The Need for Healthy Food and a Complete Diet for the Children - Case Study Example

Healthy Eating and Children Need for Healthy Diet Sony Introduction Proper nutrition and healthy food is the most needed in children of today’s generation to reach their full potential for growth and development. Healthy eating denotes a variety of food daily as it is the source of energy and required nutrients for the kids. The need for food is different in different children and as per their body, age and activity levels. The variety of healthy food ranges for different within different food groups. Children lacking in adequate proteins and calories may not reach be able to reach their full growth potential and to meet the same a regime should be followed and some healthy food should be served every few hour. This assignment discusses the healthy food and the need for healthy food and complete diet for the children. It also brings to light the appropriate servings per day in different food category to the children who must be fed something in an about the same way to build their nutrition levels. Further the need for the parents to follow to keep their child and their food healthy is discussed who should act as per the situation as also understand the need of their children as per the existing situation. Treats always seem attractive but following it as a routine to bribe children should be avoided and this topic is highlighted with some do’s and don’ts in the last part making the parents aware of the well being of their children. What is healthy food? Why do children need it? The food habits of the children of today’s generation has transformed from bad to worse and it made the call for a serious look into this aspect of life. The consumption pattern and the food consumed have both changed over the years and this requires the parents to adapt to a strict healthy food regime for the betterment of their kids. To make the food healthy and nutritious the meals and snacks of the children must have a range of foods from all five food groups, i.e., grains, vegetables, fruits, protein and dairy. The correct balance between the appetite and the need of the child is also very important. The five groups of food can be detailed as below: Grains or cereals must constitute wholegrain or high fibre varieties like breads, rice, oats, barley, noodles, pasta, polenta, couscous, etc. Grains contain a lot of carbohydrates and serve as an important source of calories, vitamins, minerals, etc. A child requires approximately 5 to 12 servings per day. The vegetables to be consumed must be different variety of types and colour and green being a major part of it. Fruits enriched in high calcium, vitamins and proteins must form the regular base of healthy diets and varieties like apple, banana, grapes, oranges and other citrus fruits, etc. must be eaten daily. It has been scientifically proven that the proper consumption of rich fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of heart diseases, diabetes and some forms of cancer (Pearson, Lambert and Barker, 2002). Vegetables and fruits served per day should range between 5 to 10 servings per day. Fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, beans, lean meat, etc. must be given to the children for meeting their vitamin needs. These foods also provide the source of iron and zinc in the children. Meat and other servings require 2 to 3 servings per day. Milk, yoghurt, cheese and other supplements must form a part of their dairy requirements which should be served at 2 to 4 servings per day. Also reduced fat milk is recommended but it is not suitable for children below 2 years of age. Drinking plenty of water is also an important part of a balanced diet and the parents are required to keep the same in mind. The need for healthy food habits in children in required for generating and stabilizing energy, sharpening their minds and changing their mood and attitudes (Baxter, Schroder and Bower, 2000). The eating habits of a child can easily influence the dietary of habit e later in life thus making instilling some good and healthy food eating right from their starting age and meeting their nutrient requirements. The children easily can be diverted towards unhealthy food due to the high frequency of TV commercials promoting junk foods and the pressure that the children make to their adults. The children in their young age have many swings in their appetite due to the changes in the activity levels and to keep with the same it is required for them to be guided under the correct healthy food pattern to ensure a better today and a brighter tomorrow. The timings of the meals is equally important as the health of the meals and proper breakfasts followed by correct school lunches and after school snacks and ending with the dinner at right time and intervals make a part of the healthy meals, thus completing the eating habits. The consumption of added sugars, fast foods and sodas lead towards lower level of nutrients and the parents are required to get a control on it and ensure better and healthy food (Wilson, 2015). What can Parents do to encourage healthy eating? The parents are required to follow some general nutrition guidelines for encouraging healthy eating for the healthy living of their children. Some of the guidelines are as follows (Helping Your Child, 2004): Offering the children with regular meals and snacks and allowing them to decide the appropriate quantity as they are more aware of their body requirements as a given time. Offering the small children with a portion of food and leaving it upon them to ask further. Making meal and snack times fun for the children and also sitting at the table to eat with them adds to the encouragement. This is true as the children like to eat the same type of food that their parents eat and if they see their parents eating healthy food they follow the same path. Offering food as a reward should not be emphasised as this leads to teaching children to eat food for reasons other than being hungry. Food with high quantity of fat and sugar does not contain those level of nutrients required for keeping them healthy. Thus limiting such food is more over emphasised. Eating such food like potato chips, candy and other sweets reduces their hunger and lowering the intake of healthy food during meals and raises the fear of diseases like anaemia. Teaching the children to make choice of healthy food at school is also very important as they spend a major part of their day in schools. Ensuring that the child gets enough of calcium in the food they intake as it is very much needed for strong bone building. Low fat dairy food is good source of calcium and encouraging them for the intake of same is very much required. Encouraging physical activities of children also raises the requirements of healthy diets and those bring them into having food that is healthy and suitable for them. Being patient and offering the same food again after a few days may tend the child to like the food. Understanding the picky nature of children in selecting their food is also required as one may not like the same food the next day. Special care is required to be exercised for children below 2 years of age as they are in the initial phase of developing eating skills. This few steps or process should be regularly followed by the parents to encourage and keep their children in the habit of healthy eating and maintain a good living in the future. A child very quickly learns and adapts according to the environment in and around which they stay so the environmental factors also add up to the healthy food habits of the children. Should Children be given Treats Unhealthy Treats? It is very easy to spoil one’s kids and so treats or unhealthy treats should not be much emphasised in day to day life. But it certainly acts as a good bribe at times when the children start misbehaving or acting in an unlike manner. But in those cases a sweet or a candy is far better option. Occasional sweet or a treat does not actually causes problem in children in future, although being unhealthy. But too much of it may result in an unhealthy future. Keeping the children aloof from such treats may also end up in development of a poor relationship with their diet. As per research and studies, any treat or reward in the form of sugar or sweet is generally considered as a big mistake. The reward system of just a small treat that is causing no harm as a general concept is needed to be avoided and there are certain do’s and don’ts which need to brought into practise (Jantac, 2014). They are further discussed below: Do’s Praising children with words rather than treats shall help them in shaping up confidence for life and also not develop habits of unhealthy eating. Building of a reward chart with some specific goal in mind for their accomplishments which shall groom their patience and diligence. Consistency of the rules that one implement is also very necessary or else it may turn to be frustrating and annoying for the children. Treats or sweets for short term results may be tempting for parents but it does not seem that meaningful in the long term effects. Child’s currency is what motivates the children in today’s world and finding out the correct currency for the children in very necessary. Getting everyone, who come in contact with the children, on board in assisting in keeping the consistency on track shall help in educating the children faster and changing the reward system. Don’ts Avoid giving sweets as rewards in the classrooms as it the place where the children go to learn and if they get rewards as sweets than they are more prone to develop attitude for being rewarded with unhealthy treats. The power to addiction should not be underestimated. The treats are usually considered as just one in the beginning but it can easily turn into addiction for the child. The veggies should not be pushed in exchange for deserts as it results in missing out on the actual reason why the children should consume veggies and not just as an exchange. The parents should not miss out on the opportunities to feed their children with brain boosting foods. The palate of the children should not be spoiled by the act of the parents by just taking a bite of the food that is served as most people have already fallen for the junk food which results in adding a little more of sugar or salt to the food to make it tastier rather than healthier. Getting into one step at a time may result in some massive success in the long run with just some small action changes in the younger years. The treats and rewards are often applied with the best of intentions but they tend to be harming the healthy eating of the children and so the children should not be given any form of treats unhealthy treats. Conclusion Health is the most serious concern of the parents and healthy diets are a part of the same concern which is required to be followed very strictly with some correct guidelines and routine for the children to be able to build up a healthy living for their future. Getting into the act of making children eat healthy food is tough initially but is a great gain after the initial pain. As discussed in the assignment the need and the food that serve to be healthy and how the parents should follow some simple steps to meet the same keeping in mind the do’s and the don’ts shall surely help the parents build a healthy future of their children. References Baxter. I. A, Schroder, M. J. A. and Bower, J. A. 2000. Children's perceptions of and preferences for vegetables in the West of Scotland: The role of demographic factors. Journal of Sensory Studies 15: 361-381. Helping Your Child. 2004. Healthy Eating & Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan: Tips for Parents. Retrieved on 11-08-15 http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/weight-control/helping-your-child-tips-parents/Documents/helpingyourchild.pdf Jantac, C. 2014. Why Rewarding Children with Sugar or Treats is a Big Mistake. Retrieved on 11-08-15 http://expertbeacon.com/why-rewarding-children-sugar-or-treats-big-mistake/#.VcizAs-qqko Pearson. T, Lambert. N and Barker, M. E. 2002. Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Children: The development and evaluation of a school based intervention using art/play therapy. Sheffield: University of Sheffield. Wilson, K.L. 2015. Healthy Eating: What Do Children Need to Eat? Retrieved on 10-08-15 http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/children-need-eat-6205.html Read More