Define meal planning and nutrient needs of fast-growing infants?

We just got to know the meal planning and nutrient needs of fast-growing infants and preschoolers in the previous unit. In this unit, we move on to the next stage i.e., older children and adolescents and find out how their nutrient requirements vary from the younger children.

After preschool stage, the growth is steady and slow. The growth rate characteristic of infants and preschoolers does not continue during the school-age years. However, adolescence is marked with a rapid growth and increasing the nutrient requirements to all time high. This period offers an opportunity of 'catch up' and registers highest nutritional needs in the entire lifecycle. It is a critical period of nutritional care. In order to delay onset of degenerative diseases in adulthood, it is important that the faulty dietary and lifestyle practices are checked at this age so that they do not track into adulthood. In this unit, you would learn how important it is to develop good food habits, how to ensure adequate food intake and plan meals and diets for school children and adolescents.

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:

• describe the characteristics of the school years and adolescence,
• discuss the concept of catch-up growth, how to reduce gaps in what the child
• has achieved versus the maximum growth potential,
• list the recommended dietary intakes for the school child and adolescent, address the range of problems of nutritional and non-nutritional nature in this age group,
• discuss the important factors in planning meals and diets for school children and adolescents,
• promote good dietary and lifestyle practices to prevent obesity and early onset of degenerative diseases, and
• Get sensitized to several government facilities extended for school children and adolescents to ensure long term good health.