As parents we all want to take care of our children. We want them to grow, to develop and to learn, and the best way to do this is to nurture them. One of the most important things that you can do for your children is to ensure that they eat a healthy diet.

But why is this? What importance does a healthy diet have on children’s development?

It ensures that they grow as they should

Children grow. Not only do they grow at a rather impressive rate up to the age of one, but they also have spurts of growth throughout the lives too. One of the most important things that a child can do is to eat properly, as a good diet is going to give them the nutrients and energy that they need to enable them to grow. It is also key that they have plenty of calcium in their diet as this will ensure that their bones grow healthily and set them up for their adult life.

It helps their brain to develop

Not only does a child’s body grows, but their brain does too. A poor diet can have an impact on how their brain develops and this can lead to a lower IQ and even learning disorders as they grow. It is also thought that some attention and focus problems that are common in children can be caused by their diet. This is because the children do not have the right energy, and nutrients that they need to keep their brain functioning and alert.

It reduces the risk of obesity

Whilst you may know that obesity is an issue for older people, what you might not realise is that it is also a problem for children too. Not only does diet affect development, but a poor diet can lead to obesity, and this is happening in as many as one in three children. This can lead to a child developing chronic conditions later on in life, which could have an impact on their lifelong health.

It helps them to make healthy choices

The choices that children make when it comes to their diet comes from their parents. So, it makes sense that in order to ensure that they eat well throughout their lives, you need to encourage this from an early age. You can teach your child to make healthy choices, not only in their food, but also in their activity too, and this is something that will stay with them. Not only helping them to develop as a child. But also to lead them into being a healthy and happy adult too!