Have you ever though if diet may effect your kid's academic achievement? As we all know, kids prefer candies, junk food, and everything that is more colorful and sweet, but should they always get it?
One study was made to see the relationship between kids diet and their academic achievement. The population was kids from 5-18 years old, they looked at their academic performance, and measured their dietary intake. Most of the results were with children who had ate breakfast, or healthy food had a higher academic results than those who had junk food. I'm not saying that your kids plate should be super healthy, but they need at least a couple of servings daily from each of the five main food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein. At least half of your kids grain(3-5 servings) should be unrefined type like whole wheat or oats, because they have higher Vitamin E, magnesium, and fiber than processed grains. An example of grains will be 1/2 cup cooked whole-grain pasta, or 1 slice whole-grain bread. For fruits and vegetables kids should have from 2-4 servings a day depending on their age. A serving of fruits and vegetables way be 1 cup corn, 8 large strawberries, 1 cup broccoli, or 10 baked fries. 2- 2 1/2 servings must be your kid daily intake of dairy. An examples of servings of diary would be 1/3 cup shredded cheese, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 cup milk, or 1 piece string cheese. Protein is the last main food group, 2-5 servings is the right amount for kids depending on their age. Protein is high in zinc, iron, and B vitamins. A serving of protein will be 1 egg, 2 Tbs. hummus, 6 shrimp, or 1/2 piece grilled chicken. Taking care of your child health may impact their health in the future. We can balance between giving them healthy food, and giving them candies or sweets once or twice a week. Give them what is good for their health, they will appreciate it in the future! Resources: Burrows T at el. Is there an association between dietary intake and academic achievement:a systemic review. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2016;10.1111/jhn.12407
2 Comments
Dina
10/1/2016 05:14:55 pm
Great information! I loved the examples that she gave for each food category.
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Jhan
10/12/2016 07:45:17 pm
Very helpful ideas!
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AuthorTina Mousa. A Dietetic Student at the University of Kentucky. Archives
November 2016
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