A Child’s Diet at Six Years of Age

Starting from two years of age, children need to adapt slowly to the eating system of the adults, as long as it is not too elaborated that is. There are few children at this age that like innovations since above all they want to know what they are eating. Generally they prefer food that is fried or crunchy, as well as pasta etc. while it is more difficult for them to eat sautéed meat, vegetables or vegetables purees, salty flan and mousses, because they are not able to define the taste. Fish can also be a problem for a lot of children.

There are children at twelve months of age that tolerate vegetables, but at two years of age they often times reject it. These are transitional stages that can be overcome with a little bit of patience and consistency.

Although the most difficult learning phase is over, they are still learning a lot of aspects about taste, as well as the textures and colors of the food. For example, children around this age seem to have good disposure towards foods that have clean and concrete colors such as white rice, pasta, yellow French fries, red tomato sauce, but the color of pureed vegetables often times is unpleasant to their sight.

When a child is two years old, before going to bed he or she should drink a cup of milk out of a cup, not a bottle. A child at this age must also know how to hold the silverware without messing things up too much and be conscious that he or she is not allowed to leave the table unless they have finished their food, remember though that fish and meat should be fed to children cut in very small pieces (but the child himself must be the one who actually grabs the food and eats it). There are people that think that it is not appropriate to feed children water when they eat because they are afraid the children will spill the water. Although this may be true and often times it does happen, remember that children get thirsty and it is good they drink water (moderately that is), because it helps the child’s body to digest the food better. However, keep in mind that it is important to control that they do not drink too much water since this could interfere with the child’s appetite. And you should only give the child water during meal times.

Water is something that all human beings need, and even more so in the case of little children. It is a basic part of nutrition. The need that a child has for liquid reflects itself in how easily a child can become dehydrated. Water is a food that does not cause people to gain weight. And children actually like to drink water as much as they like to eat bread. These foods are important for a child’s diet. It simply consists on feeding them by doses so that they accept the rest of the foods during the foods. It is also important to give a child water in between meals.

Now a days using bread is completely compensated. It is considered that at a mealtime, it is not advisable because it is fattening, but often times a small sandwich is eaten before dinner because it is easier to make. It is not the same to eat a sandwich than to eat a piece of bread, especially since sandwiches usually come with a good amount of ham. Children tend to like ham and will be willing to eat a good bite if they are hungry, but at dinnertime it’s better to eat something light in order to assure proper digestion and a good rest.

At this age a child needs to learn to chew well in order to digest the food properly. This is also a good time to teach a child how to use silverware in the correct way, how to hold a cup and how to sit properly. It is not easy for a child to learn these things and often times we think they will be taught these things in school. While it is true that these things are taught at school, keep in mind that the learning process needs to continue in the home so that the child knows that he has to keep up with these rules no matter where he or she is.