No one specific diet which fits for all people:

What are the different types of diet based on the different ages of the people?

There is no one specific diet which fits for all the people, even if they belong to the same age group.



Nutritional needs and requirements of different people vary largely even if a person is from a same age group. All diet plans are personalized and they depend the age, sex, likes and dislikes, tolerance, medical history, activity pattern and lifestyle of a person. Also certain nutritional deficiencies and medical conditions may require administration of a special diet with some restrictions or special considerations.

Starting from a toddler, a child after age one should be slowly weaned to solid foods that the other members of a family consume, obviously in different forms and amounts. This transition should be gradually done between 12-24 months. A child when exposed to a variety of foods from each food groups will consume enough amounts of energy and other nutrients.



Preschool age that is between 3-5 years is the time to inculcate good eating habits in your child. In this phase the growth is slow so the appetite may also be low, but good eating habits and lifestyle taught in this period can stay in the future. As your child grows older good nutritional and energy needs continue. However in this age the chances of getting finicky and notorious eating habits are high. To avoid such eating pattern, a child should be encouraged to sit with the family members to take all their major meals; this will help in the behavioral development and also in the re-enforcement of family values. In adolescent years special considerations should be made that is the protein requirements are high, calcium requirement increases especially for girls, sources of essential fats and slow released carbohydrates should also be focused. The requirement for an adult male and female will again vary according to their job profile and needs and in general men will have higher requirements than women. But during pregnancy nutritional needs of a woman shall increase to support the growth and development of the growing fetus. Certain important nutrients like folic acid, vitamin A, iron and calcium needs will be high to ensure proper growth and prevent any birth defects.



Many foods like alcohol, tea, coffee and fish with high mercury levels should be avoided as far as possible in this group. A meal plan for an elderly male and female would focus mainly to suit the sedentary lifestyle and to maintain a reasonable health. Further any health issues shall be considered first before planning any diet for any age group.