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Dietary & Nutritional Guidelines for Healthy Children

 

diet in children

Today’s children and families have hectic schedules. This makes it difficult to eat home-cooked meals every day. Many children’s diets consist primarily of ready-to-eat and restaurant food. These food products, however, can be detrimental to health and have a negative impact on the child’s health. Some of the issues caused by unhealthy eating can last into adulthood. They can even progress to become chronic diseases.

Children benefit greatly from healthy eating. It is capable of:

  • Improving their energy levels.
  • Improving their mental faculties.
  • Balancing their mood.
  • Helping them reach and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Helping in the prevention of mental health problems such as Depression, Stress, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Furthermore, eating a healthy diet and focusing on nutrition are two of the simplest and most important ways to prevent disease. Many chronic diseases can be avoided by eating healthy. Overweight, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and impaired glucose tolerance are examples of a few chronic diseases caused due to unhealthy diet. Approximately more than half of all Indians suffer from one or more of these diseases.

Healthy eating habits are more likely to stick with you if you learn them as a child. That is why it is critical that you cultivate good habits in your children now. This will enable them to stick to their eating habits and assist them in avoiding chronic diseases such as those listed above, whether as a child or as an adult.

The Way to Better Health

There are numerous ways to educate and support your children’s healthy eating habits. These are some examples:

Begin With Breakfast.

Eating a protein-rich breakfast is a fantastic way for children to start the day. Protein will help them feel fuller for longer periods of time. It can even assist teenagers in losing weight.

Mornings can be strenuous. Try one of these for a nutritious on-the-go breakfast:

  • A slice of whole-wheat bread and an egg omelet
  • Boiled eggs, toast, and an apple.
  • Poha
  • Oatmeal

Prioritize Mealtimes

Sitting down to eat as a family is an essential part of improving healthy eating habits. But it goes beyond simply eating next to each other. Meals are also an opportunity to:

Make Your Children Feel Safe. Routine is essential for children. They feel safer knowing they have lunches and dinners with their family on a regular basis.

Speak with Your Children. Demonstrate an interest in what is going on in their lives. Tell them about yours. Improve your family’s connections.

Keep Track of Their Eating Habits. Older children and teenagers eat more frequently at school or at friends’ homes. Take advantage of this time to observe what and how they eat. Check to see if there is anything you can do to promote better habits.

Lead by Example for Your Child to Follow. If you make preparations and eat healthy meals, your child will do the same. Stay away from obsessive calorie-counting. Don’t say anything negative about yourself. Your child may take on the same attitude. This could lead to him or her developing body image issues or negative food associations.

Get The Kids Involved.

Allow your children to assist you in grocery shopping and food selection. Teach them how to read food labels so they can understand the necessary nutrients in the foods they eat. They could also help cook healthy meals and take accountability for what they eat.

Planting a garden is another interesting and fun way of engaging your child. Growing some vegetables, fruits, and herbs with children can teach them valuable lessons on planting, nurturing, and harvesting one’s own food. It can be rewarding for both children and adults to engage in this activity.

Make Healthier Food Choices

The principles of nutrition for children are the same as those of nutrition for adults. Everyone requires the same nutrients, including vitamins, carbohydrates, protein, minerals, and fat. Children, on the other hand, require different levels of key nutrients at varying ages. Consider the following nutrient-dense foods:

Protein

Healthy choices of food rich in protein include seafood, chicken, lean beef, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.

Fruits

Instead of fruit juice, encourage your children to consume a variety of fresh, canned, frozen, or dried fruits. It is best to maintain a strict limit on how much juice your child consumes and to ensure it is 100% juice without added sugar. When buying canned fruit, look for labels saying “light” or “packed in its own juice,” which indicate that it contains very little sugar. When purchasing dried fruit, remember that one cup is equal to one cup of fresh fruit. In excess, dried fruit can add a significant number of calories to your diet.

Vegetables

You can serve a wide range of vegetables, whether fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. Each week, aim to provide a variety of vegetables, such as green leafy vegetables, red or orange peppers, carrots, beetroots, peas, potatoes, and so on. Look for low-sodium options when purchasing canned or frozen vegetables.

Grains

Food made with whole grains such as whole wheat, corn, quinoa, oats, or brown or wild rice are excellent diet choices. Foods containing refined grains, such as pasta, white bread, and rice, should be avoided.

Dairy

Encourage your child to consume fat-free or low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheese, or fortified soy beverages.

Nutritious food

Sugar Should Be Kept At Minimal

Sugar can be found in almost every type of food available on the market today. Vegetables and fruit, grain products, and dairy products are examples of these. These foods supply all of our sugar requirements.

Sugar is also added to several foods. All of this extra sugar, at best, only tends to add empty calories to our diets. In the worst-case scenario, it may contribute to ADHD, psychiatric symptoms, overweight, and impaired glucose tolerance.

Sugar is frequently added to foods that we would never suspect contained sugar. Breads, canned soups or vegetables, condiments like tomato sauce, frozen foods, and fast food are examples of these. We must avoid or limit our consumption of these foods in order to maintain good health.

Here are some suggestions for cutting sugar out of your and your children’s diets.

Don’t Completely Ban Sweets. Declaring that your child will never be able to eat doughnuts or cake again can lead to cravings. When they do indulge in a sugary treat, they often seem to overdo it. Simply make these foods a special treat rather than a regular part of their diet.

Recipes Should Be Modified. Many recipes can be made with less sugar and still taste just as good. Try halving the amount of added sugar and see how it turns out.

Sugary Drinks Should Be Avoided. It is suggested that children consume lesser than 12 grams of sugar per day (3 tsp). Despite this, one can of soft drink contains 40 grams (10 tsp) of added sugar. Eliminating soft drink and beverages is a simple way to cut back on sugar.

Consume More Fruits. Fruit contains a lot of natural sugar. Consume more to satiate your sugar cravings. Make desserts that feature fruit as the main ingredient. If you’re craving something sweet, try a fruit smoothie that has more natural sweetness instead of a sugary milkshake.

When It Comes to Fat, Be Informed

We need healthy fats in our diet. They assist us in obtaining and maintaining fullness. They are also beneficial to our brains, as they improve memory and lift our spirits. The key is to ensure that your children are getting enough healthy fats.

Unsaturated fats are the type of fat that is considered to be healthy. These include the following:

Monounsaturated Fats such as in olive oil, avocados, nuts (pistachios or almonds), and seeds (pumpkin or sesame).

Polyunsaturated Fats such as those found in flaxseed, walnuts, and fish such as mackerel and sardines.

Healthy diet

Trans fats are bad fats. This could be found in:

  • Fried foods
  • Processed foods that contain “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oils.
  • Packaged food products such as potato chips, biscuits, or snacks

There are an infinite number of strategies for getting your children to eat nutritious foods. Making fruits and vegetables appealing and eliminating unhealthy sugary or salty snacks is only the first step toward a healthy diet. A salty snack, such as potato chips, may appeal to your child. If there aren’t any, he or she is more likely to enjoy carrots with hummus. Food preferences form early in life. Introduce your child to a variety of foods at a young age and continue to do so as they grow into adulthood. Rather than focusing on specific foods, consider your eating habits. Eat as many whole or minimally processed foods as possible. As much as possible, choose fresh foods over canned and processed foods, and avoid them entirely if possible. Do not force your child to eat until they have finished their plate. They must train themselves to pay attention to their bodies. They are less likely to overeat if they are satisfied and can stop eating. Children eat in the same way that adults do. Your child is more likely to follow these guidelines if you do.

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