National Nutrition Week 2019: Parents, before you feed your child their next meal, pay attention to these 7 myths that hamper your child's nutrition. Some of these can lead to serious consequences on kids' health.
National Nutrition Week: It is a myth that milk works like a complete meal for kids
HIGHLIGHTS
- It is not necessary that multiple meals will make your child healthier
- Introduce only healthy foods to children to develop healthy eating habits
- Avoid giving sugary foods and drinks to your kids
National Nutrition Week 2019 began on September 1 and will run till September 7. This week is meant to raise awareness about the right kind of nutrition for people of all age groups, including young kids and old adults. In this article, Dr Manoj Kutteri, a Kerala-based naturopath, talks about common myths about kids' nutrition that can hamper your child's health.
Parents always make the best choices for their children. The right food choices, the right nutrition, right growth, and right development - is the ultimate goal. And due care is taken to understand, be aware and pick up the right nutrients to feed the children. But sometimes, during the process of making the right choices, we often end up with myths that prove to be wrong for the child's nutrition and overall health.
Before you feed your child their next meal, pay attention to these 7 myths that hamper your child's nutrition!
Also read: Brain Foods For Kids: Top 6 Foods You Must Add To Your Kid's Diet
National Nutrition Week: 7 myths about kids' nutrition that you must stop believing
Myth 1: Milk works like complete meal for children
Infants and babies, of course, are fed on mother's milk or formula milk for a long time. But as the child grown, milk alone cannot suffice the nutritional needs. Whole milk is high in calcium, protein, and minerals, but it does not contain iron and Vitamin C. Milk-only diet for kids can result in iron-deficiency, low immunity, etc. You should add multicolored fruits and vegetables to your kids' diet. Also, you need to see if the child is tolerant to milk or not. If found intolerant, milk needs to be replaced with other healthy alternatives.
Myth 2: Multiple meals will make them healthy
It's a common misconception that multiple meals will aid growth and development in children. It is the scheduled meals, balanced diet, and gaps between meals that determines good growth and development. Frequent meals will disturb your child's digestive system and body balance and deplete their energy for other activities. A proper gap ensures enough time for complete digestion.
Avoid force-feeding your children and schedule their meals
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Also read: Parents, Here's How You Can Encourage Healthy Eating Habits In Kids
Myth 3: Children only eat what they want to
Children develop their taste buds depending on the food introduced to them. They don't have their own choices, but just prefer what they have already eaten. Instead of letting them eat what they want to, take initiatives to introduce them to healthy food choices. Pick up vegetables with them, cook together and eat together to change their food preferences. Parents have to be careful not to feed them with sugary foods or drinks as this they silence their other taste buds.
Introduce only healthy foods to children and avoid giving them instant noodles or biscuits
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Myth 4: Fruit juices are healthier
Indeed fruit juices are healthy, but not healthier than raw fruits. Fruit juices are high in sugar content, but they lack essential fibre of fruits. It is always better to give your child a raw fruit to eat rather than blending a variety of fruits into a juice. Introduce fruits for snacking and in-between meals. Serve fruit juices with the pulp.
Also read: More Parents Give Dietary Supplements To Kids. But Experts Warn About Their Potential Danger
Myth 5: Feed them without them knowing
Children surely are tough when it comes to feeding them healthy and wholesome meals. But doing it without their knowledge isn't doing any good. Opt to educate and teach your child the goodness of vegetables, fruits, and other healthy meals for them to understand and start eating healthy. Mindful eating aids all-round development in kids.
Myth 6: Sweets are good for children
Parents put extra sweet into their children's food to keep them high on energy. But sugar can harm children by altering their sugar needs. It can also result in sugar addiction, insulin resistance, diabetes, and have psychological effects like mood swings, irritability, etc too. Parents should keep a control on sugar levels and opt for natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables. This can go a long way in terms of preventing inflammatory diseases.
Myth 7: A glass of milk is good for the digestive system
A glass of milk is a home remedy for treating a variety of digestive problems. Sure milk can provide relief in case of heartburn or acidity, but it can also cause digestive problems at times. It is better to avoid milk in case of cough, cold, fever, etc. Milk also should be avoided after salads or sour food. Sometimes milk can cause gut inflammation, poor appetite, and stomach infections too.
While you are all set to be the best guiding light for your children, it is important to make the right choices too. Watch out for these food myths when you plan a healthy and nutritious diet for your children.
(Dr. Manoj Kutteri is Wellness Director at Atmantan Wellness Centre. He holds a doctorate degree in Health Sciences From Riverwood University, United States; and is a graduate in Naturopathy, Yoga and Acupuncture from Mangalore University)
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