Does your child eat healthy foods? Do you regularly serve nutritious and healthy meals? Does she/he enjoy the foods you serve? Is your child a picky eater? Do they prefer chips for snacks and fast or processed foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? And lastly, as a guardian are you aware on the benefits, effects and results of the foods they eat? If you are a parent or a guardian who are eager to learn more about the importance of proper nutrition on your child’s development, then this article is for you.
Getting children to eat healthy foods can sometimes feel like fighting an uphill battle. The leafier and greener the food, the greater the struggle. Child nutrition is incredibly important, however don’t cave in and let them eat nothing but fast food and sweets. It’s worth the struggle.
As a parent, one of the most important things you do is to help your children learn healthy eating habits. Children need a balanced diet with food from all 3 food groups - vegetables and fruit, whole grain products, and protein foods.
Nutrition is important at every age. Your children need proper nutrients, to stay healthy and strong, and grow up healthy and strong. Nutrition for children can also help establish a foundation for healthy eating habits and nutritional knowledge that your child can apply throughout life.Children need 3 meals a day and 1 to 3 snacks (morning, afternoon and possibly before bed). Healthy snacks are just as important as the food you serve at meals.The best foods are whole, fresh and unprocessed fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and meats; and home-cooked meals.
Looking for the best formula to fuel your child's growth and development? Check out these nutrition basics for girls and boys based on pinggang pinoy of DOST-FNRI. Pinggang Pinoy serves as visual tool to help Filipinos adopt healthy eating habits at meal times by delivering effective dietary and healthy lifestyle messages. It is divided in 3 parts, the Go, Grow and Glow foods. The Go foods represents the energy giving foods such as rice, root crops, pastas, breed and other carbohydrate-rich foods. Grow foods are the body building foods such as fish, meats, eggs, and dairy products. And Glow foods are the body regulating food they are fruits and vegetables which are needed for body regulation processes.
If you have questions about nutrition for kids or specific concerns about your child's diet, talk to your child's doctor or a registered nutritionist-dietitian.
(PNFP-PARREÑO/AMVF/RML)
References:
(https://www.mana.md/the-importance-of-child-nutrition/)
https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/healthy-living/healthy_eating_for_children
