Contents:
- Medical Video: How to Create a Healthy Plate
- 1. Protein
- 2. Vegetables and fruit
- 3. Cereals and grains
- 4. Good fat
- 5. Mineral water
- Foods that must be avoided
- Healthy alternatives for snacks and desserts
- Healthy eating habits for your child
- The talking stomach
- Eating too much
- Eat less
Medical Video: How to Create a Healthy Plate
Children need the following five things to meet their daily nutritional needs for healthy growth and development.
1. Protein
Protein helps build and repair the body, keeping children strong and healthy.
Your child can get protein from meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans and legumes (peas, beans, lentils, beans, beans, tofu and so on). He can also get it from low-fat dairy products including milk, yogurt and cheese.
2. Vegetables and fruit
Fruits and vegetables have nutrients and fiber that are important for the health of the body, inside and outside.
Offer your child a variety of types - for example, broccoli, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach and cucumbers. Also try colored fruits like peaches, apricots, pears and apples. Wash the fruit to remove dirt or chemicals, and leave the skin behind, because the skin also contains nutrients.
3. Cereals and grains
This material energizes your child. The more fiber cereals and seeds have, the slower they will be digested and the longer they will keep your child energized.
Try high-fiber bread, rice wheat, cuscus, pasta, corn, wheat pancakes and low-sugar cereals. Let the skin from starchy vegetables stick to increase fiber - for example, try fried sweet potatoes (in shape wedges) or potatoes with skin.
4. Good fat
Fat is good for building brain, eye and nerve cells.
Your child can get fat from fish (canned or fresh), avocados, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils such as olive or canola oil. Cook oil at low temperatures, and avoid dipping food in oil.
5. Mineral water
Mineral water is a healthy drink for children. This is also the cheapest! Most mineral water is enriched with fluoride for strong teeth as well.
Foods that must be avoided
Your child must avoid foods that are high in salt, saturated fat, and sugar and those with low nutrition. These foods include potato chips, biscuits, chocolate, cakes, ice cream, sweets, and fried foods.
Fast food and junk food like spicy chips, potato chips, dim sum, pie, burgers, and pizza are also high in sugar, salt and / or fat and low in fiber and nutrients. Many of these foods contain "bad" fats which can increase the risk of obesity in children and conditions such as type-2 diabetes.
Sweet drinks are high in sugar and bad for children's teeth. These drinks include fruit juices, sports drinks, flavored water, soft drinks, and flavored milk.
Foods and beverages with caffeine are not recommended for children, because caffeine stops the body from absorbing calcium properly. Caffeine is also a stimulant, which means giving children artificial energy. These foods and drinks include coffee, tea and energy drinks.
Healthy alternatives for snacks and desserts
Offering snacks to your child is okay, but try to make sure the food is healthy - for example, grated or thinly sliced carrots and sweet peas are served frozen in a cup.
The same applies to desserts at the end of a meal. Cut fruit or yogurt is a healthy choice. If you want to serve something special, try homemade banana bread. Store items that are too sweet, like cakes and chocolate, for special occasions such as birthdays.
Healthy eating habits for your child
You may be worried about whether your child is eating enough or not. Or you might worry that your child is eating too much and will be over a healthy weight.
As a parent, you are obliged to provide healthy food to your child and give them the opportunity to eat it. It's up to your child to decide how much to eat - or whether to eat it or not at all.
Normal for children's tastes to change from day to day. One day your child may want to eat a lot - just make sure that you provide it with healthy food. Another day he might not want to eat. Try not to worry, because he might redeem by replacing it at the next meal or even the next day.
If your child doesn't want to eat, try not to force it. Forcing to eat means teaching him not to listen to his appetite.
The talking stomach
Understanding how your child's stomach "talks" to his brain can help you deal with concerns about your child who is eating less or overeating.
Your child's brain realizes that his stomach is full only about 20 minutes after the food enters his stomach.
In addition, the hunger of your child is partly determined by the 'Hour of the stomach' - how much he ate yesterday at the same time. Large meals at regular times actually encourage a large appetite for the next meal. You can use this to prepare a healthy routine meal.
Eating too much
If you are worried that your child has a tendency to overeat, here are some things you can try:
- Offer ½ portion of normal food. If your child finishes, offer the second half of the meal 10 minutes later. This gives your child's stomach and brain an opportunity to adapt. Your child may realize that he is full and does not need additional meals next.
- Serve your child's food on smaller plates. In this way he gets the right portion, but does not lose anything from what the family eats.
Eat less
If you feel your child is not eating enough at mealtime or does not have appetite, you can try the following strategies:
- Offer healthiest food choices before meals. In this way your child will get some nutrients, even if he chooses not to eat a lot.
- Offering food around the same time every day. If children eat at regular meals, they are more likely to be hungry at that time.
- Encourage your child to eat more at mealtime by limiting snack time between meals. Your child needs healthy and small snacks, to eat regularly to fill energy, but too much can make him full before the main meal.
