Nutrition & Diet: Lowdown for Your 6 Year Old

At this crucial stage your 6-year-old (and over) is going through rapid mental and physical growth. Not only is he/she more confident, but the horizons now expand to a whole new world of can-do activities! It is all about boundless energy on and off the playground, right from learning how to playing ride a bicycle to the very latest videogame. We help you know what is going on with your fast-growing child who is not so little anymore. What is most important for him/her at this point in time is good nutrition.

Why is Calcium so Important for my kid?

Your child is at an age where his body is going through massive changes rapidly. The muscles are developing, bones are growing and the body is taking shape. Just as a building can not stand on weak foundations, a body would not function to its optimum with a frail skeleton.

Bones developed strong and robust early in life will last well into old age.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Around 99% of the Calcium in the body is found in the bones, teeth or skeleton; the rest is in soft tissues and blood. The skeleton is a living tissue and acts as a Calcium reservoir which needs to be topped up daily. A high intake of dietary Calcium is essential for growth of strong bones and teeth. Calcium works with Phosphorus and Vitamin D to build bone density.

Your child has just entered the bone building stage, which will last till his mid-late twenties. After that, bone density starts decreasing. Specialists assert that if children store enough Calcium when they are young, their bones will be stronger for a healthy body in later life. A good balanced diet and special emphasis on Calcium-rich foods can keep your child’s Calcium needs fulfilled and help achieve "good bone health", which means reaching adulthood with the densest, strongest bones possible, and keeping them strong.

Where to find Calcium?

6 year olds need about 800mg Calcium every day, which translates into 2-3 glasses of milk. Kids above 9 need even more: 1300mg. Out of all the groups in the food pyramid, dairy foods are the richest source of Calcium. Milk, yogurt, cheese, cream and other dairy products provide enough Calcium for the bones to grow and remain robust. Along with Calcium, Phosphorus is also very important for bones, and Vitamin D, which helps the Calcium absorb into the body.

Remember: if bones are the body’s Calcium bank, milk is the money.