Turning Nutrition into Child’s Play

August 2001

When it comes to dietary and nutritional needs, are children just little adults?

Children and adults have similar dietary needs, in terms of foods that meet nutritional requirements, usually requiring only an adjustment in portion size and/or the number of servings. However, because from conception through teen years children grow and develop physically and mentally, their nutritional needs differ from adults’. For young children, body size dictates a need for a lower caloric intake and many nutrients, while teens require equal or higher total intakes than adults. But on a relative basis, children generally require more nutrients per unit of body weight.

Many health authorities are concerned about the increasing obesity level in this country’s children. At the same time, a large population segment will experience hunger and depend on school breakfast and/or lunch programs for at least one meal per day. This apparent contradiction has many implications for the health and well-being of children now and in the future as adults.

The USDA’s new 2000 Dietary Guidelines for Americans specifically addresses concerns for children of all ages. These include the following guidelines for diet and foods:

• Encourage a healthy weight and physical activity.

• Include adequate amounts of dairy and other calcium-containing foods to meet the especially high need for this mineral in adolescents, and adequate amounts of iron-containing foods for young children and teenage girls.

• Choose diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat for children over the age of two.

• Moderate sugar intake for dental health and to control potential excess calories.

• Moderate sodium intake — children, like adults, need less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt to meet their sodium requirement.

Using the pyramid
Feeding children often requires creativity and patience to meet the challenges of their growing personalities and bodies — and sometimes parents, schools and other caregivers lose sight of the nutritional component of meals and snacks. Product developers can help meet these challenges by creating tasty, convenient, attractive and healthful foods, beverages and meals based on the Food Guide Pyramid.

The Food Guide Pyramid outlines a dietary pattern that meets the nutritional needs for older children, adolescents and adults. For 2- to 6-year olds, the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children simplifies the educational messages and food choices to reflect their unique food patterns and nutritional needs.

Mary Mullen, R.D., JM and Associates, Clarendon Hills, IL, who counsels families on nutrition and is the co-author of a soon-to-be-published book on feeding grade school children, says, “A balanced diet is still the key. A simple way to achieve this is to include something from each food group at each meal.” She points out that kids enjoy getting involved in planning and preparing foods, and this can be a great time to teach them about healthful eating while having fun. “In today’s time-stressed lifestyle,” she continues, “meals have to be quick and convenient. The food industry can help by providing creative products that are healthy, make games that educate and show how food can be fun and enjoyable.”

One example of healthful, convenient foods for children is Fran’s Healthy Helpings, Burlingame, CA. This company offers six different frozen dinners that meet the FDA definition of healthy. The names of the meals — such as Lucky Ducky Chicken and Soccer-oni & Cheese — and the shapes of the foods — dinosaur chicken nuggets and star-shaped fish — all are designed to appeal to the 2- to 8-year-old crowd. Amy Rosen, vice president of marketing, says, “We provide a complete meal of a vegetable, pasta and meat but no desserts.”

Who’s responsible?
Nutrition experts agree on the importance of establishing good eating patterns and attitudes towards food early, because childhood practices usually lead to lifelong habits. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and food and beverage manufacturers share the responsibility for ensuring that children’s nutritional needs for growth and development are met, and for educating them on healthy eating and lifestyle.
The food industry can participate in the common goal of improving children’s nutrition on many fronts.

The retail sector can:
• create convenient, tasty and healthful meal and beverage options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks designed for children of different ages;

• develop convenient, tasty and healthful meal options for families to prepare together with age- appropriate instructions;

• include age-appropriate nutrition messages and dietary guidelines on product packaging that appeal and communicate to the intended consumer.

The foodservice sector can:
• provide tasty, healthful items for foodservice in restaurants and school meal programs;

• develop point-of-service nutrition educational materials that demonstrate how the menu items fit into the Food Guide Pyramid.

The advertising/marketing sector can:
• convey positive messages about food;

• feature good-nutrition and healthy-lifestyle tips.

So when it comes to nutritional needs, are children just little adults? The correct answer is yes and no, and those who design products for children should take the differences into account.

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