Nutrition Planning for Different Ages: Children, Teens, Older Adults - Essay Sample

Introduction

Nutritional planning differs significantly depending on age. Children, teens, and older adults demand different types of foods. Depending on the growth processes, types of foods that are given to the children require different high nutrients including calcium, proteins, and carbohydrates. In most cases, when children are born, they require certain types of food. Nutritionists usually recommend diverse forms of foods to aid in growth and development (Bernstein & Munoz, 2019). The foods served in schools need to be nourishing to meet the dietary needs recommended by the doctors. There is a need for a balanced diet for growing children. The learning institutions should always consider incorporating different food and dietary programs to ensure efficient nourishment for children. Good nutrition is an essential part of living a healthy lifestyle. When combined with the physical activities, the diet given can enable an individual to reach and maintain a healthy weight, decrease the risks of chronic diseases including cancer and heart diseases, and promote general health. Taking steps to eat healthily and to enable children to eat healthily is one of the main approaches to getting healthy, strong, and active. Good nutrition means that the body receives the entire nutrients including vitamins and minerals, to operate at its best. Planning meals as well as the snacks to include-dense foods low in calories. The state of the body and how well that it works relies on how appropriately it is nourished. In most cases, malnutrition can be found within contemporary western society and it is not strange to the developing nations.

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Children's Nutrition

In the learning institutions, there is the national school lunch and the breakfast programs. The government regulated meals provide age-appropriate foods that are essential for the growth and development of children. Most of the nutritional programs that work for children also work for adults. Children requires the same amount of nutrients just like adults but in different amounts. A healthy diet for all ages is usually based on the nutritive guidelines that are formulated by the nutritionists. Children need to eat a small amount of food continuously. The foods need to contain traces of different elements that may aid in growth and development. Most parents hate to see their children go without breakfast (Bernstein & Munoz, 2019). To maximize learning processes in schools, there is a need for energy and a fresh mind. Properly or well-fed children make more progress or concentrate on the learning processes in schools. Then children who leave homes without taking any breakfast. When children miss meals, they become more vulnerable as compared to adults. With good nutrition, nerve cells tend to grow as they spread rapidly in response to the environment, a situation that leads to continuous growth and development. In the process of growth and development, the demand for energy by the brain increases (Bernstein & Munoz, 2019). The understanding of mental ability and food intake often arises from the effects or impacts of starvation. Severe food deprivation is one of the huge problems for intellectual growth among children. For children, missing a single meal can severely interfere with the physiological activities leading to the deficiency when it comes to growth and development.

Teenage Nutrition

Teenage requires different kinds of food to enhance physiological activities. Specifically, calcium is highly needed by the teenage for the development of strong bones and teeth. There is also the need for vitamin D to keep bones healthy. Most of the foods rich in calcium may include fish, beans, and millet (Bernstein & Munoz, 2019). All these foods need to be given to children an incorrect amount of proportions so that they may fully benefit from them. Potassium is also important in the regulation of blood pressure. There is also the need to increase fiber intake to feel full. Fiber also enhances desaturation processes in teenage, children and adults. The process of desaturation involves the possible destruction and disruption of both the tertiary and secondary structures of the proteins; in the process, there is always alteration of the function of each component of the protein. The genetically modified organism would cause the denaturation of the protein structure, a situation that would change the function and shape of the protein.

Nutrition for Older Adults

Just like children and teens, older adults require different nutritional values in a varied amount. However, they require high proportions. Older adults require a high intake of carbohydrates to provide energy for physiological activities. However, dietary processes need to be controlled to ensure the correct amount of food intake. For the process of increasing the immune system, there also the need for high fruit intake. Older adults need to vary protein choices with more beans, peas and fish (Bernstein & Munoz, 2019). Three ounces of whole-grain, crackers, bread, rice, and pasta should also be taken by older adults every day. All the food elements are important for older adults. For instance, protein is helpful in the development of more tissues. The group of people that might benefit from the increased amount of protein includes older adults who need a lot of protein for growth and development. Also, a bodybuilder may benefit from the increased amount of protein because they need it in plenty for the development of muscles.

Reference

Bernstein, M., & Munoz, N. (2019). Nutrition for the older adult. Jones & Bartlett Learning.