Macronutrients for healthy childhood nutrition

Raising healthy fit kids is not easy in today’s world. Between screen time and the plethora of junk food options, supporting healthy choices can be challenging. Here you’ll find helpful guidance on how to help your kids eat healthier and understand the basics of nutrition. Consider this a crash course on understanding the macronutrients that make up your kids’ meals (and your own!)

Macronutrients & why they matter for children:

Let’s take a step back to the basics. The food you and your child eat contains different amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. These three elements are the macro composition of foods.

All foods that we eat contain at least two of the macros, and most actually contain all three. For instance, nuts contain fats and proteins; salmon contains proteins and fat; beans contain carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

In contrast to micronutrients (like vitamins and minerals), macronutrients make up the bulk of what we eat. Our body works best when there is a balance.

We need carbohydrates to create energy molecules, proteins for muscle building and making essential enzymes; fats for hormone synthesis and balance.

Some diets like the ketogenic diet are loaded with fats and proteins but minimal amounts of carbs. What this does is that it forces your body to use alternative routes of metabolism to create energy to fuel your body. Over time, having an imbalanced diet stresses your metabolism and generates byproducts that can be toxic.

CARBS, PROTEINS & FATS FOR KIDS

• Banana (4 oz) Carbs 17g, Proteins 0.8g, Fat 0.2g
• Broccoli (4 oz) Carbs 8g, Proteins 3g, Fat 0.4g
• Peanut butter (1 oz) Carbs 6g, Proteins 7g, Fat 16g
• Black Beans (4 oz) Carbs 19g, Proteins 7g, Fat 1g
• Egg (1 large egg) Carbs 0.4g, Proteins 6g, Fat 5g
• Chicken breast (4oz) Carbs 1g, Protein 28g, Fat 2g

How to use macronutrients when feeding your child:

The focus of a macro diet is on the quantity of each macro that your child eats, instead of counting calories. If your child is eating a balanced proportion of macros for their body weight then you can be sure that the total calorie intake is on par as well. Each gram of macro (proteins, carbs, or fats) carries different amounts of energy:

Carbohydrates 1 gram = 4 calories
Proteins 1 gram = 4 calories
Fats 1 gram = 9 calories

Let’s put this into action. Since carbohydrates and protein contain roughly the same number of calories per gram, you can say that eating 4 oz of protein is the same number of calories as eating 4 oz of bread. This is true…. but proteins and carbs are digested differently in our bodies. It takes a lot longer to break down proteins than it takes for carbs, so your child will feel fuller longer when they eat proteins even though by the calorie count they are equivalent. Likewise, eating fats make us feel full longer because fats take the longest to break down.

So macros fuel and nourish our children’s bodies in different ways. They need carbohydrates for fast energy and maintenance of daily activities. They need proteins to repair and synthesize muscles and enzymes. Fats help regulate their hormones. The proportion of macros in their diet should be tailored to their fitness and health goals.