Fat needs for toddlers aged 2

Fat is often considered the enemy of adults. But for toddlers, fat is important for your little one's growth and development needs. Fat plays a role in providing energy to the body so that everyone can do activities properly. Fat is divided into three, saturated, unsaturated, and trans fat. How is the explanation?

Why is the need for fat so important for toddlers?

Quoting from Kids Health, fat helps your little one grow and develop according to his age. Fat plays a role in absorbing several vitamins, forming hormones, and building the body's defense system.

In addition, fat also has an important role in brain development and helps your little one achieve maximum growth.

Fat acts as fuel or energy and helps absorb vitamins that dissolve in it such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Energy intake that is not sufficient for your little one can cause an energy imbalance. If allowed to continue this can cause nutritional problems such as lack of energy and have an impact on weight changes for toddlers.

Although fat is useful for producing energy and some of the things mentioned earlier, you still have to determine the right amount.

In addition, you must also understand that there are three types of fat, namely saturated, unsaturated and trans fats.

How much fat is needed for toddlers aged 2-5 years?

When you know fat is very beneficial, it doesn't mean you can give your little one as much high-fat food. The reason is, consuming too much fat is also not good for the health of children under five.

As children get older, they don't grow as fast as they did when they were babies, so the need for protein is reduced.

Even so, pay attention to the increasing weight and height of toddlers. This makes the total calorie and fat requirements also increase.

Based on the 2013 Adequacy Rate (RDA), the following is the amount of fat per day according to the needs of children under five:

Toddlers aged 1-3 years: 44 grams
Toddlers aged 4-6 years: 62 grams

To increase your toddler's fat intake, don't forget to increase the quality of the fat and adjust it to your little one's calorie needs. Keep in mind the source of fat, whether healthy fat or not.

The American Heart Association recommends that children aged 2-3 years consume a total fat of about 30 to 35 percent of their calories.

Meanwhile, for children aged 4-18 years, the level of fat consumed per day is around 25-35 percent of total calories.

Some sources of unsaturated fats can be found from nuts, fish and vegetable oils.

Types of fat that can meet the nutritional needs of children under five

Toddler fat needs can be met from several types of food. However, the fat content in animal products tends to be higher.

Meanwhile, there are not too many vegetable products in it. However, there are three groups of fat in accordance with the fat needs of toddlers. Here's the explanation:

Unsaturated fats

This type of fat is often considered the healthiest fat. Unsaturated fats can be found in plant foods and fish.

Unsaturated fats are very good for heart health, especially when used as a substitute for saturated and trans fats.

In addition, unsaturated fats play an important role in the development of the brain, nerves and eyes in babies. This type of fat increases the level of good cholesterol or HDL in the blood.

Some types of foods that contain unsaturated fats include:

Olive oil

If you want to give your little one a meal high in unsaturated fat, cook it in olive oil. The reason is, 100 ml of olive oil contains 100 grams of fat and 884 calories of energy so that it can meet your baby's daily fat needs.

Despite its high fat content, olive oil is healthier because it helps brain development and increases levels of good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood.

Many dishes can be made with olive oil without affecting the taste. Although the price tends to be more expensive, the saturated fat content is comparable for your health and your family.

Soy

Many soy foods contain unsaturated fats and can meet the fat needs of toddlers. Tempeh, tofu, and soy milk are sources of unsaturated fats that are healthy for your little one.

For 100 grams of raw soybeans contains 15 grams of fat and 174 calories of energy. You can make tempeh, tofu, and soy milk as snacks for your little one.

Saturated fat

Saturated fat is one of the nutrients that can also be consumed by toddlers to meet their daily fat needs. Unfortunately, saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease and stroke if consumed in excess.

This is because saturated fat can increase bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood. However, for toddlers aged 2-5 years, saturated fat is useful for providing energy. Some foods that contain saturated fat are:

Meat

If you want to increase the fat content of your little one to gain weight, you can use beef in their diet.

Indonesian Food Composition Data states that 100 grams of beef contain 15 grams of fat, 184 calories of energy, and 18.8 grams of protein.

In order for toddlers' fat needs to be fulfilled, you can make a variety of children's food menus according to taste. Try to include meat in foods like mac and cheese, spaghetti cabonara, or skutelized macaroni which uses milk, meat and cheese in one menu.

Dairy products

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends UHT milk as saturated fat intake for toddlers aged 2-5 years. Two glasses of whole milk, contains 144 calories from fat and will meet half of the daily fat needs.

Based on Indonesian Food Composition Data, 100 ml of milk contains 30 grams of saturated fat and 513 calories of energy.

Margarine

You can include margarine in your little one's food menu as a cooking ingredient. In 100 grams of margarine contains 81.9 grams of fat and 742 calories of energy. Margarine is a source of fat suitable for weight gain for toddlers.

Many dishes can be mixed with margarine, for example, fried rice, omelette, or fried noodles. Adjust the portion of the meal with the little one's appetite so that food is not thrown away because the child is full.

Coconut oil

The composition of this one is definitely an ingredient in various menus. Indonesian Food Composition Data explains that coconut oil contains 98 grams of fat and 870 cal of energy which can be used as "fuel" for your little one for activities.

If you cook meat and vegetables using coconut oil, your toddler's daily fat needs can be met. In addition, this method can also increase toddlers' weight if they are still lacking.

Trans fat

Compared to saturated fat, trans fat is the least healthy type of fat. Trans fats increase levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood. This condition can cause stroke and heart disease.

Similar to saturated fats, trans fats also help increase the shelf life of packaged foods. Trans fats are found in fried fast food and packaged foods. Various foods that contain trans fats, namely crackers, cakes and cookies.

For toddlers, you should avoid consuming excess trans fats because they can have a negative impact on your little one's health.