National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Child Nutrition is the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Child Nutrition
A healthy diet helps children grow and learn. It also helps prevent obesity and weight-related diseases, such as diabetes. The following guidelines will help you give your child a nutritious diet:
- Offer five servings of fruits and vegetables a day
- Choose healthy sources of protein, such as lean meat, nuts and eggs
- Serve whole-grain breads and cereals because they are high in fiber
- Broil, grill or steam foods instead of frying them
- Limit fast food and junk food
- Offer water and milk instead of sugary fruit drinks and sodas
Learn about your children's nutrient requirements. Some of them, such as the requirements for iron and calcium, change as your child ages.
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Start Here
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Healthy Eating and Physical Activity across Your Lifespan: Helping Your Child (Tips for Parents)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Also available in Spanish
- Healthy Eating(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Healthy Eating and Physical Activity across Your Lifespan: Helping Your Child (Tips for Parents)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Childhood Nutrition(American Academy of Pediatrics)
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Diet and Nutrition(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
- Health and Nutrition Information for Preschoolers(Dept. of Agriculture)
- Kids Eat Right(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
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Latest News
- Letting Baby Eat Finger Foods May Spur Healthier Weight(02/07/2012, HealthDay)
- Many U.S. Kids Still Buy Unhealthy Snacks at School(02/06/2012, HealthDay)
- Moms' Bossiness at Snack Time Tied to Kids' Weight(02/01/2012, Reuters Health)
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ADHD: Treating with Eating?
(01/17/2012, HealthDay)
- More News on Child Nutrition
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Prealbumin Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Specific Conditions
- Caffeine and Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
- Calcium and Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
- Carbohydrates, Sugar, and Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
- Cholesterol and Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Fats and Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
- Fiber and Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
- Iron and Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Vegetarianism(Nemours Foundation)
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Related Issues
- 5 Reasons to Pack Your Lunch(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Be a Healthy Role Model for Children: 10 Tips for Setting Good Examples(Dept. of Agriculture) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- Building Your Best Bones Forever(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Feeding Your Child Athlete(Nemours Foundation)
- Hassle-Free Meal Time(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Healthy Snacks for Kids: 10 Child-Friendly Tips(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- How to Please Fussy Eaters(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Kid-Friendly Veggies and Fruits: 10 Tips for Making Healthy Food Choices More Fun for Children(Dept. of Agriculture) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- Making Sure Your Child Is Eating Enough(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Nutrition and Media Literacy(American Medical Association) - PDF
- Organic Foods: Worth the Price?(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Snacks for Preschoolers(Nemours Foundation)
- Talk to Your Kids about the Nutrition Facts Label(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
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Tweens and Teens Need Calcium Now More Than Ever!(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
- Unexplained Weight Loss(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation in Children(American Medical Association) - PDF
- What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water) - PDF
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Health Check Tools
- How Many Fruits and Vegetables Do You Need?(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- MyFoodapedia(Dept. of Agriculture)
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Tutorials
- Analyze My Plate(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Recipe Re-mix(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Games
- Food Flight(Nemours Foundation)
- Smallstep Kids(Dept. of Health and Human Services)
- Also available in Spanish
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Nutrition Disorders(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Nutrition(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Nutrition Disorders
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Fruit and Vegetable of the Month(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Vegetarian Glossary of Terms(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
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Directories
- Child Nutrition Programs by State(Food and Nutrition Service)
- Child Nutrition State Sharing Center(Dept. of Agriculture)
- Find a Registered Dietitian(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) State Agencies(Food and Nutrition Service)
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Organizations
- Food and Nutrition Service
- Also available in Spanish
- KidsHealth(Nemours Foundation)
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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Law and Policy
- Frequently Asked Questions about WIC(Food and Nutrition Service)
- Also available in Spanish
- School Meals Program(Dept. of Agriculture)
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Statistics
- Low-fat Milk Consumption among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2007-2008(National Center for Health Statistics)
- Nutrition and the Health of Young People(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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MedlinePlus Magazine
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Children
- Eating for Sports(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Food Guide Pyramid Becomes a Plate(Nemours Foundation)
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Food Labels Tell the Story!(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
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Snack Smart for Healthy Teeth(National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)
- Also available in Spanish
- Spot the Block: Tween Tips(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
- Why Drinking Water Is the Way to Go(Nemours Foundation)
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Teenagers
- Eating Well While Eating Out(Nemours Foundation)
- Energy Drinks and Food Bars: Power or Hype?(Nemours Foundation)
- Fiber: An Important Part of Your Teen's Diet(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Figuring Out Fat and Calories(Nemours Foundation)
- Food Guide Pyramid Becomes a Plate(Nemours Foundation)
- Guide to Eating for Sports(Nemours Foundation)
- Recipes for Teens(Nemours Foundation)
- Soy Foods and Health(Nemours Foundation)
- Teenager's Nutritional Needs(American Academy of Pediatrics)
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Patient Handouts
- Age-appropriate diet for children
- Also available in Spanish
- Cow's milk for infants and children
- Also available in Spanish
- Eating extra calories when you are sick - children
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA