Diet throughout life

Published by Bupa’s Health Information Team, December 2010.

A healthy diet is always important – no matter what your age. But some of your specific nutritional needs may change as you go through life. As a child, you need lots of energy in order to grow and develop, and as you grow older it’s important to maintain a healthy weight. This article is a guide to your diet in the major stages of your life.

Babies

Up to the age of six months, babies don’t need any food apart from breast milk or infant formula. Breastfeeding is the best way to provide babies with all the nutrients they need to grow and develop healthily. You should breastfeed or give your baby formula milk alone until he or she is about six months’ old. Once your baby is around six months, this will no longer be enough to provide him or her with all the nutrients he or she needs. You should then start to introduce solid foods to your baby’s diet. This process is called weaning. Exactly when you start weaning your baby will depend on his or her development and can vary.

Once you have started weaning, you can gradually increase the texture of the foods you give your baby to encourage him or her to chew. Don’t add salt to your baby’s food as his or her kidneys won’t be able to cope with it. You shouldn’t give your baby honey until he or she is one year old, as it can contain a type of bacteria that may cause your baby to become seriously ill.

Your baby will need breast milk or infant formula until he or she is around a year old. How much your baby needs will depend on how much solid food he or she is eating. Go at your baby’s pace and don’t force him or her to eat more than he or she wants to.

Children

Children grow very quickly and need a diet that provides them with plenty of energy and nutrients.

Toddlers can’t eat large amounts of food so give them small meals and healthy snacks, such as chopped fruit or sticks of carrot or cucumber, throughout the day. By the age of five, your child should be eating a balanced diet similar to what the rest of your family eat. However, don’t add any salt to your child’s food.

It’s important that children get enough protein and calcium, as these are important to help them grow and for their bones to develop. Milk and other dairy products are a great source of protein and calcium. Children aged between one and three should have at least half a pint of milk each day or two servings of other calcium-containing dairy foods. It’s best for children under the age of five to have whole milk and full fat dairy products as these provide the extra energy they need.

Give your child a wide variety of foods and try to make meal times an enjoyable family experience. Some children are fussy eaters, but keep giving them a range of foods and be patient – children usually grow out of their fussy phase. Think of ways to encourage your child to eat foods he or she doesn’t like – try disguising vegetables by mashing them with potato or serving fruit with ice cream.

As your child gets older, you can start teaching him or her about the importance of a healthy diet and which foods are good and bad for them.

Teenagers

Teenagers are growing and developing quickly, and need an increased amount of energy and nutrients. They may have a big appetite, but it’s important that they fill up on nutritious food rather than sugary, fatty foods such as fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits and crisps which are high in calories but low in nutrients.

Teenagers should have meals based around starchy foods, with plenty of fruit and vegetables and moderate amounts of protein and dairy products. They can get the extra energy they need by eating nutritious snacks such as nuts and raisins or fruit smoothies in-between meals.

Body image and weight is something we often worry about in our teenage years; however, it’s important that teenagers don’t restrict their diet or cut out any particular food groups, as this could lead to health problems. Overweight teenagers should eat a healthy balanced diet and do regular physical activity if they need to lose excess weight.

It’s important for teenagers to include enough iron in their diet, particularly girls who will lose iron when they start to have periods. Foods that are rich in iron include red meat, green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals.

Adults

Your nutritional needs don’t change much between the ages of 19 and around 50, unless you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Pregnant women have special nutritional requirements.

As an adult, your diet should contain plenty of fibre-rich starchy foods and fruit and vegetables, some sources of protein – such as moderate amounts of meat, fish, beans or dairy products - and only small amounts of foods and drinks containing fat and/or sugar. Keeping your body weight within a healthy range for your height is important.

Alcohol is high in calories, can make you gain weight and damage your liver, so stick within the recommended limits.

Older adults

As you get older, your metabolism decreases and you will often do less physical activity. So it’s natural for you to start eating less. Despite this, it’s still important to eat regularly and include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet. If you don’t get all of the nutrients you need, you may be at greater risk of infection.

If you find you’re losing your appetite, try eating smaller meals more often and having healthy snacks in-between. You should eat plenty of calcium-rich foods such as dairy products to help prevent osteoporosis. Don’t forget to drink enough fluids and enough foods rich in fibre as this will help to prevent constipation.

As you get older, you may find it becomes more difficult to cook, or you may not feel like cooking. If you find this is a problem, you could buy some nutritious ready meals, which are quick and easy to cook, and keep some in the freezer. Always have a supply of tinned foods and keep your freezer well stocked in case you’re not able to get out.

If you’re finding it more difficult to get around to buy food and prepare meals, speak to a friend or family member, or your GP will be able to give you some advice. There are services available to provide food for older people such as meals on wheels.

For sources and links to further information, see Resources.