Five types of food wey children need to grow well

As a parent, di nutritional needs of your baby, toddler, and all your pikin gatz be your priority.

Like oda members of di family, your pikin need to eat variety of foods.

Food for children under five years

Di foods wey children dey eat for dia early years fit influence dia eating habit.

E dey important to teach dem how to get good eating habit - make dem also get good relationship wit food from early age.

Wen your child begin dey chop solid foods, you fit notice say dem no go like di kain foods wey you dey prepare give dem.

But na di reason wey you suppose get a food habit and timetable wey go help you.

To make sure say your children nutrient dey complete and all di tins wey dem need for bodi dey complete, you gatz dey aim for three balanced food per day.

Dis foods gatz come from each of di five major classes of foods and also a maximum of two healthy snacks.

You gatz make am habit to always introduce a new protein, as well as two different vegetables, in addition to your child favourite foods.

Wetin children go take during first months

During di first six months, breast milk or "first formula" dey provide di energy and e get most of di nutrients wey your baby need until around six months of age.

Infant formula (baby food) na di only alternative to breastfeeding for babies under six months.

Vitamin D na one of di nutrients to pay attention to.

Babies wey dem dey breastfeed need a daily vitamin D supplement from birth.

Cow milk no dey recommended as a primary drink for small babies bifor di age of one year.

From six months, small children go begin comot di phase of breastfeeding come dey focus on balanced diet wey get food wey belong to each of di five main classes of food.

Di classes of food wey make up a balanced diet na:

Protein foods, such as fish, meat, eggs and pulses.

Starchy foods, including potatoes and rice

Fruits and vegetables of different colours

Milk, dairy products and plant-based alternatives

Fats and oils

1. Why protein dey important for children?

Protein dey essential for growth, brain development and to maintain strong, healthy bones. Protein get amino acids wey gatz come from food.

E get about 20 different amino acids and nine of dem dey veri important inside di food wey your pikin dey chop.

Animal proteins - such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt and cheese - dey contain all nine essential amino acids and dem dey considered as di most valuable for growth and development.

Plant proteins, such as beans and legumes, dey considered as "incomplete" proteins, meaning say one or more of essential amino acids dey miss and gatz dey combined wit oda protein sources to provide all di necessary nutrients.

Even di UK goment recommend eating fish twice a week, including fatty fish such as salmon, trout or mackerel.

Fresh or frozen foods dey perfect, but remember say smoked and canned foods fit dey higher in salt.

Try dis protein-rich recipes:

If you dey raise family wey no dey chop meat or animal products, you go need to pay attention to di protein wey your child dey take.

2. Which kain carbohydrates your child fit eat?

Children need a source of carbohydrate at evri meal - bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta na all useful additions.

Howeva, young children (especially dose under two years old) fit get difficulty to digest whole grain food, and food wey contain excess fibre fit make dem feel full quickly.

Dis go affect dia appetite and intake of important minerals like calcium and iron.

Try dey introduce foods wey get whole carbohydrates so dat di digestive system of your child go fit adapt to di extra fibre.

Starchy foods dey necessary becos dem be important source of energy and provide fibre for a healthy digestive system.

Try dis tasty carb-based recipes:

3. How your child fit chop fruits and vegetables?

Fruits and vegetables dey provide vitamins, minerals and fibre.

E dey advisable to start to dey introduce children to fruits and vegetables from around six months of age.

E fit be fresh, frozen, canned or dried.

To dey serve fruit and vegetables na good starting point for young children and toddlers.

Wetin a child fit chop depend on di age, height and physical activity, becos fixed rules no dey.

Di easiest way na to give dem di amount wey di child fit hold for hand.

To make sure say dis na regular practice, just keep a bag of frozen vegetables for di freezer or cut up some fresh fruits to make salad.

Dried fruits gatz dey served wit correct food not junks or snacks as di higher sugar content fit lead to tooth decay.

Try dis delicious options:

4. Milk dey good for children?

Wen you dey breastfeed your baby, e dey advisable to kontinue so e go promote dia nutrition and also increase di varieties of dia diet.

Milk including yogurt and cheese na useful source of calcium and iodine, as well as vitamins A, D and B12. Afta di age of one you fit introduce cow milk.

For children from age one to two years, choose milk, as e dey important for growth and absorption of essential vitamins.

From di age of two, you fit switch from whole milk to semi-skimmed milk, as long as your child dey eat variety of foods and e dey gain weight normally.

Skimmed milk gatz dey avoided until your child na ova five.

No forget say many packaged yogurts often dey loaded wit sugar, colors and sweeteners, so avoid flavored yogurts.

Instead, choose natural yogurt and add your own natural flavors such as fresh fruit.

Condensed, evaporated and dry milk no contain di same nutrients as normal milk and e no good to give children wey dey under one year of age.

Try dis calcium-rich option:

Cheese,

Homemade vegetable pizza

Crispy Peanut Butter

5. Fats and sugars for children diet

As children need a certain amount of fat to grow and develop, e no dey recommended to consume too much.

Butter and oils dey contribute to di taste, texture and enjoyment of food. Dem even dey provide a concentrated source of energy, necessary for young children wey dey grow quickly and dey physically active.

Fats also dey necessary to help di breakdown of certain vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E and K.

Certain fats also dey essential for di food of your pikin. Dem dey important for immune function and normal functioning of di brain.

Omega-3 fatty acids dey present inside fatty fish, nuts, seeds and dia oils. Howeva, nuts and seeds gatz dey avoided until your child reach five years old make e no go choke.

Soft drinks, sweets, confectionery, cookies, sweet pastries and desserts dey high in added sugars or “free sugars” and dem contain poor quality fats, as well as salt.

Children no suppose chop food wey dey too high in sugars, fats and salts sake of say dem be di main factor wey dey contribute to obesity.

Your child fit eat snacks?

Kerry Torrens BSc (Hons) PgCert MBANT na Registered Nutritionist wit a Postgraduate Diploma in Personalized Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy. She be member of di British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and di Guild of Food Writers.

Jo Lewin na Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) wit di Association for Nutrition, wit a specialisation in public health. Follow her on Twitter @nutri_jo.

All health-related content on bbcgoodfood.com na for general information only and make you no consider am as substitute for medical advice from your own doctor or oda healthcare professionals. If you get any concern about your general health, make you contact your local health care provider.