Pregnant Mother Infant and Childhood Nutrition

Pregnancy Calorie adjustments for pregnancy are needed to support growth of the fetus. 300 extra calories/day during the 2 nd and 3 rd trimesters.

Pregnancy Generally add one extra serving from each of the food groups. Protein needs are about 10 extra grams/day to support growth and development.

Weight Gain During Pregnancy 1 lb/month during the first three months and about 1 lb/week thereafter for a total of about lb.

Special Vitamin and Mineral needs during pregnancy Folate – –is involved in blood production and cell growth. –Deficiencies have been associated with neural tube defects. –Supplementation is recommended for pregnancy at 400 micrograms/day during child-bearing years.

Food sources of Folate

Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron Vitamin D 10 micrograms/day non pregnant adult RDA = 5 micrograms Calcium – mg/day non pregnant adult RDA = 1000 mg/day Iron – 30mg/day instead of 15 mg/day

You can encourage young children to eat a variety of foods by…..

Preschool children should be offered a snack when….

The kind of snacks that should be offered to preschool childre include…..

Infant Nutrition Breastfeeding, (preferred and recommended), or formula supply nutrients for the infant. Start to introduce solid foods at about 6 mths. Energy needs start at about 1000 cal/day at age one and increase gradually (100 calories per year) to about 2000 cal at age 10.

Childhood Nutrition Children’s eating patterns are sporadic and usually follow periods of rapid growth. After the age of one, a child’s growth rate slows and with it, the appetite;

Preschool Children Sweets should be limited in a preschool child’s diet; nutrient-rich foods can be used to satisfy hunger. Children develop tastes for certain foods at an early age. The eating habits and attitudes children learn are likely to last a lifetime. It is important to start healthy eating habits early.

Some suggestions to help encourage young children to eat a variety of foods are: Invite a friend to eat; you’ll be amazed how much they eat when their friends are eating. When introducing a new food, refer to it as a grown-up food. Serve it to the child only if he or she requests it after seeing how much you enjoy it.

Serve young children’s meals on their own small-sized dishes. Give them tiny servings, so they can have satisfaction of eating everything on the plate.

Some suggestions to encourage young children to eat a variety of foods are: Serve finger foods often. Children like to choose from a variety of foods, as in a buffet. Children will usually eat the foods they have helped prepare. Vary meal situations - picnic in front of the fireplace, park, etc.

Children usually prefer raw vegetables to cooked. Avoid making dessert a reward for vegetable eating. Relax and let mealtime be a time for everyone to enjoy. Use snacks to improve food habits.

Some children need snacks Some children have the capacity to go easily from one meal to the next without hunger. Others actually experience real hunger within two to three hours after eating, especially if they are growing rapidly.

If no nutritious snack is offered, this hunger may eventually be satisfied by soft drinks, candy, or other non- nutritious food. Timing is important; a snack should be offered when children are hungry but not so close to mealtime that it spoils their appetites for the next meal.

Serving sizes/ portions for children are SMALLER than adults. Generally, 1 TBSP. of a variety of foods per year of age. Children need a VARIETY of nutrient-dense foods in small amounts, FREQUENTLY. Children

Expose children to new foods one at a time, not all at ONCE. Children’s taste buds are very SENSITIVE. Avoid SWEET foods as snacks. Make foods interesting and inviting for children; color, texture, shape, size and temperature

Children Menu and Aesthetic Values Menu week: _____ Day of the Week: _______ Food Item ColorTextur e SizeShapeTemp. Pan CakeBrown Or. JuiceOrange SausageBrown Choc MilkBrown ToastBrown Summary: Color is mostly brown; more colors could be used. Texture is all soft; something crunchy should be added.

Planning ahead Means deciding which of the nutrients you want to provide. Have nutritious snacks down at their level so they can get to them easily.

Snacks can supplement meals Add protein Add Vitamin C and A Raw vs cooked

Make eating FUN Children like to feed themselves just like everything else. Shape food in unique ways with cookie cutters. Draw or make faces