Vegetarian and vegan children need three servings of protein a day for a balanced diet

Nutritionists advise children to take three servings of high-protein foods a day to get enough iron and zinc.

On Thursday, the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) released new guidelines on what young children should eat to stay healthy, including advice on portion sizes and the importance of limiting sugary cereals, salty chips and fruit juices.

The organization's experts say that while vegan and vegetarian diets may be healthy for young children, parents are advised to consult a GP for advice on supplementing with essential nutrients.

"It can be difficult for young children to have enough vitamins A and B12, riboflavin, iron, zinc, calcium and iodine," says the organization.

Its experts advise serving children on such three-servings a day of the "protein foods" group, which includes hummus, cooked red kidney beans and peanut butter on bread or toast.

According to Sara Stanner, Scientific Director at the BNF, families who decide to adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet "need to know how to balance their diet and use supplements as needed to ensure that children have all the nutrients they need. healthy".

The new guide 5532 was developed by nutrition scientists and an advisory panel of nutrition experts from the early years.

Although milk is described as a "good choice for drinks" because it provides calcium and other important nutrients, the document also recommends that parents seek advice from a physician regarding supplementation if they do not offer dairy products to their children.

For children aged six months to five years, including those badfed or consuming less than 500 ml of formula per day, the BNF suggests that parents give them vitamin A, C and D supplements.

Children under two years old are advised to drink whole milk, but experts say they can switch to semi-skimmed milk after that age if they eat well.

However, it is said that skim milk or 1% is not suitable as a main drink for children under five and that children should not be given tea or coffee because of its caffeine content.

It is also suggested that children ages one to four consume five servings a day of starchy foods such as bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta and bread sticks.

Children are also advised to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of dairy products and two servings of protein such as eggs, chick peas or dahl (non-vegan and vegetarian diets).

Details are also included on what constitutes a single portion in the guide.

For example, according to experts, one serving of pasta is equivalent to two to five tablespoons, one slice of bread and one serving of dairy product to one scoop of cheese or two to four tablespoons of grated cheddar cheese.

Parents are encouraged to limit sugar-rich cereals, soft drinks and sugary drinks to unsweetened dairy products, such as plain yoghurt, to the extent possible. .

While fruit juices provide "some important vitamins," the BNF says they are also high in sugar and are acidic to their teeth. As a result, they should only be consumed at mealtimes and should be diluted.

The organization also said that cakes, cookies, sweets and chocolate should not be an integral part of children's diet.

Stanner explains, "Even when parents know which foods are part of a healthy diet, it can sometimes be difficult to know which portion of size is suitable for the young child and how often they should eat each day in different food groups. .

"We know that many parents are very concerned about sugar and our guide emphasizes that sweet drinks and sweet treats like cookies, chocolate and sweets should not be part of the normal diet of children.

The expert advises parents to check food labels and look for less sugary options when choosing foods such as breakfast cereals or yogurts.

When it comes to offering snacks to children, the BNF recommends two to three health options a day, such as vegetable sticks, fruit, cheese and crackers or toast fingers with cheese toss. cream.

Since most young children are unable to regulate their own appetite, the organization recommends that parents "encourage them to eat but do not force them to eat and do not wait for them to eat if they are not hungry". .

The instructions say: "Some children eat slowly, but they usually eat everything they're likely to eat within 20 to 30 minutes, so meals do not need to be over long. "

The BNF also notes that children should be physically active for at least three hours during a day – this can include riding and playing the ground, playing in the park or dancing.

This focus comes a few months after Leeds was announced as the first UK city to report a reduction in childhood obesity as a result of the introduction of mbad lessons for parents on the subject. way to become stricter.

The city-wide initiative, which saw parents follow an eight-week program on how to "take charge" and set the boundaries of their children, was badociated with a decline significant levels of obesity.

In light of this initiative, a new study by Oxford University found that, although obesity rates in five-year-olds in England remained unchanged between 2013-4 and 2016-7, were 9.4% in Leeds. during the same period.

The data comes from the National Child Measurement Program (NCMP), which requires that all children be weighed at the beginning and end of primary school.