Glossary
39 terms parents actually need to understand the labels, the pediatrician visits, and what their child is eating. Clinically-defensible, written for parents — not for doctors.
For children and teens, BMI is interpreted as a percentile against age- and sex-matched peers, not the adult BMI category. A pediatrician calls a child's BMI 'healthy weight' between the 5th and 85th percentile, 'overweight' from 85th to 95th, and 'obese' at or above the 95th. Adult BMI categories (e.g. 'BMI 30 = obese') do not apply to children.
A reference plot of height, weight, head circumference, or BMI against age, used to track whether a child is growing on a steady curve. Pediatricians use the WHO chart for children under 2 and the CDC chart for ages 2–19. The trend matters more than any single point.
A short period of rapid height and weight gain. Most children have spurts in infancy, around ages 6–8, and again at puberty. Appetite and food volume increase noticeably, which is normal — restricting calories during a spurt is harmful.
Accelerated growth that occurs after a period of slowed growth (illness, undernutrition, prematurity), as the body returns to its expected curve. Catch-up growth requires temporarily higher calorie and protein intake than maintenance.
A clinical term for a child whose weight or height has dropped meaningfully below their expected growth curve over time. It is a signal to investigate causes (medical, nutritional, social), not a diagnosis itself. Pediatricians evaluate this; parents should not self-diagnose.
Defined in the US as BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex. Linked to higher lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and joint problems. Roughly 1 in 5 US children meets the definition, and the prevalence has tripled since the 1980s.
A child who consistently refuses many foods, eats a narrow range, or reacts strongly to new textures, smells, or appearances. Some pickiness is developmentally normal between ages 2 and 6. Persistent or severe selectivity past that age may warrant pediatric or feeding-therapy evaluation.
The reluctance to try unfamiliar foods. It peaks between ages 2 and 6 and is evolutionarily protective. Repeated, low-pressure exposure is the most evidence-backed way to expand a child's food range — not coercion or hiding foods.
A phase where a child eats only one or two foods, often for days or weeks, then abruptly drops them. Common between ages 2 and 5. Counter-strategies: keep offering variety alongside the favored food; do not over-serve the favored food.
The principle that children need to encounter a new food many times — often 10–15 — before they accept it. 'Encounter' includes seeing, touching, smelling, or tasting; full bites are not required. Pressure to finish a serving slows acceptance.
A feeding philosophy from registered dietitian Ellyn Satter: parents decide what, when, and where food is served; the child decides whether to eat and how much. Reduces mealtime conflict and supports better long-term self-regulation.
Foods most associated with pediatric choking deaths: whole grapes, hot dogs, hard candy, popcorn, raw carrots, large chunks of cheese or meat, peanuts. Risk is highest under age 4. Modify shape (quartered grapes, ground meat) rather than avoid the food category.
The three nutrients the body needs in large quantities: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Each provides energy (calories) and structural building blocks. Children need all three; restrictive diets that eliminate one (e.g. low-fat for under-2s) can stall growth.
Vitamins and minerals the body needs in smaller quantities — but no less critical for growth. Common deficiencies in children: iron, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, iodine. Picky eaters and selective vegans/vegetarians are at higher risk and may need supplementation.
Builds tissue, immune cells, hormones, and enzymes. Children need roughly 0.95 g/kg/day (ages 4–13). A parent doesn't usually need to track grams — meeting protein at every meal (egg, dairy, meat, beans, tofu) almost always covers it.
Required for red blood cells and brain development. Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in toddlers, especially after weaning from iron-fortified formula. Sources: red meat, fortified cereal, beans, dark leafy greens. Pair with vitamin C for absorption.
Builds bone density during the rapid skeletal growth of childhood and adolescence. Daily targets: ~700 mg for ages 1–3, ~1000 mg for 4–8, ~1300 mg for 9–18. Sources: dairy, fortified plant milks, leafy greens, sardines.
Needed to absorb calcium; also supports immune function. Made in skin from sunlight, but most children do not get enough — the AAP recommends 400 IU/day from infancy. Deficiency is widespread, especially in winter and in children with darker skin.
A family of essential fatty acids (ALA, EPA, DHA) involved in brain and eye development. Best sources: fatty fish (salmon, sardines), walnuts, chia, flax. The AAP recommends 1–2 fish servings per week from age 2.
A nutrient critical for brain development, often overlooked because it is not a vitamin or mineral. Sources: eggs, beef, salmon, dairy, soybeans. Many children fall short of the daily target (ages 4–8: 250 mg; 9–13: 375 mg).
Indigestible plant material that supports gut health and bowel regularity. Daily target by age: roughly 'age + 5' grams (e.g. a 6-year-old needs ~11 g). Whole grains, fruit, vegetables, beans, and seeds. Most American children get half what they need.
A food eaten close to its natural state: an apple, an egg, brown rice, a piece of fish. Minimally processed if at all. Whole foods generally retain more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than their processed counterparts.
A food altered from its natural state for preservation, palatability, or convenience: canned beans, frozen vegetables, sliced bread. Processing is not inherently harmful — pasteurized milk and fortified cereal are processed and beneficial. The degree and ingredients matter.
Industrially formulated products containing ingredients you would not find in a home kitchen — emulsifiers, hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, modified starches. Examples: sugary cereal, packaged snacks, soda, fast food. Linked to higher childhood obesity and lower diet quality.
Sugar added to food during processing or preparation, distinct from sugar naturally present in fruit or milk. The AHA recommends children get under 25 g (~6 tsp) per day; under age 2 should have none added at all. Most sweetened drinks for kids exceed the daily limit in one serving.
The WHO term for added sugars plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit-juice concentrate. The 100% apple juice in a juice box counts as free sugar. WHO recommends under 10% (ideally under 5%) of daily calories from free sugars.
Children's daily upper limit is far below the adult guideline: ~1500 mg/day (ages 4–8), ~1800 mg (9–13). Most kids get 50–80% over the limit, mostly from packaged food, deli meat, cheese, bread, and pizza. Excess sodium in childhood is linked to higher adult blood pressure.
Found mainly in animal products (butter, cheese, fatty meat) and in coconut/palm oils. After age 2, dietary guidelines recommend keeping saturated fat under 10% of daily calories. Under age 2, fat restriction is harmful — full-fat dairy and fatty foods are essential.
Industrial fat made by hydrogenating vegetable oil; raises LDL cholesterol and lowers HDL. Banned in US food production since 2018 but trace amounts remain in some imported or older packaged foods. There is no safe level for children.
An immune-system response to a food protein, ranging from mild rash to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Top eight allergens cover ~90% of childhood cases: milk, eggs, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish. Diagnosis requires a pediatrician or allergist; self-diagnosis via online lists is unreliable.
A non-immune reaction to food, usually involving digestion (gas, bloating, diarrhea). Lactose intolerance is the most common. Distinct from allergy: intolerance is uncomfortable, not life-threatening, and dose-dependent — many tolerate small amounts.
Inability to fully digest lactose, the sugar in milk, due to low lactase enzyme. Symptoms appear 30 minutes to 2 hours after dairy: cramps, gas, diarrhea. More common after age 5 and in East Asian, African, and Native American populations. Lactose-free dairy and fermented dairy (yogurt, hard cheese) are usually tolerated.
An autoimmune condition where eating gluten — found in wheat, barley, rye — damages the small intestine. About 1 in 100 children. Diagnosis requires a blood test and biopsy by a gastroenterologist before removing gluten; otherwise testing becomes inaccurate. Strict lifelong gluten avoidance is the only treatment.
Low red blood cell count from inadequate iron, the most common pediatric nutritional deficiency. Symptoms in children: fatigue, pale skin, irritability, slow weight gain, lower attention. Diagnosed via blood test. Treated with dietary iron plus supplementation under pediatric guidance.
The current USDA visual guide for healthy eating, replacing the food pyramid in 2011. Half the plate is fruits and vegetables, a quarter grains, a quarter protein, with dairy on the side. Designed for ages 2 and up.
A practical portioning approach for any meal: half the plate non-starchy vegetables and fruit, a quarter lean protein, a quarter starchy carbs (rice, pasta, potato). No measuring required — works for picky eaters because it allows preferred foods to fill their slot.
The number of distinct food groups consumed across days or weeks. Higher diversity in childhood predicts better long-term diet quality and lower disease risk. Most quality scores ask: did the child eat from at least 5 of 7 food groups in the past day?
Portion sizes scaled to a child's age, not adult sizes scaled down. A 2-year-old needs roughly a quarter of an adult portion; a 6-year-old, a half. Serving adult portions encourages over-eating and overrides hunger cues.
Evidence-backed feeding strategy: a new food is offered at multiple meals (often 10+) without pressure to eat it. Studies show acceptance grows with each exposure, even when a child only smells, touches, or licks the food at first.
Missing a term, or seeing one that needs nuance? Tell us — every clinical update goes straight to the app and to this page.
Miriel