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. To give your child a nutritious diet
- Make half of what is on your child's plate fruits and vegetables
- Choose healthy sources of protein, such as lean meat, nuts, and eggs
- Serve whole-grain breads and cereals because they are high in fiber. Reduce refined grains.
- Broil, grill, or steam foods instead of frying them
- Limit fast food and junk food
- Offer water or 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.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Start Here
- 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)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Also available in Spanish
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
, and
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
, and
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)
- Health and Nutrition Information for Preschoolers(Department of Agriculture)
- Nutrition for Kids: Guidelines for a Healthy Diet(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Latest News
- Magnesium-Rich Food May Help Keep Kids' Bones Strong(05/07/2013, HealthDay)
- Health Tip: Monitor Fat in Preschoolers' Diet(05/07/2013, HealthDay)
- Preordered School Lunches May Be Healthier, Study Finds(05/03/2013, HealthDay)
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Food for Thought
(04/22/2013, HealthDay)
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Dishing Up Healthier Portions(04/08/2013, 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
- Be a Healthy Role Model for Children: 10 Tips for Setting Good Examples(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
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Breakfast: The Key to Learning(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- Cut Back on Your Kid's Sweet Treats: 10 Tips to Decrease Added Sugars(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- 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)
- Is My Child's Appetite Normal?(Food and Nutrition Service) - PDF
- Kid-Friendly Veggies and Fruits: 10 Tips for Making Healthy Food Choices More Fun for Children(Department of Agriculture) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- Organic Foods: Worth the Price?(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Talk to Your Kids about the Nutrition Facts Label(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
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Time to Talk: 5 Things to Know about Dietary Supplements and Children(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
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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)
- 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
- Food-A-Pedia(Department of Agriculture)
- How Many Fruits and Vegetables Do You Need?(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Videos
- Feeding Children the Right Message (Part 1)(Healthy Roads Media)
- Feeding Children the Right Message (Part 2)(Healthy Roads Media)
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Games
- Food Flight(Nemours Foundation)
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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: Adolescent Nutrition(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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Research
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Children and Dietary Supplements(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
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Children and Dietary Supplements
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Proceedings of the Global Neonatal Consensus Symposium: Feeding the Preterm...
- Article: Abstracts of CINNA 2012, the Ibero-American Congress of Child and...
- Article: Association between frequency of ready-to-eat cereal consumption, nutrient intakes, and...
- Child Nutrition -- see more articles
- Adolescent nutrition -- see more articles
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- 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(Department 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
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Statistics
- Consumption of Diet Drinks in the United States, 2009‒2010(National Center for Health 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)
- Trends in Intake of Energy and Macronutrients in Children and Adolescents from 1999-2000 through 2009-2010(National Center for Health Statistics)
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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)
- 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
- 5 Reasons to Pack Your Lunch(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Charge Up! Healthy Meals and Snacks for Teens(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- 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)
- Also available in Spanish
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Guide to Eating for Sports(Nemours Foundation)
- My Plate Food Guide(Nemours Foundation)
- Protein for the Teen Athlete(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- 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
- 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
Child Nutrition - Multiple Languages
