As adults we often watch our fat intake, buy fat-free products and limiting our consumption of high fat foods. Children, especially between the ages of 1-3, require up to 40% of their energy intake from fat.
Energy-dense foods, such as those with high fat content, play an important role in helping young children meet their energy needs for growth and development. Offer foods rich in healthy fats such as avocado, salmon, nut butters (eg. peanut butter) and full-fat dairy.
Danielle Van Schaick, Registered Dietitian
Dani Health & Nutrition Services
www.danihealth.com
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
We are still giving our 7 year old homo milk because he us quite thin. Is this ok? Our younger 4 year old us average weight and also drinks it. When should we start 2%?
Hi Erin,
There are a number of factors to consider when answering this question for example, how much fat and saturated fat is in your 7 year old’s diet and how much milk he/she is drinking. It is a good idea to keep energy/calorie intake high but I may not recommend that this come from (saturated) fat. If you’d like to email me dani@danihealth.com, I might be able to answer your questions more directly.
How many calories should a 4 year old (in the 75th percentile for both weight and height, so proportionate) have? He seems to eat more than me!
Hi Sarah,
Sounds like he’s a great eater! His calorie requirements really depend on his activity level.
If you want to email me his height, weight, and activity, I would gladly estimate a calorie level for you.
dani@danihealth.com