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27 November 2021 - Nutritional Intake of Every Age Group
The nutritional needs of a person change with age. These changes place extra demands on the body that must be taken into account to remain healthy and fit. A dietary pattern containing healthy ingredients should be followed at every phase of life. For good development and healthy growth, the intake of good nutrition plays a vital role during the first 2 years of a person's life because good practices related to dietary intake adopted in the early life of a child are responsible for healthy dietary patterns in later life (1).
 
The requirements of energy remain high during the early years. The calorie requirement of a 4 to a 6-month old infant weighing 6 kg could be 490 calories daily while children aged one to three years could require 990 calories daily (2). Infants up to six months should be given breast milk/ formula milk exclusively. Supplement of vitamin D should be started soon after birth (3). After 6 months, solid food should be introduced into a baby's daily routine. Diet should be rich in zinc and iron. Whole fruits should be preferred instead of juices. Iron-enriched cereals, vegetable purees, poultry dishes, cooked legumes, and lentils should be introduced (4,5).
 
The daily calorie requirement of children aged 5 to 8 years is between 1,200 to 2,000 calories while the age group 9 to 13 years requires 1,400 to 2,600 calories daily. Children of that age are active and to encourage good developmental growth and to meet their daily calorie requirement, they should be fed carefully (6). Their everyday diet should contain a portion of fruits and vegetables, starch-based foods like rice, pasta, ore bread, etc., dairy products, and a portion of meat (7).
 
From 14 to 18 years, 1,800 to 3,200 calories are required daily. There is a greater need for protein intake in adolescents due to growth, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine (8). In addition to the daily intake of carbohydrates, proteins, there is also a requirement of vitamins, fat, calcium, fiber, zinc, and iron for this age group. If poor eating habits and nutritional deficiencies develop in the course of adolescence years can have long-term implications such as osteoporosis, delayed maturation of sexual traits, obesity, or hyperlipidemia (9).
 
In adults, the intake of energy should balance with the energy expenditure. Sugar and salt intake should be monitored to prevent the risk of developing diseases such as hypertension. The daily diet should contain a minimum of 400g of vegetables and fruits excluding starchy foods like potatoes (10). The daily intake should also contain low-fat dairy products. Greater fruit and vegetable intake ensures consumption of folate, vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, carotenoids, potassium, and magnesium (11).
 
With the increase in age, the lean mass of the body, physical activities, and metabolic rates start to decrease in elderly people, therefore their requirement for daily energy also reduces. It does create a nutritional dilemma because more nutrients are required but less energy. Therefore, the elderly should have nutrient-rich foods in their daily diets, such as brightly colored vegetables and fruits, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, brown rice, nuts, poultry, lean meat, beans, and seeds (12).
 
Sources
1.         CDC. CDC’s Infant and Toddler Nutrition website [Internet]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020 [cited 2021 Nov 26]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/index.html
2.         PCMR’s Nutrition Guide for Clinicians. Nutritional Requirements throughout the Life Cycle [Internet]. [cited 2021 Nov 26]. Available from: https://nutritionguide.pcrm.org/nutritionguide/view/Nutrition_Guide_for_Clinicians/1342043/all/Nutritional_Requirements_throughout_the_Life_Cycle?refer=true
3.         USDA. Dietry Guidelines for America 2020 - 2025 [Internet]. 2020. Available from: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf
4.         WHO. Infant and young child feeding [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Nov 27]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infant-and-young-child-feeding
5.         WHO. Complementary feeding - Global [Internet]. [cited 2021 Nov 27]. Available from: https://www.who.int/westernpacific/health-topics/complementary-feeding
6.         Mayo Clinic. What nutrients does your child need now? [Internet]. Mayo Clinic. 2021 [cited 2021 Nov 27]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/nutrition-for-kids/art-20049335
7.         NHS. How many calories does a child of 7 to 10 need? [Internet]. nhs.uk. 2018 [cited 2021 Nov 27]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/how-many-calories-does-a-child-of-7-10-need/
8.         Institute of Medicine (US) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride [Internet]. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1997 [cited 2021 Nov 27]. (The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health). Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK109825/
9.         Wahl R. Nutrition in the adolescent. Pediatr Ann. 1999 Feb;28(2):107–11.
10.       WHO. Healthy diet [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2021 Nov 27]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
11.       Institute of Medicine (US) Committee to Review Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Requirements, Murphy SP, Yaktine AL, Suitor CW, Moats S. Nutritional Considerations for Adults [Internet]. Child and Adult Care Food Program: Aligning Dietary Guidance for All. National Academies Press (US); 2011 [cited 2021 Nov 27]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209825/
12.       MedlinePlus. Nutrition for Older Adults [Internet]. National Library of Medicine; [cited 2021 Nov 27]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/nutritionforolderadults.html