The nutritional needs of children based on age and the best food sources

Entering school age, it means that the daily activities of the children will be even more. In order to support this, of course, sufficient daily nutrient intake is needed to optimize the growth and development of school children.

Are you sure that the nutritional needs of children have been met properly? Don't be confused, see the guidelines for meeting the nutritional needs of children at school age.

What is the nutritional adequacy of school age children (6-9 years)?

The nutritional needs of school age children are certainly different from other groups of children of age, including those during the development period of children aged 6-9 years.

Nutritional needs in children must be fulfilled properly because the child's cognitive development, physical development, and other things are ongoing.

In accordance with the Nutrition Adequacy Rate (RDA) from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, school-age children ranging in age from 6-9 years, need daily nutrition as follows:

Nutritional needs of school children aged 6 years

The nutritional needs of 6 year old school children are the same for boys and girls.

The following is a breakdown of the nutritional needs of school children aged 6 years, which are divided into micro and macro:

Macro nutritional needs

Energy: 1400 kCal
Protein: 25 grams (gr)
Fat: 50 gr
Carbs: 220 gr
Fiber: 20 gr
Water: 1450 ml

The need for micronutrients

Vitamin

Vitamin A: 450 micrograms (mcg)
Vitamin D: 15 mcg
Vitamin E: 7 milligrams (mg)
Vitamin K: 20 mcg
Vitamin B12: 1.5 mcg
Vitamin C: 45 mg

Mineral

Calcium: 1000 mg
Phosphorus: 500 mg
Sodium: 900 mg
Potassium: 2700 mg
Iron: 10 mg
Iodine: 120 mcg
Zinc: 5 mg

Nutritional needs of school children aged 7-9 years

Based on the AKG from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the following details the nutritional needs of school children aged 7-9 years which are divided into micro and macro:

Macro nutritional needs

Energy: 1650 kCal
Protein: 40 grams (gr)
Fat: 55 gr
Carbs: 250 gr
Fiber: 23 gr
Water: 1650 ml

The need for micronutrients

Vitamin

Vitamin A: 500 micrograms (mcg)
Vitamin D: 15 mcg
Vitamin E: 8 milligrams (mg)
Vitamin K: 25 mcg
Vitamin B12: 2.0 mcg
Vitamin C: 45 mg

Mineral

Calcium: 1000 mg
Phosphorus: 500 mg
Sodium: 1000 mg
Potassium: 3200 mg
Iron: 10 mg
Iodine: 120 mcg
Zinc: 5 mg

Understand the nutritional status of school children

The nutritional status of children is a condition that indicates whether a child's nutrition is classified as poor, insufficient, good, overweight, or obese.

Based on Permenkes No.2 of 2020, the measurement of children aged 5-18 years includes school age at 6-9 years, using the body mass index per age (BMI / U).

Measuring nutritional status using the interpretation of the BMI / U index will help show whether the child's nutrition is good, lacking, or even more.

That way, further treatment can be given according to the child's needs to support their growth and development.

Following are the BMI / U categories and thresholds (z score):

Poor nutrition: -3 SD to <-2 SD
Good nutrition: -2 SD to +1 SD
More nutrition: +1 SD to +2 SD
Obesity:> +2 SD

In the category of measuring the nutritional status of children with BMI / U, the threshold (z score) is the measurement limit for classifying the nutritional category of children.

To make it easier and faster to find out the nutritional condition of your child, you can measure the child's height and weight at the nearest health service.

Unlike adult BMI which has a special formula, the nutritional status of children generally has its own complicated calculations.

Routine monitoring of the health condition and development of children can be done at any health service, such as posyandu, puskesmas, clinics, or hospitals.

Food sources to meet the nutritional needs of school age children

If in preschool children usually tend to eat the same food, aka too picky about food, now try to change their perspective.

This is because at school age children are required to do a lot of activities outside the home, so that the nutritional needs of the little one are increasing.

Now, by eating healthy foods for children, of course, you can contribute a number of important energy and nutrients to support the daily activities of school-age children.

The following are choices of food sources that must be available at least every day to meet the nutritional or nutritional needs of school children:

1. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the main energy sources needed by the brain to carry out various activities and metabolic processes.

Fulfilling children's carbohydrate needs means increasing children's calorie intake which will be used as energy for activities.

But not all carbohydrates are the same, there are two types of carbohydrates that you can provide to meet the nutrition of school children:

Simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are carbohydrates that are composed of very few sugar molecules, i.e. between one or two molecules.

There are a variety of food sources with simple carbohydrates in them.

For example some vegetables, fruit, honey, white sugar, brown sugar, and various other sweeteners.

In addition, cakes and processed products, such as candy and soda, also contain this type of carbohydrate.

Complex carbohydrates

In contrast to simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates are carbohydrates made up of many chains of sugar molecules.

You can provide bread, rice, potatoes, corn, pasta, whole grain cereals, nuts, and several types of vegetables and fruits for children.

2. Fat

Although it is often underestimated, it turns out that not all sources of fat are bad and are still needed to fulfill the nutrition of school-age children.

Fat acts as a source of energy, especially when carbohydrate reserves are running low.

Just like carbohydrates, fulfilling children's fat needs means increasing calorie intake which will be used as energy.

The following is the division of fat source food groups by type:

Good fats

There are two main categories of good fat sources, namely:

Monounsaturated fat

Monounsaturated fat content in food is believed to reduce levels of LDL (low density lipoprotein) or "bad" fats.

This type of fat can also help keep HDL (high density lipoprotein) levels or "good" fats high.

There are many food sources that you can provide for children, ranging from olive oil, nuts, avocado, and so on.

Polyunsaturated fats

Foods that contain polyunsaturated fats are believed to be good for body health.

One example is fish, which also contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

You can provide various types of fish and vegetable oils to increase your intake of good fats for school age children.

Take for example sardines, mackerel, salmon, safflower oil, soybeans, and others. In addition, nuts, seeds, and eggs are equally rich in omega-3s.

Bad fats

There are two main categories of sources of bad fats, namely:

Saturated fat

Saturated fat or also known as solid fat has the risk of increasing disease attacks if consumed too much for a long time.

Eating too many foods sources of saturated fat can increase cholesterol levels, thus opening up opportunities for heart disease and stroke.

Sources of saturated fat are usually found in fat in meat, meat products, chicken skin, cheese and other dairy products.

Various processed foods, such as cakes, biscuits, chips, and palm oil, also contain saturated fat.

Trans fat

Trans fats are usually found in fried, packaged, and fast food foods.

Take for example, such as fried potatoes, french fries, donuts, crackers, and so on.

Contrary to good fats, these trans fats are harmful to health because they can increase LDL levels and lower HDL levels.

That is why, letting children often eat foods that contain trans fats, the risk of making them develop heart disease and stroke later.

3. Protein

Protein is a macro nutrient that plays a role in building and repairing damaged body tissue.

Protein that enters the body will be converted into amino acids.

These amino acids are later used as raw materials to build new cells and tissues.

Just like carbohydrates, fulfilling children's fat needs means increasing calorie intake which will be used as energy.

There are two types of protein that you can get to meet the daily nutritional needs of school-age children:

Animal protein

Animal protein is protein that comes from animals. Amino acid content is the main point that differentiates animal and vegetable protein.

Animal protein contained in red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, milk and cheese contains complete essential amino acids.

Vegetable protein

Vegetable protein is protein that comes from plants. Unlike animal protein which has a complete amino acid structure, vegetable protein has less amino acids.

Even so, food sources of vegetable protein are equally good for supplementing protein nutrition for children.

You can give tofu, tempeh, nuts, wheat, oats, and several types of fruit to children.

4. Fiber

In order for the growth process to run optimally, fiber is one of the nutrients needed by children.

Fiber is actually part of complex carbohydrates, but without the calorie content in them.

Not just one, but two types of fiber can help meet children's nutritional needs:

Water soluble fiber

Soluble fiber is a type of fiber that dissolves directly with water. That is why once it gets lost in the body, the water soluble fiber immediately dissolves with the water and turns into a gel.

In other words, this type of fiber can be absorbed easily by the body without having to be digested in the digestive system.

Examples of foods with water soluble fiber include various types of oranges, apples, carrots, avocados, broccoli, sweet potatoes, kidney beans, and oats.

Insoluble fiber

Insoluble fiber is a type of fiber that must go through the processing process in the digestive system, because it cannot dissolve directly with water.

Therefore, when it is in the digestive system, this water insoluble fiber is responsible for helping the digestive system work.

Adequacy of soluble fiber nutrients can help prevent digestive problems in children.

5. Vitamins

Vitamins are indeed classified as micronutrients, but their intake for school-age children cannot be overlooked.

There are 6 types of vitamins needed by the body, namely vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K.

All of these vitamins are classified into two groups, namely:

Water soluble vitamins

Water soluble vitamins are vitamins that are not stored in the body, so they must be obtained from daily food.

There are 9 types of water soluble vitamins, including vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, and C.

Fat soluble vitamins

Fat soluble vitamins only dissolve with fat and not with water.

This type of vitamin can contribute to better benefits for school-age children when taken together with foods that contain fatty nutrients.

Several kinds of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.

There are many sources of vitamins for children in food to meet their daily needs.

The main examples are vegetables and fruits, but other food products are also rich in fat content.

For example red meat, poultry, fish, milk, and other processed products.

In fact, vitamins can also be a supplement, namely vitamins that increase children's appetite if they have difficulty eating.

6. Minerals

There are various types of minerals needed during the growth and development of a child.

Starting from calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, sodium, fluorine, zinc, iodine, manganese, copper, chromium, and selenium.

All of these micronutrients have an equal role in supporting all functions of the child's body, especially during their growth and development at school age.

Suggestions in meeting the nutritional needs of school children

The nutritional or nutritional needs of children at school age are certainly more than the previous age.

This is because he is still in his infancy and will later experience puberty.

Here are some recommendations for fulfilling nutrition for children aged 6-9 years:

Eat 3 times a day (morning, afternoon and evening).
Routinely eat fish and other protein sources. The recommended daily intake of animal protein is 30 percent, while vegetable protein is 70 percent.
Expand to eat vegetables and fruits.
Limit eating fast food, snacks, and snacks that are sweet, salty, and fatty.
Routinely brush your teeth at least 2 times a day, namely after breakfast and before going to bed at night.

Meeting the nutritional or nutritional needs of school-age children means supplementing the number of calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.

Apart from eating at home, you can bring school children supplies to prevent them from snacking randomly on food.

Sample menu a day to meet the nutrition of school age children

Changes in activities from preschool and school years, make the nutritional needs of children will experience a slight increase.

In addition, the nutritional intake of children at school age must be fulfilled properly in preparation for the arrival of puberty.

Especially because at this school age children are usually much more active, so they need more energy as a builder and support for bodily functions.

Not only that, the number of activities that children must undertake outside the home should also be balanced with adequate intake of various nutrients.

So, for example, here is a daily menu that can help meet the nutritional needs of school children (1850-2100 kcal):

Breakfast (breakfast)

1 plate of fried rice (100 grams)
1 bunch of green cabbage (10 grams)
3 slices of tomatoes (10 grams)
3 slices of cucumber (10 grams)
1-2 medium boiled eggs (50-125 grams)
1 glass of white milk (200 ml)

Interlude (snack)

2 medium oranges (200 grams)

Lunch

1 plate of white rice (100-200 grams)
1 medium bowl sauteed kale (30 grams)
1 medium bowl of balado shrimp (30-50 grams)
1 small bowl sauteed oncom (30 grams)

Interlude (snack)

2 medium apples (200 grams)

Dinner

1 plate of white rice (150-250 grams)
1 medium bowl saute bean sprouts (40 grams)
1-2 pieces of grilled pomfret (45-75 grams)
2 medium pieces of tempeh (40 grams)

Feeding rules to meet the nutrition of school age children

The daily intake of school-age children should be considered to help meet their daily nutritional or nutritional needs.

The reason is, sometimes children may have difficulty eating or even eat too much so that it affects their daily intake.

If you have this, maybe some of the children's nutrients are not fulfilled optimally or it could be excess.

In fact, children at school age are still growing so they need adequate nutrition so that their nutritional status is good.

As parents, you should apply regular healthy eating habits as the main foundation in their daily diet.

1. Breakfast

Ideally, breakfast should be able to meet about a quarter of the energy needs of children in a day. The optimal breakfast time is before 9 am.

The breakfast portion is recommended not too much, because it is feared that it will interfere with the activities and work of the child's digestive system in the morning.

Although the breakfast portion is usually not as much as lunch and dinner, make sure all the nutritional needs of the child are still fulfilled.

2. Snack

Not infrequently, children often feel hungry between meals.

This is where healthy snacks for children act as a stomach booster before mealtime arrives.

In addition, snacks can also help contribute a number of additional nutrients to meet the daily needs of children.

Unfortunately, not all snacks are healthy to eat. Some types of snacks are usually processed with added sugar, salt, colorings, flavorings, and additives that are potentially bad for children's health.

As a solution, you can provide other snacks that are rich in various nutrients.

Types of snacks that can be given include yogurt, nuts, oatmeal, smoothies, or homemade popcorn.