Nutritional Needs for School-Aged Children

Over the years, nutrient needs for children have drastically shifted. Dietary intake for school aged children mostly consists of high energy meals, sugar, fat, and sodium. The National Institute of Health estimated that 20.6% of youth aged 5-11 were obese in the year 2018 and continuing to rise. In contrast to this, about 1% of children in the United States suffer from chronic malnutrition. Dietary intake is crucial to a child's growth physically and mentally. The focus is starting to shift to prioritize more whole foods into a child's everyday consumption. Dietary intake should contain less of added sugars and fat, and more of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. 

Guidelines have been created for both young girls and boys regarding nutritional needs. These guidelines focus on a general overview of quality proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products. All of these nutrients are crucial to the children as they are in pivotal developmental stages in life.