What is Malnutrition?
A commonly rising problem nowadays with child malnutrition. Mothers are always worried about the well-being of their child. Questions like what food should be given to children or what healthy nutrition means to children are rising at its peak. Children at an early age require nutritious meals which aid in their brain development, smoothly runs the metabolism without any stomach issues and is a pronounced source of liver cleanse. A study has suggested that the eating habits adopted by children at an early stage persist for the rest of their lives. Presently, the food items used in the United States are milk, fresh juice, and pasta for two to three years of children. On a brighter side, you can regulate your child’s diet plan with minor changes and make it healthier. Nutrition given to the body has several effects, including healthy weight, brain development, avoiding excess fat in the food and stomach health.
If you are a worried mother about the health of your child, we are here for you to give some valuable tips related to the well-being of your little soldier. We will discuss some of the tips to look for when choosing food for your children and the second part of the article will go through some of the food items valuable for your baby.
Liquids between Meals:
The best options for your children is to drink water 15 minutes before the meal or half an hour after the meal. They expect to drink something when they sit with you to eat. If you let him drink between meals, his digestive system will be slower as the digestive juices are diluted due to the consumption of liquids. Moreover, your child might not eat enough as his stomach is filled with water he drank during the meal. It is recommended that drinks and fluids should not be given during meal time.
Say Goodbye to Processed Foods
The use of added fats and preservatives make all types of processed food harmful for the digestive health of your baby. All the packages and fast food is unnatural and our body is not sure what to do with it. It is in the best interest of your children that you remove these foods from his diet. They use up the body’s nutrients to digest the food. This will result in a nutrient deficiency in your babies. Try to give them natural and organic food which will be useful for the growth of the baby.
Eliminate Heavy Foods
There is certain food which might not be suitable for the stomach of your children. Meats and dairy are sometimes hard to digest and consume all the energies in your child’s body. Your child’s diet should be based on a variety of foods and combinations which are workable for the digestive systems of your baby. You can give them soup or vegetable rice, which are full of nutrition. You might have to work a little bit more to organize the diet plans of your baby to include proteins and vitamins required for the growth of their bodies.
The consolidation of different foods:
There are a couple of foods which might not go together and some foods cooked apart can be a catalyst to alleviate the digestive problem. Different combinations of food will give you more nutrients than others. Primary foods which should not be eaten together are starches and protein-rich foods like potatoes, rice, pasta and certain types of meat. That doesn’t imply that your child cannot eat a meat sandwich forever in their life. A certain precaution has to be taken about the timings of the food. For instance, heavier foods can be given at lunchtime as your children might be indulging in some physical activities that will result in proper digestion of the food. Whereas, the dinner should be lighter with a combination of non-starchy vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower.
Balanced Diet to Prevent On Child Malnutrition:
The main concern of every mother is that their children eat food which is healthy and can positively contribute towards the stronger immune system of the body. Maintaining an active and a healthy diet for kids is one of the main factors besides physical activities, exercises and enough sleep for your children. The best way to provide the problem of child malnutrition is to ensure your child eats a healthy meal with balanced amounts of proteins and vitamins. According to the experts at National Health Service United Kingdom (NHS UK), a balanced diet contains all the chief food groups. They are:
- Vegetables and fruits to be consumed at least 5 a day
- Starchy foods like rice, bread, potatoes, and cereals
- Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt
- Non-dairy protein-rich products like meat, eggs, nuts, beans, and fish
Food and drinks with a high content of sugar are not necessary for our body and can be eliminated if required. Your child might have symptoms of child malnutrition because of their underlying health condition. In this case, the diet plan will be different than the usual discussed above. The best option is to see a dietician and medical practitioner to eradicate the root cause of the problem.
Sample of a Healthy Diet for 5 years old:
Below is one of the samples of a 5-year-old child’s everyday diet. It will give you an idea on how to organize different foods so that your children are receiving the nutrition they require:
- Breakfast may include one whole grain toast with nut/seed butter which has 1 ounce of protein and grains each. 1 cup of dairy milk can be added as a drink.
- A snack can include one fruit of your choice, preferably banana with oatmeal cereal that will be 1 ounce and a ½ ounce of fruit and grains.
- Lunch will include a combination of proteins, rice, and vegetables. It can half an ounce of meat with roasted carrots in olive oil. A half cup of rice will be enough with water.
- Evening snack should have protein like hummus 2 tablespoons with a ½ cup of vegetables like celery sticks.
- Dinner can include one cup of cooked pasta with chicken and vegetables roasted. You can include fruit, yogurt and strawberries to the desserts.
Conclusion:
Adding a balanced diet in your children will have long term positive outcomes and to avoid Child Malnutrition plus to getting good effect on their body and eating habits. They will also be able to get rid of digestive issues that drain a lot of nutrients out of your body. It is imperative that you take your children to a doctor if you suspect any changes in their health because of the imbalanced diet or deficiency of essential elements like vitamins, proteins, and calcium.