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Even more than adults, children need to eat a nutritionally balanced and wholesome diet. While adults require proper nutrition for optimal health and mental and physical performance, children require proper nutrition to ensure optimal development. One of the basic responsibilities of parenting is to provide a balanced and complete diet, and yet, that is becoming increasingly more difficult in our society. With fast food restaurants offering entertainment in the form of playgrounds, toys and games, and parents juggling a career as well as their children's highly active social and academic lives, the temptation to head through the fast line is often too irresistible to pass up. But, we owe it to our kids to do just that ... pass it up! Our children need to sit down with the family and eat a nutritious meal.

5 Foods your child should eat everyday
1. Fruit. Real fruit that is ... the kind you can bite into. Fruit juices lack the fiber that is essential for healthy digestion and are frequently packed full of sugar. Be sure your child eats at least two servings of fruit everyday, and rotate the fruits you offer. Keep the rainbow in mind ... something green, something yellow, something orange, purple, etc. By keeping the colors of the fruit you give your child in rotation, you will ensure that she receives all the essential nutrients in her diet.

2. Vegetables. Not all children are innately drawn to vegetables. It may actually take up to ten attempts in order for your child to accept a new vegetable. Don't give up. Remember, you are the parent and you are in charge of the diet. Even if you can only get your child to take one bite, he is one bite closer to accepting that food into his diet. The same rainbow rule applies with vegetables as it does fruits ... keep the colors in rotation. Your child should eat something green with every meal plus one other color. Children need at least five servings of vegetables per day. Organic, fresh produce is the best choice, but if that is not always possible opt for organically grown frozen vegetables.

3. Whole Grains. Please do not inflict a low carbohydrate diet on your child. We all need complex carbohydrates in order to provide our bodies with sufficient energy to tackle the day. Avoid simple carbs such as white rice, white bread, white potatoes, white pasta etc., but do provide your child with at least 8-10 servings of whole wheat, wheat berries, oats, rye, bran and other complex whole grains.

4. Protein. While children do need to eat protein with every meal, that does not mean they need to eat meat with every meal. Vegetables like broccoli and spinach are great sources of both protein and iron. Dairy and legumes are also high in protein. Your child will need a fruit or vegetable high in vitamin C in order for her body to absorb plant-based iron, so if you have a non meat-eater, be sure she is getting plenty of vitamin C. If your child does eat meat, make sure it is organic, free-range and hormone-free.

5. Water. While water may not seem like a "food," I included it here to emphasize the importance of proper hydration. Children consume way too much juice, milk, soymilk and sodas and not enough water. Juice is high in sugar and low in nutritional value. The nutrients in cow's milk is not readily absorbed in the human body and can cause more harm than good if it is not organic and hormone and pesticide free. Soymilk is not easily digestible in its non-fermented form. And soda, well ... sodas are packed full of sugars or harmful artificial sweeteners. Nothing beats plain and simple water when it comes to hydration. Children and adults alike should drink half our weight in ounces in water. So, if your child weighs 50 pounds, she should drink 25 ounces of water per day ... and more won't hurt!

If you have had a hard time getting your child to eat healthy, please share with us some ways you have overcome the challenges. Or, feel free to ask our readers for suggestions or advice with feeding your picky eater.