Everything that tempts the tongue is not nourishing for the body or tempting for the stomach. In fact, many healthy looking kids also suffer from undernourishment. According to latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report analysis till 2017, India with nearly 195 million undernourished people shares a quarter of the global hunger burden.
The data further showed that 38.4 per cent of children under five in India are stunted, while 51.4 per cent of women in reproductive ages are anaemic. The report defined stunting as the result of long- term nutritional deprivation which may affect mental development, school performance and intellectual capacity.
According to Global Hunger Index, more than 14.5 per cent of Indian population is undernourished. Considering the need for proper nutrition, Free Press brings basic guideline on nutrition in children during national nutrition month, i.e. September. Basics for Child diet Parents have to find substitute choices to avoid junk foods. They can encourage foods that are healthy and nutritious, by adopting the same. Above all, we should make sure that children are involved in outdoor games as it makes them strong, not just in their bones but also emotionally and mentally. Parents should encourage locally grown and fresh foods instead of preservatives and bottled foods.
You can encourage your child to eat healthy by:
1) Involving your child in food preparation and planning
2) Celebrating occassions with fruit and vegetables parties
3) Include fruit and vegetables wherever possible
Nourishment for Teenagers
The age between 13 to 18 age is basically growth spurt phase. Hence, proper diet with enough proteins and calories can help achieve their desired height and health. Malnutrition is also seen at this age as they consume junk food or they eat very less due to body image and some times the
selection of food is also not right.
1) A teenager’s diet should have high amounts of proteins and fiber with enough calories
2) Approximately 2000-3000 calories are required as per the sex of child.
3) Boys require higher calories than girls.
4) A teenager should have 47-58 gms of protein per day and 50-60 gms of fat per day
5) Nutritive choices like paneer parantha, sprouts bhel, paneer sandwich, omlettes, moong dal
cheelas are good substitues for junk food and snacks.
