National Nutrition Week: Which nutritious food helps the growth of children
1st September to 7th September is observed as National Nutrition Week every year. National Nutrition Week aims to create awareness about good nutrition and health. A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve overall health. A healthy diet may help to prevent certain long-term (chronic) diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It may also help to reduce your risk of developing some cancers and help you to keep a healthy weight A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients, micronutrients, and adequate calories. Moreover, drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids which is very crucial. Our body is composed of about 60% water.
You should avoid/lessen the intake of these unhealthy foods and ingredients:
- Added sugar: Soda, candies, ice cream, table sugar and many others.
- Refined grains: White bread, pasta made with refined wheat, etc.
- Trans fats: Found in margarine and various processed foods.
- Refined oils: Soybean oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil and others.
- Processed meat: Processed sausages, hot dogs, etc.
- Highly processed foods: Anything labeled “low-fat” or “diet” or which looks like it was made in a factory.
Consider these nutrient-dense foods to include in your child's diet.
- Protein. Choose seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
- Fruits. Encourage your child to eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits — rather than fruit juice. If your child drinks juice, make sure it's 100 percent juice without added sugars and limit his or her servings.
- Vegetables. Serve a variety of fresh vegetables. Aim to provide a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, beans and peas, starchy and others, each week.
- Grains. Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or brown or wild rice. Limit refined grains such as white bread, pasta and rice.
- Dairy. Encourage your child to eat and drink dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese or fortified soy beverages.
