Nutrition and life stages

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Nutrition and life stages
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Key stages in life

• The key stages in life include
• pregnancy
• infancy
• childhood
• adolescence
• adulthood.
• It is important to maintain good health through
  life.

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Pregnancy

• A varied diet, providing adequate amounts of
  energy and nutrients, is essential both before a
  woman becomes pregnant (pre-conception) and
  during pregnancy.
• The mothers diet can influence the health of
  the baby.

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Pre-conception and early pregnancy

• Being a healthy body weight is important before
  pregnancy.
• Being underweight can make it more difficult to
  conceive. It can also make it more likely that
  the baby will have a low birth weight, leading to
  a greater risk of ill health.
• Being overweight increases the risk of
  complications, such as high blood pressure and
  diabetes during pregnancy.

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Pre-conception and early pregnancyfolate

• Folate (the natural form of folic acid found in
  foods) is needed for rapid cell division and
  growth in the foetus that takes place during
  pregnancy.
• It has been shown to reduce the chance of neural
  tube defects, such as spina bifida, in the unborn
  baby.
• Foods that are good sources of folate are green
  leafy vegetables, oranges, bread and fortified
  breakfast cereals.

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Pre-conception and early pregnancy folate

• Women who are trying to become pregnant, or who
  are pregnant, should take a 400 microgram (µg)
  supplement of folic acid every day from the time
  they stop using contraception until at least the
  12th week of pregnancy. This is because it is
  difficult to achieve the extra folate needed
  through diet alone.
• All women of child-bearing age are also advised
  to consume adequate amounts of folate. This is
  particularly important because it may take time
  for a woman to realise that she is pregnant.

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During pregnancy

• During pregnancy, a womans nutritional needs
  increase to
• help the growth of breasts, uterus and placenta
• meet the needs of the growing foetus
• lay down stores of nutrients to help the growth
  of the foetus and in the mother for lactation.

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Extra energy needs during pregnancy

• During the first six months of pregnancy, most
  women do not need to eat more food than normal.
  The body becomes more efficient at absorbing and
  using nutrients from food.
• The Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
  increases during the last three months of
  pregnancy by an average of 800kJ per day.
• Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can
  raise the mothers blood pressure and increase
  her risk of being overweight or having diabetes.
  On average, when you are normal weight before
  pregnancy you should put on between 10 and 14 kg
  over the full term.

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Foods to avoid during pregnancy

• Too much vitamin A during early pregnancy has
  been linked to birth defects. Vitamin A rich
  foods include liver and liver products, such as
  pâté, vitamin A supplements and fish liver oils.
• Unpasteurised dairy products, such as Brie and
  Camembert, may be contaminated by Listeria, which
  can cause a miscarriage or infect the baby, so
  should not be consumed.
• Shark, swordfish and marlin may contain high
  levels of mercury, which can harm an unborn
  babys developing nervous system.
• Pregnant women, and those who are trying to
  conceive, are advised to stop drinking alcohol.
  Alcohol may damage the unborn child.

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Birth

• A normal pregnancy is between 37 and 41 weeks.
• On average, new-born babies weigh around 3.3kg.
  Boys, on average are heavier than girls.

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Infant feeding

• The process of producing breast milk is called
  lactation.
• Breast milk provides all the energy and
  nutrients a baby needs for growth and maintenance
  during the first 4 to 6 months of life.
• In the first three days after birth, the mother
  produces a special form of breast milk called
  colostrum. It contains less fat, more protein and
  more protective factors than the breast milk
  produced later.

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Breast feeding

• A mother who is breast feeding requires extra
  energy and nutrients. Some of this requirement is
  supplied through extra stores laid down during
  pregnancy, in addition to the diet.
• Energy requirements increase during lactation
  (it has been calculated that the energy cost of
  breastfeeding is around 650 kcal/day). Mothers
  who exclusively breastfeed for 3-4 months require
  an extra 500 kcal/day, on average. There are also
  increased demand for nutrients, such as calcium
  and vitamin D.
• Breast milk provides special proteins,
  antibodies and white blood cells, which help to
  protect the baby against infection.
• It also provides growth factors and hormones,
  important for the healthy growth and development
  of the baby.

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Bottle feeding

• If a mother does not wish to breast feed her
  baby, or finds it difficult, she can use an
  infant formula (also known as baby milk) from a
  bottle with a teat. Infant formulas do not
  provide any of the factors that help prevent
  infections.
• It is important to note that once a mother has
  started to bottle feed her baby, it is difficult
  to change to breast feeding.
• The Department of Health recommends exclusive
  breast feeding for the first 6 months of life.

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Weaning

• After 4 to 6 months of age, milk no longer
  fulfils all the babys needs for energy and
  nutrients. The baby must be given other foods in
  addition to breast milk or infant formula. This
  process is called weaning.
• Weaning before this age is not recommended, as
  the intestines and kidneys may not be able to
  process the food.

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Weaning

• Different foods can be used during weaning, but
  they must be semi-fluid and soft, since the baby
  has no teeth and cannot chew, e.g. rice, puréed
  vegetables and fruit and mashed potatoes.
• It is recommended that infants under 6 months
  should not be given wheat or other cereals that
  contain the protein gluten. This is to avoid a
  possible allergic reaction to gluten, called
  coeliac disease.
• Eggs should not be introduced before 6 months of
  age. Eggs should be cooked until both the white
  and yolk are solid. Raw eggs and foods that
  contain raw or partially cooked eggs should be
  avoided due to the risk of food poisoning from
  Salmonella.

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Supplements

• After the age of 6 months, infants receiving
  breast milk as their main drink or receiving less
  than 500ml of infant formula each day, should be
  given supplements of vitamins A, C, and D in the
  form of liquid drops.
• Between the age of 1 to 5 years, vitamins A and
  D supplements should be given unless the baby
  receives adequate intake and exposure to
  sunlight.
• Cows milk should not be given to infants under
  1 year of age as the main drink because it does
  not provide adequate nutrients for the infant.

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Childhood

• The energy requirements of children increase
  rapidly because they grow quickly and become more
  active. This means they have a high energy
  requirement for their size.
• Young children do not have large stomachs to
  cope with big meals. Therefore, to achieve the
  relatively high energy intake for their age, they
  should consume small and frequent meals.

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Healthy weight in childhood

• Children should be encouraged to remain a
  healthy weight with respect to their height. A
  healthy family lifestyle can help in the weight
  management of children.

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Childhood

• A good supply of protein, calcium, iron, vitamin
  A and D, as part of a healthy, balanced diet, is
  essential.
• Calcium is needed for healthy tooth development,
  and together with vitamin D, help develop strong
  bones.

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Dental hygiene

• Children should pay attention to dental hygiene
  and ways to prevent dental caries.
• If children choose to consume food and drinks
  high in sugar occasionally, this should be done
  at mealtimes and not in between meals.
• Brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride
  toothpaste and using dental floss will help
  maintain healthy teeth. Regular dental visits are
  also important.

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Foods to avoid in childhood

• Nuts
• Whole or chopped nuts should not be given to
  children under 5 years to avoid choking. Some
  children may also be allergic to nuts.
• Deep sea fish
• Shark, swordfish and marlin contain relatively
  high levels of mercury, which may damage the
  developing nervous system of children.

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Adolescence

• Adolescence is a period of rapid growth and
  development and is when puberty occurs.
• The demand for energy and most nutrients are
  relatively high. Boys need more protein and
  energy than girls due to their later growth
  spurt.
• A growth spurt begins around 10 years of age in
  girls and 12 years in boys. In both sexes, an
  average of 23 cm is added to height and 20 to
  26kg in weight. Before adolescence, both girls
  and boys have an average of 18 body fat, during
  adolescence, this increases to around 28 in
  girls and decreases to around 15 in boys.

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Weight management in adolescence

• Adolescents should have plenty of energy in
  their diet for rapid growth. However, some
  adolescents tend to eat more than they need and
  become overweight.
• It is important to encourage an active lifestyle
  with a healthy, balanced diet during this time,
  because good habits practised now are likely to
  benefit their health for the rest of their lives.

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Adolescence

• After menstruation begins, girls need more iron
  than boys to replace losses.
• It is recommended that teenage girls and women
  require 14.8 mg of iron each day, while
  adolescent boys only need 11.3mg of iron per day,
  but this reduces to 8.7 mg of iron daily for men
  aged 19 or above.
• Some women have very high iron requirements
  because they have large menstrual losses.

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Adulthood

• Nutritional requirements do not change much
  between the ages of 19 to 50, except during
  pregnancy and lactation.
• On average, UK adults are having too much
  saturated fat and salt from food, and not enough
  fruit and vegetables.
• A poor diet can lead to diseases such as
  obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and
  type-2 diabetes.

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A balanced diet for adults

• To reduce the risk of developing these diseases,
  it is important to
• eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and
  vegetables
• opt for healthier fats
• get enough dietary fibre
• keep well hydrated
• stay active
• drink alcohol in moderation
• not smoke.

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Healthy weight for adults

• Adults should aim for a healthy body weight for
  their height and try to keep it at that level.
• The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a good indicator if
  a person is underweight, overweight or a healthy
  weight. To calculate BMI (kg/m2), divide weight
  (kg) by height (m) x height (m).

Recommended BMI range Underweight less than
18.5 Normal 18.5 - less than 25 Overweight 25
- less than 30 Obese 30 - 40 Very obese over 40
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Older adults

• Requirements for energy gradually decrease after
  the age of 50 as activity level falls.
• Older adults is the term usually refer to people
  over the age of 65.

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Older adults

• Older people may eat less for different reasons,
• for example
• difficulty in chewing and swallowing
• dental problems
• changes in sense of smell and taste
• difficulty in shopping, preparing and cooking
  food
• living alone
• financial problems
• illness.
• To maintain good health, it is important that
  older adults
• enjoy their food
• keep active
• have adequate nutrient intakes.

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Healthy ageing

• Older adults should adopt a healthy, balanced
  diet to maintain health.
• It is also important they keep hydrated by
  drinking plenty of fluid. Even minor dehydration
  may lead to health problems.

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Older adults

• After menopause (when menstruation stops), women
  lose bone strength at an increased rate. Having a
  great peak bone mass (PBM) in early adulthood
  helps adults to start from a higher point from
  which bones will be lost during the ageing
  process.
• As people age, osteoporosis may occur when bones
  become weak, brittle and break easily. This may
  lead to fractures in the wrist, back and hip.
• Osteoporosis is a major problem in older people,
  especially women.

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Older adults

• Older adults should have plenty of calcium
  intake from milk and dairy products, green leafy
  vegetables, beans, pulses, and products made from
  white and brown flour, which are fortified with
  calcium in the UK.
• They should also remain active and have adequate
  vitamin D from foods such as oily fish, lean red
  meat, cod liver oil and margarine, or through the
  action of sunlight on the skin.
• Everyone over 65 years of age is recommended to
  take supplements of vitamin D.

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Design brief
Design and make a two course menu, which can be
prepared within a 60 minute period, suitable for
the assigned life stage. One of the dishes must
contain red meat.
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The original recipe must
Include 200g of beef, pork or lamb meat. Show
consideration of dietary requirements of a the
age stage. Include a full ingredient lists
(with quantities). Include detailed recipe
methods. Include a 60 minute(maximum) time
plan. Include a the cost of the recipes.
You may wish to calculate the energy and
nutrients provided by the dish. Explore food is a
free tool that could be used click here.
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Evaluation criteria

• You will be asked to answer these questions
  following the challenge.
• What were my original aims?
• How does the menu meet the nutritional
  requirements of the life stage?
• Describe any difficulties when planning the menu.
• What did I like best about this menu?
• Do the recipes taste good and look inviting?
• What do other people think about my recipes?
• Can I improve the menu plan or recipes in any way?

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