In 2015, the National Health and Morbidity Survey found from the results that 11.9% of Malaysian kids can be classified as obese. On the other side of the spactrum, 13% are deemed underweight. This shows that there is a big problem here when it comes to good nutrition for children in Malaysia.
Understandably, monitoring your child’s nutrition intake might not be so easy with the variety of food in Malaysia. This is especially so when the less healthy food are traditional staples in most households. With this is mind, as part of Mondelez International’s Joy School Initiative, Dr Satvinder Kaur, Head of the Nutrition with Wellness Programme at UCSI University Kuala Lumpur shared four tips for parents who want to introduce their kids to healthful eating habits. As these tips inject a bit of fun, hopefully it’ll help make eating good, nutritious food come naturally to the little ones.
Dr Satvinder Kaur’s Tips To Make Good Eating Habits Fun
1. Teach Them That Vegetables Are Tasty
You can make vegetables and fruits seem more fun to eat by cutting them up or serving them in animal shapes. Get the kids involved with preparation, as this allows them to flex their creativity. You can even have them arranging their food to make a “picture” on their plate. If you have a garden, teach them to grow some vegetables. They’ll be more excited to harvest, cook and eat the vegetable they grew themselves. If you have no garden, try some plants that can be grown in a pot like herbs, tomatoes or lime.
2. Teach Them About Portion Control
Moderation as well as variation is important when planning a balanced diet. Teach your children about the food pyramid, explaining which foods can be consumed more and which should be consumed less. One way to do this is by using a partitioned plate that is divided into two quarters and one half. A good meal for kids should include a quarter of rice, a quarter of protein-based food such as poultry, eggs, fish or legumes, and half a plate of vegetables and fruits.
3. Prepare Healthier Versions of Local Favourites
There is a way to get around calory-laden food like nasi lemak. The easiest way is to reduce the amount of oil, salt and sugar you use in your cooking. You can also substitute or replace some of the components of a meal with something healthier. For example, you can include more vegetables or replace beef with chicken.
4. Customise Their Meal Plans As They Age
Your child’s taste and food preference will change as they grow older. Their nutritional needs will change as well. Also, as they will be more capable of preparing or getting their own food, it’s important to stock up on more healthful food for them to grab when they feel the munchies coming on. Get them used to granola bars rather than chocolate bars so that they don’t reach for the less healthy “comfort food”. You can also teach them about fruits that give them energy when they need it, such as bananas. Stock up on juices rather than soda, and also get them to drink as much plain water as possible. These are are all tips that can get kids used to eating healthy.
Additionally, Dr Satvinder also advises that children should not be distracted by gadgets or media during meals. It’s better for them to focus on their food so that they can identify what they’re eating and their likes and dislikes. This can later help you when it comes to meal planning for the family.
Dr Satvinder Kaur
About Joy Schools
Joy Schools is an advocate that promotes good nutrition for children in Malaysia. Since its inception in Southeast Asia in 2011, Joy Schools has benefited approximately 11,500 students in 25 schools in Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Joy Schools’ activities are conducted across three core pillars of promoting nutrition education, providing access to fresh food and advocating active play. The program, which recently won the best CSR Communications award at PR Awards 2018, is also supported in Malaysia by the Ministry of Education.
The post Introduce Healthful Eating Habits The Fun Way appeared first on Her Inspirasi.
0 comments :
Post a Comment