Nutrition concepts for infants, children and adolescents: development and importance

A healthy diet right from the start is an important prerequisite for health, growth, development and performance. Furthermore, healthy nutrition in childhood and adolescence can also contribute to the prevention of widespread diseases in adulthood. The food-based and meal-based dietary concepts developed at the Research Department of Child Nutrition (FKE), the dietary scheme for the first year of life and the seamlessly following optimized mixed diet for children and adolescents (including corresponding menus), are scientifically based, internationally published, practically proven, simply mediated and sustainable dietary concepts for the entire growing age. The easy to understand semiquantitative recommendations and graphic illustrations of the nutrition concepts facilitate the transfer of the recommendations to the population; furthermore, the concepts are also aimed at decision makers. These concepts form the basis for the counselling given to families by pediatricians and nutritionists.