|  | Family Health | Childrens Health

Information on Healthy Carbohydrates for Kids

Carbohydrates are an essential part of a child's healthy diet. However not all carbs are alike. Simple carbohydrates are broken down too easily and quickly in the digestive system and raise blood sugar. Simple carbs give children a quick charge of energy, but it's only a short burst. They are often sugary foods that children learn to crave if given regularly as part of their diet.

  1. Bad Carbs

    • Carbohydrates you should limit or avoid, particularly in children's diets, include foods that are refined, such as sugars and white flour and white rice. Candies, sweets and sodas are simple carbs that lack nutritional benefits, such as fiber or vitamins. They are empty calories and can lead to obesity and health concerns, such as diabetes. These foods aren't very filling either, so children tend to eat more of them.

    Complex Carbohydrates' Role

    • Complex carbohydrates break down in a child's body at a slower rate, creating a gradual rise in blood sugar. They also deliver a longer lasting energy than the quick punch and fall of energy that simple carbs provide. Carbohydrates that are welcome additions to a child's diet typically include fiber and other nutrients, meaning the calories they provide are more filling and do more for a child's body and health than simple carbs do.

    Types of Complex Carbs

    • Good or complex carbohydrates that you should work into a child's diet include pasta; rice, especially whole grain or brown rice; beans; carrots; whole grain breads; corn; broccoli; sweet potatoes or potatoes; low-fat dairy and other fruits and vegetables. Pasta is best when made of whole grains. Cereals should be low in sugars. While fruits may be considered simple carbs, they have fiber and nutrients, so they are a good type of carbohydrate even though they are not all complex.

    Recommendations

    • Carbohydrates should make up 45 percent to 65 percent of a child's daily diet.These amounts vary by age and gender. For instance, a girl between the ages of 4 and 8 should aim for 135 to 195 g of carbs in a 1,200 calorie diet. A boy between the ages of 14 and 18 should get 248 to 358 g in his 2,200 calorie daily diet. Another way to look at the recommendations is to aim for 4 to 6 servings of grains each day, with half, if not all, of those from whole grains.

Childrens Health - Related Articles