Growth & Nutrition for Your Child: It takes two to tango

When parents come to my clinic and talk about the concerns they have regarding their child’s growth, they are mostly concerned about height and weight. While each child has a different growth pattern, providing correct foods to your child during his/her growing year’s is essential to ensure that a child meets his/her growth potential.

Good nutrition reduces the risk of malnutrition, obesity – and not only that, it also reduces the risk of diseases like diabetes and hypertension at a later stage in their life. Good nutrition can protect your little one from illnesses, leading to proper growth and development. Just like adults require a proper balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) children too require different amounts of nutrients at different ages. For instance, breast milk is the best and sole source of nutrition during the first 6 months of your child’s life. Similarly, for a child in the age group of 3-9 years, there are three important nutrients. Let’s go through each of these in more detail…

 Vitamin A is required for proper growth and development, strengthens the immune system and takes care of eye health. Vitamin A is found in foods like papaya, tomato, mango, bell peppers, green leafy veggies, carrots, sweet potato, fish, liver, carrots and melon.

Iron is responsible for building up a healthy blood circulatory system and improve cognitive abilities. Sources are lean meat, eggs, fish, liver, green leafy veggies, nuts and beans.

Iodine is required in order to prevent learning disabilities and delayed development in children. Sources are iodized salt, pineapple, dried prunes, strawberries, banana, boiled egg, fish and beans. Calcium is necessary for healthy bones and teeth. Sources are milk, paneer, curd, cheese, buttermilk, almonds and soymilk.
 

In addition to above, here is a list of foods that will have a positive impact on your child’s growth…

Protein: Protein is required for the wear and tear of muscles, growth and for various enzymatic functions in the body. Opt for lean meats, eggs, curd, beans, paneer, beans and unsalted nuts for your child.

Fruits: Fruits are a storehouse of fiber and antioxidants which ensure that your child remains healthy and develops a strong immune system. Encourage your little one to consume a variety of fruits and at least two servings every day. You can include dried fruits like apricot, prunes and anjeer but restrict the quantity to only 2-3 max in a day. Opt for fruits than packed fruit juices as these contain added sugar and are devoid of fibre and essential minerals. It’s best to prepare fresh fruit juice at home. Vegetables: Just like fruits veggies also contain a good of fibre and antioxidants. Aim to give at least 2-3 servings and include a combination green, yellow, orange and starchy vegetables.

Wholegrains: At least 4-5 servings of wholegrains are recommended for growing children. Choose grains like wheat, ragi, oats, daliya, whole wheat bread and brown rice. Avoid maida and maida products.

Dairy: Encourage your child to have milk, curd, paneer and low fat cheese. To add to the nutritional value of milk, go ahead and add a tablespoon of Horlick’s Growth Plus, which contains beneficial nutrients essential for growth. Bonus: It makes the milk tasty too!

Foods to be avoided…

Sugar: Limit the consumption of sugar, by adding minimal amounts of the same in your child’s diet. Some examples could be brown sugar, corn syrup, honey and maple syrup. Avoid canned food as this is high in sugar or sodium.

Fats (saturated and trans fats): Avoid too much of red meat, chips, bakery items and oil-based sauces to your child’s diet. Opt for healthy fats (omega 3 and omega 6 and Vitamin E) which are found in olive oil, rice bran, canola oil, avocado, nuts, fish and olives.