people. High blood pressure can lead to strokes and heart disease. Because both boys and girls are beginning to grow rapidly between the ages of 9 and 12, your body needs more energy than when you were younger. You get this energy mainly from the calories in the food you eat. If you do not eat enough calories, it may slow or even stop your growth. You may not feel like learning either. Therefore, give your body the energy it needs to learn and grow. Eat a variety of foods at meals and snacks, and eat enough to satisfy your hunger. As the classroom teacher, you are an important role model in a child's life. Refrain from discussing personal weight problems in front of the children. Also, set a good example by eating a variety of foods each day. Encourage your students' good eating habits by promoting balance, variety, and moderation. Learning Activity "A Healthy Diet" Worksheet A. Distribute copies of "A Healthy Diet" worksheet to the students, and ask them to complete the worksheets independently. The teacher will need to act as a resource person to help answer students' questions. Encourage students to ask about information that they do not know. B. Go over the worksheets as a class. Emphasize the major points written on the worksheets about how to improve students' diets. C. Ask each student to identify two ways that he/she will try to improve his/her diet during the next week. Help students think of foods they like in each of the five food groups. Also, encourage students to try new foods. What Have You Learned? True False Most boys and girls your age should try not to eat snacks. True False Skipping breakfast can make it harder to learn in school. True False A person does not need to eat fruits and vegetables to have a healthy diet. True False It is healthy to eat lots of salty foods every day. True False Ice cream, bologna, and potato chips contain lots of fat. |
