Girls 9-13 years old

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This information is based on the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand Including Recommended Dietary Intakes, the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia, and The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. These recommendations are for healthy children with standardised weight, height and estimated energy requirements and may not meet the specific nutritional requirements of individuals. Specific advice for individual needs should be sought from a qualified dietitian.

Healthy Eating for Girls aged 9-13 years

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends the following servings per day:

• 6–9 servings for 9-11yr olds or 5-11 serve for 12-13yr olds from the bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles group

An example of one serve is 2 slices of bread; 1 medium bread roll; 1 cup of cooked rice, pasta or noodles; or 1 1/3 cup of breakfast cereal flakes.

There is an allowance of about 20-25g a day for poly or monunsaturated fats and oils that can be used to spread on breads or rolls or used elsewhere in the diet.

• 3 servings for 9-11yr olds or 4 servings for 12-13yr olds from the vegetables, legumes group

An example of one serve is 75 g or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables; 1/2 cup cooked dried beans, peas, lentils or canned beans; 1 cup of salad vegetables; or 1 small potato.

• 1 serving of fruit for 9-11yr olds or 3 servings for 12–13 years

An example of one serve is 1 medium apple; 2 small pieces (150 g) of fruit (apricots, kiwi fruit, plums); 1 cup of diced fruit pieces or canned fruit; 1/2 cup of fruit juice; or 1 1/2 tablespoons of sultanas.

• 2 servings for 9-11yr olds or 3 servings for 12-13yr olds from the milk, yoghurt, cheese group

An example of one serve is 250 ml of milk; 250 ml of calcium-fortified beverage; 40 g (2 slices) of cheese; or 200 g (1 small carton) of yoghurt.

• 1 serving from the lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and legumes group

An example of one serve is 65 – 100 grams cooked meat or chicken; 2 small chops; 2 slices of roast meat; 1/2 cup of cooked (dried beans); 80 – 120 grams of fish fillet; 1/2 cup of peanuts (almonds); or 2 small eggs.

Note: You get plenty of fats and oils from the amount used with cereal foods and from meat, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, margarine, etc so fats and oils are not included separately

For more information, check out the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating at: www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-food-resources.htm#consumers

Energy requirements (kilojoules/day)

Energy requirements for children vary depending on age, gender, body size and activity levels. For more information on energy requirements for children, see your local dietitian or, as a start, follow this link to the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand Including Recommended Dietary Intakes and go to page 18: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/_files/n35.pdf

Physical activity

Children and Adolescents need to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity everyday. But remember, more is better—even up to several hours! This can be built up throughout the day with a combination of moderate to vigorous activities. Most importantly, kids need the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities that are fun and suit their interests, skills and abilities. Variety will also offer children or adolescence a range of health benefits, experiences and challenges. Parents can lead the way for their children in pursuing active lives. In addition, children should not be allowed to spend more than 2 hours each day using electronic media for entertainment, particularly at times when they could be enjoying more active pursuits.

Healthy eating for children

The food you eat is made up of nutrients (such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins). Some of these nutrients contain energy (in the form of kilojoules) that helps fuel your body.

Children in this age group are generally very active. The growth spurt for girls begins as early as 10-11 years, with their nutrient and energy requirements being greater than for adults relative to their body weight. Children’s meals need to include a variety of foods in order to meet their nutritional needs.

Children are encouraged to:

• eat a variety of nutritious foods
  • eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruit
  • eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain
  • include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives eg nuts or legumes
  • include reduced fat milks, yoghurts, cheeses and or alternatives
  • choose water as a drink.

Care should be taken to:

• limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake
• choose foods low in salt.
• consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars.

For individual nutrient requirements such as those described below, the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand Including Recommended Dietary Intakes provides an average nutrient intake requirement for individuals and a value that would meet the needs of most individuals in the population. Because it is difficult to assess an individual’s exact requirement for a particular nutrient, you might like to aim for the upper figure to maximise the certainty that a sufficient amount of the nutrient is obtained from food. For more information go to http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/_files/n35.pdf

Nutritional issues: primary school age girls

Calcium

Calcium is important for the development and maintenance of bones and teeth, nerve function, muscle contractions and heart function. The amount of bone formed exceeds that which is lost from the time of birth until the mid to late 20s. In the mid to late 20s a person reaches their peak bone mass, the maximum density achieved by their bones. Getting enough calcium and exercise during childhood and adolescence is important for increasing bone mass to prevent osteoporosis in later life.

The average requirement for children aged 9–11yrs is 800 mg/day of calcium but because of individual variation some children will need as much as 1,000 mg/day or more. From age 12 to 18 years the average requirement increases to 1,050 mg/day with some children requiring as much as 1,300 mg/day or more. For girls, 9-11 years who have physically matured early, the recommendations for 12-18 years olds may be more appropriate

Milk and dairy products like cheese, yoghurt and custards are the major sources of calcium in a western diet. Dairy products also provide valuable protein, and vitamins A and B (thiamin, niacin and riboflavin). For children over 2 years, reduced fat dairy foods are recommended. Low or reduced fat dairy products have similar protein, calcium and vitamin values to ‘full fat’ equivalents.

Children who do not eat dairy products (e.g. vegans or those with a diagnosed lactose intolerance) will need to obtain calcium from a non-dairy source. Foods that contain useful amounts of calcium include: leafy green vegetables; wholegrain cereals and breads; canned fish (eaten with bones); legumes (e.g. kidney beans, chick peas, lentils); calcium-fortified soy products; and calcium-fortified breakfast cereals and juice.

Certain factors can interfere with calcium absorption such as a high salt diet, caffeine, soft drinks and aluminium (found in antacids used for indigestion).

Iron

Iron is important for transporting oxygen around the body, and helps to prevent infection. Children who have low intakes of iron are often tired, lack concentration and suffer more from infection. Growth, sweating, and heavy exercise deplete the body’s iron stores, and increase the need to replenish supplies through foods rich in iron.

The dietary iron requirement for girls aged 9–13 years averages 6 mg /day but some girls will require as much as 8mg/day or more. For girls younger than 14 years whose menstrual cycle has started, the recommendations for 14-18 year olds may be more appropriate. From age 14 to 18 years the average requirement for girls increases to 8 mg/day with some girls requiring as much as 15 mg/day or more because or iron losses during menstruation.

Red meat is the best source of iron, as well as being a good source of protein and zinc. Other meats such as chicken and fish also contain iron, but not as much as red meat. Generally the darker the meat the more iron it contains, e.g. the darker thigh meat of chicken is richer in iron than the breast.

Iron is also found in leafy green vegetables, legumes and iron–enriched breakfast cereals and breads, but iron from these sources is not as well absorbed as the iron found in meat.

Vitamin C increases iron absorption so adding fruit or other foods rich in vitamin C (such as tomato, broccoli or capsicum) to iron-rich meals will increase the amount of iron absorbed by the body. In contrast, tea, coffee and unprocessed bran can inhibit iron absorption.

Puberty

Many 9-13 year old girls have begun puberty. Puberty is a period of rapid growth of bone and tissue. The maturing body needs extra calcium for bone growth, and extra iron for growth and (when menstruation begins) for losses due to menstruation.

Fussy eaters

At this time girls need a particularly nutritious diet, but it is a time when girls may be attempting to diet or become fussy eaters. Studies show that dieting girls commonly restrict important foods like cereals, dairy foods or red meat when dieting and that these foods often remain restricted even when they come off their diets. Girls who want to diet should seek professional advice from a dietitian to assess whether they are a healthy weight for their age and if not, how to lose weight sensibly without risking deficiencies in important nutrients. Apart from good health, eating sensibly affects the health and appearance of skin, hair and nails.

It is important for children to eat a variety of foods and to try alternative, interesting sources of nutrients if they are avoiding particular foods.

• For cereals try wholemeal pasta, polenta, wholemeal tortillas, buckwheat pancakes, corn, pumpkin, flat or potato bread. Try different varieties of rice and other grains, wild rice, basmati, and cous cous, for example
• Try to provide your child with a variety of interesting vegetable choices. A vegetarian pizza with a wholemeal base and a little low fat, ricotta or feta cheese is a good way to introduce new vegetables—try mushrooms, artichokes, capsicum and sun dried tomatoes and serve with a salad
• There is also a great variety of nutritious fruits available in addition to the more common varieties. Rather than apples and oranges for lunch, try mangos in season, berries, passionfruit, paw paw or stone fruits
• Usually the deeper the colour of the fruit or vegetable, the more nutritious it is. Look for deep orange, red or purple fruits and orange and dark green vegetables. They have more Vitamin A and phytochemicals, (chemicals in plant foods which help protect us against disease)
• If the child has ‘gone off’ meat there are many other protein foods from which to choose. Lentils make wonderful burgers, chick peas can go into curries or casseroles, beans are better with Mexican foods, tacos, tortillas or burritos. Remember, iron may be an issue with a vegetarian diet. Be ensure to consume foods rich in Vitamin C with grains and legumes to enhance iron absorption.

Converting favourite recipes

Boys and girls of this age often enjoy cooking. They may even like to cook one of the family meals a week. Help them to convert their favourite recipes or favourite take away foods to healthier versions.

Tips for converting favourite recipes to healthier versions

• Reduce the fat, especially saturated fat (use lean meats and remove the fat selvage from meats and the skin from poultry, use reduced fat dairy products etc)
• Reduce the salt (use reduced salt sauces and try herbs, spices, lemon or lime juice, chilli or Tabasco sauce etc for flavour)
• Reduce the sugar (the amount of sugar added to foods should be moderate, to ensure valuable nutrients are not diluted)
• Add more vegetables or fruit (select from a wide variety of types and colours and serve cooked or raw, as appropriate)
• Change refined flours and breads and cereals to wholemeal or mixed grain versions.

Breakfast

Breakfast helps refuel for the day ahead, and breakfast foods like cereal with milk, contain many important nutrients such as calcium, iron, dietary fibre and vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin.

Some healthy options are:

• Wholegrain breakfast cereals with reduced fat milk and fresh fruit.
• Wholegrain toast topped with cheese or peanut butter and tomato, and a glass of reduced fat milk.
• Fruit smoothie made with reduced fat milk, or calcium-enriched low fat soy beverage
• Reduced fat yoghurt (plain or with fruit) with perhaps a topping of nuts, dried fruit or muesli.

Fortified cereals: Some cereals are fortified with niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and minerals iron and zinc. Often these vitamins and minerals are simply replacing those taken out in the manufacturing process. But some cereals are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals such as folate or calcium.

Eating out

If eating out regularly, avoid going to fast food outlets too often and ‘all you can eat’ buffets so that overeating does not occur. Try other types of restaurants, e.g. Asian, Lebanese, or seafood restaurants with some interesting healthy options for the children. As a parent or carer, it is important to stimulate children’s interest in foods and give them a variety of healthy food options.

Healthy snacking

Many active growing children need to snack during the day to get the energy they need. The snacks they choose should provide nutrients as well as energy, and be based on foods that children need every day for good health. These foods include breads and cereals, vegetables, legumes and fruits, reduced fat dairy products, lean meats and eggs.

Snacks should be tasty, appealing and nutritious. Variety in colour, texture, flavour, smell and temperature can also spark interest in foods.

Processed foods such as cakes, biscuits, potato crisps and confectionery, and high sugar drinks can contribute lots of energy, but few nutrients. They should therefore be limited in the diet.

Example of a Healthy Meal Plan for a 10 year old girl

For this example we have based the daily energy requirement on a 10 year old girl, weighing about 33 kg, about 138 cm in height, with a moderately active life. This girl may walk to school, play at lunchtime and after school and may play a team sport on the weekend.

The meal plan is designed as a guide only, and meets recommended dietary intakes. The meal plan is for a single day; the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia recommend eating a variety of foods every day to meet nutritional needs. For example in the plan below, our 10 year-old girl has a slice of chicken breast for lunch and beef for dinner. Tomorrow she might choose a different protein such as baked beans for lunch and have fish for dinner. If she has stir fry vegetables tonight, she might have potato, pumpkin, corn and peas tomorrow. With variety in her diet she will be sure to be getting the whole range of essential nutrients that she needs for health and vitality.

Energy requirements

• About 8,500 kJ/day (about 2,000 calories per day)

Food	Quantity	Energy (kJ)	Protein (g)	Carbohydrate (g)	Fat (g)	Salt (Sodium, mg)
Breakfast
Porridge made with water & milk	1 cup	881	8.3	27.3	7	60
Reduced fat milk	1/4 cup	131	2.5	3.4	0.9	32
Strawberries	1/3 cup	54	0.9	1.5	0.1	3
Mixed grain toast	1 slice	256	2.3	10.7	0.7	127
Peanut butter (no added salt & sugar)	2 teaspoons	325	3.5	1	6.5	0.1
Water	250 ml	0	0	0	0	0
Nutritious Snack
Carrot	1 small	65	0.4	2.7	0.1	23
Rice cake with corn & oats	2 cakes	316	1.5	15.4	0.6	0.4
Jam	3 teaspoons	219	0.1	13.4	0	3
Margarine, polyunsaturated	2 teaspoons	287	0	0.1	7.7	40
Water	300 ml	0	0	0	0	0
Lunch - Chicken and salad roll
Wholemeal bread roll	1 large	849	7.6	34.6	2.7	414
Tahini (sesame seed butter)	2 teaspoons	272	2	0.1	6.1	8
Chicken breast (baked, skin removed)	1 medium slice	190	6.9	0	2.0	21
Tomato	2 slices	20	0.3	0.6	0	2
Cucumber	5 slices	9	0.1	0.3	0	3
Lettuce	1 cup torn leaves	10	0.2	0.2	0	3
Mandarin	1 small	128	0.7	5.8	0.1	1.
Water	300 ml	0	0	0	0	0
Nutritious Snack
Wholemeal pasta, cooked	1 cup	867	8.0	36.4	1.2	118
Broccoli	1/2 cup flowerets	70	2.4	0.3	0.2	10
Cheddar cheese, 50% reduced fat	1/3 cup shredded	443	12.5	0	6.2	276
Corn	2 tablespoons	127	0.9	5.6	0.3	2
Tomato paste (low salt)	2 tablespoons	125	1.4	4.6	0.1	20
Water	300 ml	0	0	0	0	0
Dinner - Beef and vegetable stir-fry
Beef	1/2 cup diced	537	22.2	0	4.3	47
Sunflower oil	2 teaspoons	340	0.0	0	9.2	0
Brown rice	1 cup cooked	1156	5.8	57.2	1.8	198
Celery	1 small stalk	11	0.1	0.4	0	13
Carrot	1/5 cup	47	0.3	1.9	0	14
Capsicum chopped	1/5 cup	37	0.6	1.3	0.1	0.3
Mushroom sliced	1/5 cup	57	1.5	0.6	0.6	6
Spring onion sliced	1 small	30	0.2	0.6	0.4	4
Snowpea	4	32	0.5	0.7	0.2	0.2
Soy sauce (low salt)	10 g (2 teaspoons)	17	0.6	0.3	0	368
Fortified chocolate beverage base	3 teaspoons	81	0.6	3.1	0.5	15
Reduced fat milk	1 cup 250 mL	510	9.8	13.3	3.5	123

Variation to energy expenditure depending on physical activity level for a girl 10 years, about 1.38 m in height, weighing about 33 kg

Lifestyle/Exercise level	Energy requirement (kJ/day)
At rest, exclusively sedentary or lying eg debilitated or those unable to move freely	5,700kJ/day
Exclusively sedentary lifestyle with little or no strenuous exercise, for someone seated most of the day	6,700 – 7,150 kJ/day
Sedentary lifestyle with little or no strenuous exercise eg seated occupations with some requirement for walking and standing	7,600 – 8,050 kJ/day
A lifestyle that involves predominantly standing or walking	8,500 – 9,000 kJ/day
Highly active leisure eg high performance athletes.	9,500 – 10,400+ kJ/day

page last updated: 02 April, 2009
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