Growing children need a certain amount of vitamins, minerals and other building blocks to properly grow into adulthood. This is not a problem with a normal and varied diet, but what should you do if your child is on a diet that does not allow him to eat all foods? For example, on a gluten-free diet the child does not consume real brown whole wheat bread and therefore misses some of the B vitamins that others do. After all, you cannot find out yourself whether the child is developing a certain deficiency of certain vitamins and/or minerals in this way. It is good to have research done into this in time.

The growth spurt is not gradual, but usually sudden

From infancy onwards, children do not grow at the same rate every week. Growth comes in bits and pieces. Every child does this in his own way. This also means that children do not always eat the same amount. Sometimes it eats less for a few weeks in a row and then again it asks for an extra sandwich. As a parent, you can discover for yourself when the child is going through a growth period again.

The growth of children cannot always be measured by their height

That growth cannot always be measured, because children also grow from within. After all, the organs and muscles also participate.In addition, an adolescent grows more in length, while a 7-month-old baby develops a little more fat on the ribs. It needs this as a buffer for the extra energy it needs when it starts walking. After all, most children lose weight during that period and acquire a more normal posture.

No arguing with children at the table

Arguing at the table is therefore unnecessary. If the child does not snack or drink sweet drinks in between meals, he or she will satisfy his or her normal hunger at the table. So if it is less hungry for a few weeks, give it less food on the plate and don’t make a fuss if the plate is not emptied. The more arguments at the table, the more difficult the meal becomes for the child. The atmosphere at the table does not get any better for you as parents either. So try to avoid that.

Pay attention to the snacks

It becomes something different if the child drinks a lot and eats sweets in between meals and therefore has his or her stomach full before sitting down to the table. Drinking extensively just before eating is also not conducive to healthy food cravings. Even where there is water or fruit juice, food can no longer be absorbed.

A gluten-free diet

However, a child who is on a diet due to an allergy cannot always tolerate all the necessary nutrients. For example, a child with a gluten allergy is given a gluten-free diet and does not eat normal, brown whole wheat bread. However, it contains many vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. It is therefore important to find out whether the child is getting the necessary nutrients at that age.

The B vitamins are especially necessary

In particular, the vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B11, which are necessary for concentration, among other things, are only consumed by the child through meat and other nutrients, but he does miss out on some of them because he eats normal bread. and especially cannot tolerate whole wheat bread.

A vegetarian diet can also sometimes contain too little for the proper growth of the child

A vegetarian diet also often lacks certain vitamins due to the absence of meat products, which not only contain different types of vitamin B, but also proteins and other necessary building blocks. These building materials cannot always be completely supplemented via tablets.

A dietitian can help

In such a case, it is wise to write down everything the child eats and drinks for two weeks. Not only the meals, but also the snacks, such as the cookie with tea, the glass of apple juice or lemonade, a treat from a birthday boy or girl at school, a vitamin tablet, and so on.

Write down everything as carefully as possible

Everything, absolutely everything, must be noted down every day. Every sweet, cookie, fruit or bread has its own nutrients and it is about the whole of it. The combination of those different nutrients and the total vitamins of a certain type. Take that list to the dietitian and have them calculate whether the child at that particular age is also getting all the vitamins, minerals and building materials it needs in that phase of growth.

Adolescents on a diet sometimes fall short

This can be very sensible, especially for teenagers on a diet. Especially during puberty, growth is sometimes really strong and the body must therefore consume enough for this. If the body is deficient, a defect may arise here or there due to a deficiency.

Sometimes adjustments to the diet are necessary

For adolescents on a diet, small adjustments to the eating pattern are therefore often recommended after the assessment. It is better to be there on time, so that the child’s growth can proceed normally and that he or she is energetic and concentrated enough to get through the school days well.

If your child has a deficiency

If your child is on a diet, is eating poorly, has been having more difficulty at school lately or is often tired easily, don’t just take him to the doctor, but also have his eating habits checked. Perhaps it is not entirely his fault that the school grades have slumped somewhat, but the cause lies elsewhere.

Concentration problems

For example, a child with concentration problems may have a vitamin B complex deficiency due to his/her diet. It is wise to have this looked at and find out whether the child may need a nutritional supplement.

Pay extra attention to shortages

You must always be extra careful when dealing with a child who has to follow a diet. Every diet excludes certain nutrients and with them some necessary minerals and vitamins that the body needs. A shortage of this can be noticeable very quickly. It is therefore important to supplement these minerals and vitamins in a different way and with other foods to that extent.