Amidst the raise in technological advancements, inventions of luxurious appurtenance, a never-ending race of achieving more and more; we are neglecting a substantial component of our lives i.e. health. People are running after their dreams lusting for luxury which in return impairing them of healthful living. We gain good health from good food and people often compensate their hunger with junk and ready to eat food and so as we do with our children. Today, most of the parents are working or avoid cooking, so their kids’ diet involve a lot of convenience food that does not support their immune system and lack sufficient nutrition. It is very vital for children to have required amount of vitamins and minerals to support their growth and development and prevent various health conditions. Appropriate intake of vital nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy foods, carbohydrates help your child grow in right aspect. It is said that right nutrition enables a child to be a better learner and thus a better performer at school. Let us discuss why nutritional diet is important for your kids and Why Nutritional Diet Essential for your child Development?
In this article:
Unhealthy snacking and junk food can lead to obesity, low brain development, poor learning ability, low energy levels and many more dangerous health issues that will affect them severely in later age, which are discussed below.
Reasons Nutrition is Essential to Your Child’s Development
Below are some of the reason Why is it important for children to eat a balanced diet?
Obesity and Other Health Massacres
According to World Health Organisation, over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016 and about 13% of world’s adult population were obese in 2016. Obesity is a condition of over-weight or excessive fat accumulation in our body that starts reflecting on our daily tasks and activities. It is important for our kids to eat wholesome foods and not fatty and artificially sweetened foods all the time. Eating a mix of wholesome grains, proteins, carbohydrates will allow them utilise all the substances in the right places and help them gain a better metabolisms and immunity levels.
Avoiding Packed Food
A child’s breakfast should consist of fruits and vegetables of his palm’s size; perhaps I don’t think that children these days eat in such a manner. One of my friend is a primary school teacher and according to her, very minimal of her kids bring fruits and healthy veggies to school. We mostly observe kids holding tetra packs of juices and fruits jellies, which is one of the healthy food options their parents think of. Packed foods contain preservatives and artificial sweetener, which prove harmful for kids in the long run. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in various important minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, Vitamins A B D, etc which packaged and tinned food deprive of.
Brain Development and Optimal Growth
I can still recall how my mother used to push me to drink milk and encourage eating vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, etc which I loathed upon but now I realise how essential it was.
According to researchers, the food a child eats in his early years helps them develop their growth hormones and serve as stabilizers for their brains. Inadequate nutrition sabotages girls while growing and results in delayed puberty, period irregularities, poor bone density, hair fall, hormonal imbalances like PCOD, PCOS, etc. Parents must take out sometime from their busy schedules and prepare nutritional meals for their children in order to provide them with a healthy lifestyle.
Mood swings:
A very common yet least addressed issue at this time is the increasing aggression and mood swings in the children. This issue reminds me of my 5 year old nephew who is very moody (that’s what we call him), he gets irritated very easily and we often see him shouting at others if he is called upon. Though it seems to be a common behaviour of kids around us and we adjudge that they are influenced by the superhero movies and other cartoons they watch all the time. But according to doctors, these behaviours are usually the result of low-nutrition diet and excessive intake of sugar. Eating too much artificial sweeteners and chocolates affects kids’ moods and induce them to hyperactive.
Parents must put extra effort in preparing meals for their kids and provide them with a wholesome meal that should contain foods like:
- Wholesome grains
- Nuts like almonds, pistachios, walnuts; Walnuts are very helpful for brain development
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Starchy foods
- Dairy products
- Vegetable and Nut Oil which contains essential fatty acids.
Also, we must limit their consumption of sugary foods and sweetened beverages.
As parents, we possess huge responsibilities of a child’s proper development and growth, especially the mothers. When your child is throwing tantrums, which is the time when he needs your attention and most probably he needs food.
You may think that your earnings are for the betterment of your kids, to support them in their later years but they also need you in their early years for their healthful and active futures. Help your kids grow and embrace!
