The importance of good nutrition in childhood should not be overlooked.
Parents play a major role in ensuring that their children meet their daily requirements for vitamins, minerals and macronutrients.
Children can be at risk of nutritional deficiencies when they eat processed foods such as biscuits, potato chips, soft drinks, junk food, or poor quality diets. It is the parent’s responsibility to prepare and provide food and model good eating behavior to encourage children to consume more nutritious foods.
Undernourished children are particularly vulnerable to metabolic changes that adversely affect cognitive ability and brain performance. A child’s diet directly affects their ability to learn, focus and concentrate.
Parents really want their children to do well academically and in sports at school. They try to support their children by helping them with their studies, enrolling them in after-school classes, and providing a healthy nurturing environment at home.
Mothers should pay particular attention to the nutrition of their children, especially at school.
After speaking with several parents and teachers, I found that most children generally choose less nutritious foods in their lunches, which is why this area is not being focused on. I feel that an education in may help mothers improve their children’s overall health.
What a mother should put in her child’s lunch.
Young children today have very demanding schedules, including back-to-back classes and extracurricular activities. Morning school breaks are set between 10:00 and 11:00 am. perfect time Replenish your kids’ mental and physical energy with nutritious snacks to help them perform at their best for the rest of their time.
Examples of nutritious school snacks include sandwiches with healthy protein sources (chicken, hunter beef, or eggs), fruit, and milk.
In developed countries such as the US, UK, China, EU and Turkey, milk is given to school children through government or school programs during school breaks.
Milk is an easy and complete food that is rich in a variety of nutrients and helps satisfy children’s cravings. daily nutritional requirements.
Milk is rich in protein, calcium and vitamin D
Calcium and vitamin D are essential for keeping children healthy. strong bones and teeth, One of the best sources of calcium and vitamin D is dairy products.
Vitamin D deficiency in children is very common in Pakistan. This vitamin is an essential nutrient for maintaining healthy skeletal muscle and bones, so keeping levels in check is essential.
Protein also helps kids build and maintain lean muscle mass. Studies show that milk protein helps children grow taller.
Therefore, regular consumption of milk may improve physical activity in school and sports performance.
milk contains vitamin A
Essential for a child’s healthy immune system, vitamin A keeps your child’s immune system strong and reduces sickness and school absences.
Milk is rich in B vitamins necessary for energy production
B vitamins are needed to help cells make energy. In particular, vitamin B12 plays an important role in brain development and brain function. This leads to improved concentration and focus, which in turn leads to better academic performance.
Various surveys conducted on schoolchildren around the world confirm these facts.
Conducted by Vietnam National Institute of Nutrition research About the effects of fortified milk intake in elementary school students. They found that children who drank fortified milk daily showed improved short-term memory, improved learning indicators, and improved weight and height compared to children who did not drink fortified milk regularly. Did.
Another study by Rahmani et al. (2011), conducted with Iranian schoolchildren, also found that drinking a glass of milk daily at school had beneficial effects on children’s mental and physical functioning and school performance.
Are nutritious school lunch options readily available?
Luckily, Pakistani supermarkets are full of different options that you can use to design a nutritious and at the same time delicious lunch box. Includes sandwiches with chicken, hunter beef, or eggs), vegetables, and seasonal fruit.
The most nutritious option in a drink is to include a carton of milk, or flavored milk if your child prefers it.
Various reputable brands like Olper’s offer milk in convenient packets. This is another flavor that kids love. Olpers Flavored Milk is a highly nutritious and highly complete drink that contains not only the nutrition of milk, but also calcium, vitamins A and D.
As a nutritionist, I am often asked why I recommend flavored milks to my children. From my previous experience working in a children’s nutrition clinic, I know that many children do not like plain milk. Regardless, flavored milk has the same nutritional profile as regular milk, making it one of the best drink options available for children.
a systematic review Among more than 50 studies published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, Flavia Fayet-Moore showed the overall imperative of suggesting the consumption of flavored milk as a strategy for increasing milk consumption in children. I’m here.
In summary, a serving of milk is one of the best options a mother can add to her child’s lunch. School studies also suggest that regular consumption of milk improves academic performance in students. Rich in nutrients such as protein, calcium and vitamins A, B6, B12 and D, daily milk intake helps children build and maintain healthy bones, teeth and lean muscles.
Zoha Matin is a nutrition expert and coach with a master’s degree in human nutrition and dietetics from McGill University. She frequently posts health and nutrition related content on her Instagram. @zo.the.nutritionist.
This content is produced in a paid partnership with Friesland Campina.
