Nutritious foods that must be a part of your child’s diet

While parents and guardians take all the possible measures to ensure that their little ones are protected and stay healthy, keeping a watch on their child’s health and nutrition which eventually helps them build up a robust immune system to fight against future infection is also equally important.

An unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and increased exposure to social media accompanied with a surge in screen time are some of the key factors that have severely impacted the mental health of the children. If not managed or diagnosed early, these medical issues collectively carry long-term consequences on their health and nutritional status such as obesity, poor overall growth, hormonal imbalances, heart diseases, etc. As many parents and children often face the issues of malnourishment and overnutrition, therefore, at a time when building immunity among all is extremely crucial, we need to identify and treat them early, as the true burden of this pandemic on children is yet to be unveiled!

Approaches to tackle your child’s health and nutrition include the following measures -

• Variety is the key: Follow MY PLATE guidelines, make a quarter portion of your plate of mixed cereals with at least 50% of it be whole grains like whole wheat, millet, maize, unpolished rice (red rice, brown rice), etc. they are rich in valuable fiber and nutrients. Provide the refined ones like white rice/breads and soft cooked foods only if the child is suffering from illness.

• Include protein-boosting sources like beans, channa, rajma, sprouts, dhals, nuts, peas, paneer, dairy, mushroom, poultry, egg, and fish in your child’s daily meal.

• Daily add a serving of fruit with 2-3 servings of vegetables and less starchy vegetables.

• Evidence suggests that nutrients that help to boost immunity are zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, C, D, B6, B12, and E which can be sourced through a balanced diet with adequate cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, nuts, oilseeds, dairy, mild use of spices, fats & oils. The optimum proportion of these food groups should be fixed by your nutritionist based on various factors, as every child is unique.

• Provide fluids with some sugarless immune shots like plain water, lemon water with tulsi, cucumber & amla juice, soups, buttermilk with turmeric, pepper & ginger, and fruit & nut smoothies too.

• Use antioxidant immune boosting foods while preparing your child’s food in moderation such as ginger, garlic, tulsi, turmeric, pepper, jeera, honey, tomato, cinnamon, etc.

A healthy body with a healthy mind is the key and all your efforts of investing in your child’s nutrition will not be futile as we know that nutrition is intrinsically linked to the immune system and disease susceptibility.

(The writer is a Head of Services, Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Aster CMI Hospital)