Aresearch report released by UNICEF, points out that proper nutrition at an early age has both short term and long term implications. In the short run, it facilitates brain development and muscle mass body composition, while in the long run it develops cognitive and educational performance, builds immunity and prevents diabetes, heart diseases and many other problems. It also states that 90% of a child’s brain is developed by the time he or she is 8 years old, which means it is crucial to get your child to inculcate healthy eating habits as early as possible.
A healthy baby not only grows up to become an impressive individual you feel proud of, he or she also functions as an asset to the nation. Therefore, it is important to understand early child development and the role nutrition plays in it.
How Is Healthy Food Beneficial For Kids?
Eating healthy ensures your child maintains a healthy weight, prevents immunity-based health problems, helps in stabilizing energy and sharpens the mind. Besides contributing to general physical growth and development, a healthy and balanced diet also affects a child’s mental and emotional wellbeing. This can prevent the occurrence of adverse conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, at a later stage in life. Even in cases where a child has been diagnosed with a preexisting mental health problem, nutritious food can aid in managing the symptoms and maintain as regular a lifestyle as possible.
Inculcating Healthy Eating Habit
Now that we know why healthy food is important for kids, let’s move on to how one can get their children in the habit of eating healthy.
It is worth noting, that your child is not born with a liking for junk food or an aversion to healthy foods. It is only when they are exposed to fries and burgers at a young impressionable age that they begin to develop a taste for these and eventually crave them. Children usually crave for junk food when they are hungry. If you ensure that your child has had a nutritious diet, chances are that he or she would not be asking for a burger soon. You can make each meal more nutritious, with just a little bit of effort. For instance, you could try a fortified milk powder likeEnfagrow A+ for your child, rather than offering regular milk. This is not only tastier, but also more wholesome than regular milk.
Similarly, you can look fortasty and healthy recipes for children from sites like BBC Worldwide’s Good Food website to ensure your child associates healthy food with good taste and does not crave junk food.
Besides making each meal healthy and tasty, it is also important you make mealtimes fun. A child’s brain is capable of perceiving the ambience and associating it with an emotion. If you make mealtimes more enjoyable, your child will develop a positive response towards food too.
