What is the best fat intake for children?

Children's fat intake is closely related to fat. The amount of fat intake is different for each age group. Consuming too much fat or too little fat is not good for children. Fat intake can directly affect the physical growth of children. At this time, parents should pay more attention to increasing the nutritional intake of our babies, which can help them grow more healthily.

So, how much fat intake is appropriate for children?

1. Infancy. Infants under 2 years old have rapid growth and development and poor tolerance to nutritional impacts. They should be supplied with sufficient energy and fatty acids to ensure normal growth and development. Daily fat intake should account for about 45% to 50% of total energy.

2. Early childhood. A large number of human observations have found that fatty streaks appear on the inner walls of coronary arteries and the inner walls of the aorta in children. These streaks can transform into fibrous plaques in adolescence and young adults. Atherosclerotic lesions have been found in the autopsies of American soldiers who died in the Korean and Vietnam battlefields, as well as in the autopsies of children and teenagers who were killed or injured in accidents. It has also been shown that fatty streaks in the coronary arteries and aorta are significantly correlated with the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol before death. In view of this, in 1983 the Nutrition Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that the proportion of energy provided by dietary fat for children over 2 years old should not exceed 30% of the total energy. The proportion of saturated fatty acid energy in total energy shall not exceed 10%, the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid energy shall not exceed 10%, and cholesterol shall not exceed 100mg/1000kcal (1kcal=4.184kJ). The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that children aged 2 to 4 years old are in a transition period and should gradually reduce the amount of food they eat, and at 5 years old they should continue to eat according to the recommended amount. For example, the diet of children in Mediterranean countries is actually the same as the recommendation, the incidence of coronary heart disease in adulthood is much lower than that in the United States, and there is no adverse effect on growth and development, which proves that the recommended amount is safe for children.

3. Childhood. Growth is generally more stable during childhood, and individual development and energy needs vary. Fatigue, excitement and extensive activity have a certain impact on eating, and appetite fluctuates greatly. During this period, we must strengthen the prevention of obesity. In addition to paying attention to dietary structure and energy intake, we must also pay attention to the importance of physical activity in weight control. Lack of activity in children is a risk factor for obesity. Children should not eat low-fat, high-fiber foods to control their weight, so the fat AI for children should be 25% to 30% of the total energy.

You can refer to the fat intake in different periods above to observe your baby. Parents who did not pay attention to it before should pay attention to it now. If you want your baby to have a healthy body, you should start from the period when he begins to develop and is most likely to absorb nutrients. After this important golden period, the body's absorption will not be so good.