When an adult decides to make a decision for him or herself about undertaking a Paleo diet, there are a lot of things that go into play in order to carry out this decision. It’s going to require discipline on the part of the adult, as well as the understanding that there may be an uncomfortable period of transition with the digestive tract. All of these consequences, however, are presumed to have been researched by the adult, taken on their own merits, and ultimately factored into a conscious choice.
So if you’re a parent, and you see benefits to a Paleo diet for yourself, is this something that you should think about putting into practice with your children as well?
Supervised Paleo
Children of different age groups will have different dietary needs if you want to ensure that they grow up healthy. So while a Paleo diet, in general, may meet the general nutritional needs of a child, you’re likely to need to make some alterations to the Paleo diet plan based on age group.
Toddlers and children up to the age of three, for example, need a variety of different fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals if you want to ensure normal, healthy brain development. A Paleo diet is deliberately scarce of many fatty acids, so you’ll need to “bulk up” in these areas for the sake of your child’s growth.
Even from the age of four upwards to teenagers, there is always going to be a very high demand for calcium in order to ensure proper bone development and growth. Since milk and other dairy products are not part of a Paleo diet, you may require a calcium nutritional supplement to make up this lack if you are adamant about making sure your children don’t have any milk or ice cream.
Ultimately, the best thing to do is look at what age your children are, look at what resources their body needs most, and then take steps to reinforce those areas if the Paleo diet is falling short.