How many calories does a 4-5 year old child need each day?

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Childhood obesity is quite common in big cities. The cause is often due to lack of physical activity and excessive nutrition, which adversely affects the health of children as they grow up. Therefore, parents need to understand the child's energy needs as well as the child's metabolism during the growing period in order to properly nurture the child.

1. Overview of children's energy needs

Do parents know how many calories their child needs each day? While it's not usually necessary to calculate exactly how many calories a 5-year-old needs each day, it can be helpful if parents understand their child's calorie needs from what they eat and drink. for a few days and then compare it with the actual child's energy needs. However, the exact amount of calories a child needs can still vary depending on the child's needs and condition.
If a child is identified as being overweight or at risk of obesity, calorie estimates can help parents create healthy eating habits and appropriate meal plans for their child and family. It's important for growing children to get most of their calories from nutrient-rich whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, healthy fats, and whole grains. Protein, while consuming less sugary foods, fried foods and fast foods will be better for the metabolism in children.

2. How many calories does a 4-5 year old child need per day?

During the period of 4 -5 years old, parents may worry because children are playful and picky eaters or think they may not be getting enough calories. However, understanding how many calories children really need for metabolism in children at each stage can help parents worry a little less. Furthermore, this knowledge can also help in avoiding overfeeding.
To calculate how many calories a growing child needs each day, scientists need to take into account age, gender and physical activity level. Accordingly, for boys and girls who are moderately active at 4 years old need 1,400 calories/day and 5 years old need 1,400 calories/day. Meanwhile, boys and girls with little or no regular activity need just 1,200 calories a day between the ages of 4 and 5. However, whether your child is overweight or is at a healthy weight, encourage your child to stay active, as it is a healthy habit for everyone.

Furthermore, most of the time, if kids eat enough healthy foods and engage in adequate physical activity, parents won't need to count calories. Calorie counting is often a temporary strategy to help give the doctor more information about a child's eating habits. From there, the doctor can plan a nutritional plan according to the child's energy needs estimate accordingly.

3. Tips for raising 4 to 5 year olds

During this stage, the child is growing and the child will feel better when he or she is well fed. From the beginning of the preschool and kindergarten years, children should eat the same foods as the rest of the family.
It is the parent's job to provide nutritious food for the child in a quiet environment and with a regular eating schedule throughout the day. This long-term maintenance will become a good habit with the following tips:
Give your child a variety of foods. When children are fed a wide variety of foods, they are sure to receive the balance of nutrients they need. Healthy food options for kids include fresh vegetables and fruits, milk and dairy products, fresh proteins like chicken, beef, pork and fish, and whole grains.
Do not expect your baby to eat everything that is fed. This means that it is necessary to change the notion that growing children need more food. Accordingly, parents only direct children to a suitable portion of food, but it is better to let children choose their own portions. At this age, babies begin to learn to know when they are full. Some 4-5 year olds can still be picky eaters, so parents can encourage them to try new foods, but don't force them to eat.
Set a regular time of day to eat and sit together for a meal or snack. Try to be careful not to give your baby extra food in between these feedings. Children who are given snacks continuously throughout the day may not be hungry at mealtimes. Furthermore, when it's time for a main meal or snack time, turn off the TV and eat together at the table. This helps to create a quiet environment for eating.
Avoid processed foods and sweetened drinks as much as possible. Parents need to limit the amount of processed food in home meals and limit fast food. Most importantly, limit sugary drinks, such as soft drinks, juices, bottled teas or energy drinks. Sugary drinks can cause tooth decay in children's baby teeth and cause them to gain unhealthy weight or become obese.

The best drinks for growing babies are water and milk. This is a rich source of nutrients for growing children as well as a source of calcium for strong bones. It's okay for children to want ice cream from time to time, but parents should not indulge their children in eating them every day. Whole fruit is preferred over juice - even if it's 100% juice - because juice is a source of high sugar and low fiber. It is best to use fruit juice with meals, as juice is more likely to cause tooth decay when taken between meals.
Teach table manners. At this age, children are ready to learn basic table manners. By the age of 4, children can no longer grip a fork or spoon in their fist and can hold them like an adult and can begin to learn how to use a table knife properly. In addition, children also need to be taught not to talk when there is food in their mouth, how to use napkins and not to put their hands over other people's plates... as well as clean the table at the end of the meal.
In summary, the concept of a child's energy needs can be used as a guide but that does not mean that parents have to start counting how many calories a 4-year-old needs each day. Children who are growing healthy will have different needs; At the same time, when children are provided with a variety of foods every day, building healthy eating habits during this period is more important than what children need to consume at each meal.

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