Nutrition for underweight children

Is your child underweight? Do they fuss to eat healthy food? Here's how you can get him to eat more and eat healthy, without having to force them. Read to know the causes and the solution for underweight issues.


Causes for under nutrition in children
• Pediatrics suggest not to give their children too much of juice as it often contain more sugar and less vitamins than fresh, canned, or frozen fruits. After a period off time juice replaces healthy diet drink like milk and other important food groups .
• Children who are put under low fat diet under the age of 2 with the fear of growing obese also become skinny. Remember fat is not a negative product, it is very important for storing energy, protecting or insulating the body and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins. So make sure to give your child adequate fat products. However know your limits.
• Children who skip breakfast eat less calories. Therefore, prepare ready to eat breakfast like yogurt, fruit bars and milk.
• Fussy eaters
• Weight is influenced by two things, the food we eat and the activity we do. If your child is more active than the food he/she eats, then the child will surely be termed as a underweight within a year. So make sure to give ,more energizing foods like carbohydrates for an over active kid.
Fussy child diet
Most children are fussy eaters. Eating comes last on their list of priorities. Here are few methods that you can follow to help them to regain their eating habits.
• If your children love to eat snacks then give them six small meals than three big meals which they detest. Energizing snacks can contain, a white flour muffin with banana , white bread cases filled with creamed corn and melted cheese, baked potato with broccoli and cheese, frozen yogurt, milky milo, mini pizzas...etc
• The healthiest food is not always the tastiest. If you want your child to eat bitter gourd, serve it as an accompaniment with a dish he/she simply loves.
• Expose your child to various cuisines that includes healthy vegetables. Prepare the one which he loves to eat often.
• Eating food can be made a fun experience. Be creative when preparing food. Involve your kids while making the menu for the dinner or lunch. Cook with them, and credit it as "made by my darling daughter". These few steps help them to gulp little bit extra.
Food guide for underweight
• Grains : provide carbohydrates, the primary source of energy at least 6-11 servings per day.
• Fruit and vegetables : provide vitamins and minerals a good source of fiber which helps reduce cholesterol for healthy skin, hair and vision.
• Milk : Provide calcium for bone growth and maintenance. Serve1 cup of milk or 2 ounces of cheese for 2-3 times a day.
• Fat : Give them meat and if you are a strict vegetarian give your child 1 egg or tbs of peanut butter. These food product provides protein for building muscle and other important functions in the body.
• Do not restrict fat food and sweets as they provide additional calories.
To end with,childhood is a time when eating behavior changes. Provide your child the best food to grow healthy and wise. Remember, being underweight is not the same as being thin or slender. Some children have a naturally slight built and maintain it with a well-balanced diet and physical activity. This is normal and healthy. However, underweight may be a sign of dietary, health, or emotional problems. So, tackle it with fun diet and help your kid grow well.

Fat and Fiber

Fat
Calories/gram: 9
Fats play a vital role in the human body and perform many functions. They are necessary for the absorption and utilization of certain vitamins like A, E, D and K. Fat deposit help to maintain body temperature against outside environmental influences and protects body organs such as the heart and the liver. Fats contain Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) which are essential for maintaining tissues in normal health.
Fats are composed of fatty acids (long carbon/hydrogen chains) bonded to a glycerol; they are typically found as triglycerides (three fatty acids attached to one glycerol backbone). Certain fatty acids are essential. Fats may be classified as saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fats have all of their carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms, whereas unsaturated fats have some of their carbon atoms double-bonded in place of a hydrogen atom. In humans, multiple studies have shown that unsaturated fats are to be preferred for health reasons, particularly mono-unsaturated fats. Saturated fats, typically from animal sources, are next, while 'trans' fats are to be avoided; they have been banned in several locations (eg, New York City). Saturated and trans fats are typically solid at room temperature (such as butter or lard), while unsaturated fats are typically liquids (such as olive oil or flaxseed oil). Unsaturated fats may be further classified as monounsaturated (one double-bond) or polyunsaturated (many double-bonds). Trans fats are saturated fats but are typically created from unsaturated fat by adding the extra hydrogen atoms in an industrial process called hydrogenation; they are also called hydrogenated fat. They are very rare in nature, but have properties useful in the food processing industry
Saturated fats such as cholesterol are found in meat and dairy products, i.e. whole milk, cheese, butter and eggs. Many processed foods have saturated fats added to them and they are widely used in manufacturing. Unsaturated fat are found in vegetable oils like soya bean, mustard, sunflower, ground nut, olive etc and corn, peanuts, seeds, olive, oily fish etc. The fat which should be eaten in excess is the unsaturated variety which is more beneficial. An excess level of saturated fats in the blood tend to raise the level of cholesterol contributing to hardening of the arteries causing strokes and various forms of heart diseases. It is advisable to limit fat intake to no more than 30% of the overall diet. Good sources of essential fatty acids are most vegetables, nuts/seeds and marine oils,[2] including: fish, flax seed oils, soy beans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.

Fiber
Calories/gram: < 4
Fibre is derived from plants and is found in fruit, green leafy and root vegetables, whole meal flour and bread, bran rich food, brown rice, cereals including oats, beans and pulses. Whole grains, fruits (especially plums, prunes, and figs), and vegetables are rich in dietary fiber. Fibre plays a vital role in the digestive process by softening the bile wastes and speeding up the process of elimination of undigested food thus helping to prevent constipation. The presence of fibre regulates the absorption of fats and glucose into the bloodstream.
A high fibre diet protects against cancer. High fiber food includes wheat bran, kidney beans, potatoes, whole wheat, whole grains, legumes, whole grain bread, prunes etc. Eating beans regularly and brown rice, brown bread etc. instead of white bread and rice can meet the fibre requirements you need. Insufficient consumption of fibre may lead to the development of Colon cancer and increase levels blood cholesterol. Fiber, especially that in whole grains, may help lessen insulin spikes and reduce the risk of diabetes
It is recommended that at least five portions(25gms fibre) of vegetables and fruit should be eaten each day to provide necessary vitamins, minerals and fibre. Increase your fibre intake gradually and as you increase your fibre intake make sure that you increase your fluid intake as well.

Carbohydrates and Proteins

Carbohydrates
Calories/gram: 4
Carbohydrates may be classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, or polysaccharides by the number of monomer (sugar) units they contain. They are found in large proportion in foods such as rice, noodles, bread and other grain-based products. Monosaccharides contain 1 sugar unit, disaccharides contain 2, and polysaccharides contain 3 or more. Polysaccharides are often referred to as complex carbohydrates because they are long chains of sugar units, whereas monosaccharides and disaccharides are simpler. The difference is important because complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and absorb since their sugar units are processed one-by-one off the ends of the chains; the spike in blood sugar levels caused by substantial amounts of simple sugars is thought to be at least part of the cause of increased heart and vascular disease associated with high simple sugar consumption. Simple carbohydrates are absorbed quickly and thus raise blood sugar levels more rapidly.


Protein
Calories/gram: 4

Most meats such as chicken contain all the essential amino acids needed for humans.
Proteins are the basis of animal body structures (eg, muscles, skin, hair etc.). They are composed of amino acids, sometimes many thousands, which are characterized by inclusion of nitrogen and sometimes sulphur. The body requires amino acids to produce new body protein (protein retention) and to replace damaged proteins (maintenance). Amino acids not needed are discarded, typically in the urine. In animals, amino acid requirements are classified in terms of essential (an animal cannot produce them internally) and non-essential (the animal can produce them from other nitrogen containing compounds) amino acids. Humans use about 20 amino acids, and about ten are essential in this sense. Consuming a diet that contains adequate amounts of essential (but also non-essential) amino acids is particularly important for growing, pregnant, nursing, or injured animals, all of whom have a particularly high requirement. Protein nutrition which contains the essential amino acids is a complete protein source, one missing one or more is called incomplete. It's possible to combine two incomplete protein sources (eg, rice and beans) to make a complete protein source.
Dietary sources of protein
Plant sources include beans, peas, pulses, whole grains, nuts and oil seeds; while red meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs are obtained from animals. Red meat is a good source of essential amino acids and iron and is traditionally regarded as 'first class' protein. But too much consumption of red meat may be harmful as it is a major source of undesirable saturated fat. One can eat more fish or chicken without the fatty skin instead of excess red meat. Vegetarians can obtain plenty of both from plant sources, whole grain cereals and from low fat diary products. A protein deficiency especially in infants and growing children can cause growth retardation, severe wasting of muscle

Sources and Requirement of nutrients

Carbohydrates | Proteins | Fats | Fibre | Vitamins | Minerals | Source and requirements of nutrients

Nutrients

Nutrients
There are seven major classes of nutrients: carbohydrates (saccharides), proteins, fats (triglycerides), fiber (cellulose), minerals, vitamins, and water.
These nutrient classes can be generally grouped into the categories of macronutrients (needed in relatively large amounts), and micronutrients (needed in smaller quantities). The macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats, fiber, proteins and water. The other nutrient classes are micronutrients.
The macronutrients (excluding fiber and water) provide energy, which is measured in kilocalories, often called "Calories" and written with a capital C to distinguish individual calories. Carbohydrates and proteins provide four (4) Calories of energy per gram, while fats provide nine (9) Calories per gram.[1] Vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water do not provide energy, but are necessary for other reasons.
Molecules of carbohydrates and fats consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates may be simple monomers (glucose, fructose, galactose), or large polymers polysaccharides (starch). Fats are triglycerides, made of various fatty acid monomers bound to glycerol. Some fatty acids are essential, but not all. Protein molecules contain nitrogen atoms in addition to the elements of carbohydrates and fats. The nitrogen-containing monomers of protein, called amino acids, fulfill many roles other than energy metabolism, and when they are used as fuel, getting rid of the nitrogen places a burden on the kidneys. Similar to fatty acids, certain amino acids are essential.
Other micronutrients not categorized above include antioxidants and phytochemicals.
Most foods contain a mix of some or all of the nutrient classes. Some nutrients are required on a regular basis, while others are needed less frequently. Poor health can be caused by an imbalance of nutrients, whether an excess or a deficiency.