THE IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION FOR A HEALTHY, ACTIVE CHILD

 THE IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION FOR A HEALTHY, ACTIVE CHILD

Working mothers have to do a balancing act most of the time. It is hard for them to prepare homemade food and therefore kids carry food items in their lunch boxes that are unhealthy. These unhealthy eating habits cause damage to the children’s well-being and are carried forward into their adulthood as well.

To protect our children from lifelong and chronic diseases, it is important that we focus on their nutrition from the very beginning - right from breast feeding to breakfast and mealtimes - all need attention and commitment from parents. These are factors that can neither be underestimated nor neglected.

However, it is very essential that healthy eating habits are instilled from a very young age, as habits developed in the early years stay for a lifetime. Teach your children to eat good, healthy, nutritional food so that they lead a happy, healthy life.

Breakfast: A protein rich breakfast is an ideal way to start the day. A high protein breakfast helps in muscle health, increases in muscle mass, builds new muscles and bone cells, controls glucose and insulin levels, boosts immunity and in weight loss.

How do we inculcate healthy eating habits in our kids?

Grocery Shopping: Let your kid accompany you for grocery shopping and let him/her choose the food item by reading the list of ingredients and the nutritional chart. If your child is young enough to read then let him get items for you from the shelf as you explain the benefits to them. Pat your child for doing a good job.

Work Together: Whenever, a grocery is brought into the house, let your child help you in cleaning it, storing it and then cooking it. It is a rewarding experience for both the parent as well as the child.

Quick Meals: Mornings are rush hours in every household. We all are in hurry to reach our workplaces on time. Making quick meals and snacks has become a requisite to keep pace with today’s fast lifestyle. Here are a few ideas:

·       Egg sandwiches with a handful of berries

·       Greek yoghurt with almonds, chopped walnuts and strawberries

·       Turkey sausages with a handful of mushrooms and cottage cheese

·       Milk with whole-wheat bread toast with peanut butter   

*keep allergies in mind

Let fruits rule the table: Always make sure that fresh fruits don your dining table. They are handy and can be picked by your child easily whenever he/she feels hungry.

Drink plenty of water: Inculcate in your little one the habit of drinking water instead of fizzy and sugary drinks.

Be a role model: Kids learn by imitation and when they see their most loved ones eating healthy, they too learn this behavior and imitate them. As they imitate, they unknowingly develop the habit of eating healthy food.

Use the opportunity: Kids eat happily when they are with their friends and also are more obedient to their teachers. So let’s make the most of the time they spend at school. Pack a healthy snack for your child. Your child will surely eat it when he sees his peers eating, teachers instructing and after a long day they are hungry and are left with no option but to eat what has been provided in the snack box.

Get creative: Decorate your child’s plate with colours and patterns that make them happy and excited. A colourful palette is always healthy. Choosing colourful foods signifies valuable nutrition:

·       Red: Strawberries, raspberries, red apples, tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, papaya, cranberries contain lycopene, which has been associated with lower risk of cancer and heart attacks. These help in reducing the risk of developing high cholesterol and improve brain function.

·       Brown: Beans, chickpeas, lentils, black beans are full of Vitamin B that prevent the formation of blood clots and subsequent heart disease.

·       Green: Broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, Brussels sprouts and leafy green vegetables are power houses of nutrition packed with folic acid, vitamin K, carotenoids and omage-3 fatty acids.

·       Orange: Carrots, mangoes, cantaloupe, winter squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, apricots play an important role in reducing risk of lung, esophagus and stomach cancers. These protect the nervous system, promotes eye health, skin health, boost immune system and build strong bones.

·       Blue and Purple: Blueberries, eggplant, blackberries, prunes, plums, pomegranates, beets, purple cabbage, purple potatoes, raisin, figs are helpful in lowering the painful effects of arthritis.  These protect urinary tract health and regulate healthy digestion.

·       White: Potatoes, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, turnip, bananas, white nectarines, white peaches, pears minimize the risk of colon, prostrate and breast cancer and lowers high blood pressure.  

(Ref: The Importance of Colorful Diet – Mayo Clinic Health System)

Key nutrients in Fruits and Vegetables:

Nutrient	Health Benefit	Found In
Vitamin A	Healthy eyes and skin; protects from infection	Apricots, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Grapefruit, Greens, Leaf and Romaine Lettuce, Mangos, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Watermelon
Vitamin C	Healthy teeth and gums; helps heal cuts and wounds	Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, Grapefruit, Oranges, Pineapple, Strawberries, Tomatoes
Calcium	Healthy teeth and bones	Greens, Kale, Okra, Rhubarb, Spinach
Fiber	Healthy digestive system; Reduced risk of heart disease	Apples, Bananas, Beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Lentils, Peaches, Pears, Raspberries, Spinach
Folate	Wound healing; normal cell division	Asparagus, Broccoli, Peas, Beans, Greens, Spinach, Strawberries
Iron	Healthy blood; learning ability	Beans, Lentils, Spinach
Magnesium	Healthy bones	Beans, Spinach
Potassium	Healthy blood pressure	Bananas, Beans, Broccoli, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes

Chart ref: https://www.freshwayfoods.com/homepage/our-products/produce-facts/nutritional-benefits/

A Note of Concern: Being in the field of early childhood education in the UAE for the last 20 years, I have continuously found that most of the kids carry snack boxes with contents that are nothing less than being termed as pathetic. Most of the time, the sandwiches packed are prepared using stale bread with dried cheese and nothing else. Sadly, the kids carry the same item for days on end without any variety. The saddest part is that the lunch boxes are prepared by maids and mothers are totally unaware of them. The dried and stale sandwich is to be eaten without any accompaniment of juice, yogurt or even soup. At times, we have even found fungus filled snack boxes which were not removed from the bag for days. Bags stink of stale, spoilt milk and are unbearable to handle.

It is important for me to share my discoveries here, as I want to use this opportunity and platform to create awareness among our parent community regarding children’s health, hygiene and food safety.

A healthy child is a happy child.