Ryan Fernando
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has thrown people’s lives into disarray all over the world. Misinformation has spread along with COVID-19, fueling bigotry and stigma.
COVID-19 will make children of any age sick. Although children and adults have similar symptoms, children are more likely to have a milder disease than adults. Children’s immune systems differ from adults’ and can vary greatly depending on their age, so it’s important to make sure they’re getting the right nutrition.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, eating a balanced diet is important. Our body’s ability to resist, combat, and recover from infections is influenced by what we eat and drink.
Good nutrition is essential for good health, especially when the immune system is under attack. Access to fresh foods is restricted nowadays, limiting opportunities to maintain a balanced and varied diet.
It can also contribute to an increase in the processed food consumption that is high in fats, sugar, and salt. Nonetheless, a diet that promotes good health can be maintained even with few and minimal ingredients.
What constitutes a healthy diet for children
Even though no foods or dietary supplements can treat or inhibit COVID-19 infection, eating a healthy diet is crucial for immune system support.
* A healthy diet for babies includes exclusively breastfeeding during the first six months. From the age of six months to two years nutritious and safe foods need to be introduced to complement breastmilk.
* A healthy, well-balanced diet is important for young children’s development and growth. It can help older people live healthier and more involved lives.
* Make sure your child gets a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes like beans & lentils, nuts, and whole grains like oats, brown rice, wheat, millet (unprocessed), or roots like beetroot, potatoes, as well as eggs, meat, milk and fish.
* A cup of fruit per day is recommended for toddlers aged 2 to 3.
* Make sure your child gets one cup of cooked or raw vegetables per day. Consume a variety of plants, such legumes, orange and red brightly coloured vegetables and leafy greens.
* Protein should be consumed in 2–3 portions a day. Fish should be eaten at least twice a week, with oily fish such as salmon, sardines, or mackerel being one of them. Walnuts, pistachios and almonds are protein-rich nuts that can be given to children over the age of five.
* Whole milk or yoghurt should be given to children under the age of two. Vitamin D-fortified dairy products are a better source.
* Offer your child raw vegetables and fresh fruit as snacks instead of foods high in sugars, fats, or salts. Make sure you don’t overcook your vegetables and fruit, as this can cause essential vitamins to be lost.
* Ensure that your child drinks 5–7 cups of water per day. It can consist of water of all types, as well as other liquids and foods. The best choice would be water, but you can also offer them something like unsweetened milk, as well as fruit and vegetables that contain water, such as tomatoes, melon, oranges, cucumber, spinach, apples and mushrooms.
* High sugar drinks such as sweetened fruit juices, fizzy drinks and syrups should better be avoided.
* Make sure your child consumes unsaturated fats like olive oil, fish, almonds, sunflower oil and avocado instead of saturated fats like milk, coconut oil, ghee, fatty meat, butter and cheese.
* Processed foods, cookies, snacks items, spreads, fried foods and fast foods all contain industrially manufactured trans fats.
* Limit salt and high-sodium condiments when cooking and preparing food for your kids. Use iodized salt and limit your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon).
For all you mama’s you can definitely have the above in the right portions
Promoting healthy eating through quality family time
The social distancing associated with the COVID-19 outbreak has meant that many families are spending more time at home, which provides new opportunities to share meals together. Family meals are an important opportunity for parents to be role models for healthy eating, and for strengthening family relationships.
Increased time at home during this period may also present new opportunities to involve children in cooking healthy foods, which can help them acquire important life skills that they can carry into adulthood.
Choosing which vegetables to include in your meal with your children will encourage them to eat veggies at the table. It’s vital to keep meals simple when involving kids in the kitchen, and to teach them about proper food safety (including hand washing, cleaning surfaces and avoiding consumption of certain raw ingredients).
A qualified dietitian will provide general healthy eating advice to you and your kids, as well as assist you in deciding what to feed your family. Dieticians may also assist you and your child in managing a variety of illnesses. She/he may also provide you with recipe suggestions and guidance and customize nutrition plans based on your needs.
Ryan Fernando is Founder of QUA Nutrition, Celebrity & Sports Nutritionist
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