Now that your kid has grown out of the weaning years, what nutrition issues should you take note of? YOUNG PARENTS fills you in.
Now that your kid has grown out of the weaning years, what nutrition issues should you take note of? YOUNG PARENTS fills you in.
Keep her diet balanced
Your kid may want to eat only chicken rice or nuggets for every meal, but it’s still important to feed her a nutritionally balanced diet with adequate amounts of iron, zinc, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Keep food that is high in sugar and fat away from the kitchen; those should be eaten sparingly. Charmaine Toh, a dietician with the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, recommends a variety of foods from various food groups:
Whole grains These are packed with immunity-boosting vitamins (like B vitamins and vitamin E), minerals and fibre. Examples of wholegrain food include wholemeal bread, brown rice, brown-rice bee hoon, oat porridge, wholemeal pasta, and wholewheat or wholegrain cereal.
Fruit and vegetables These are excellent sources of fibre and contain antioxidants like vitamin C and carotenoids. Aim for two servings a day, and make sure they are brightly coloured. Think red, yellow and orange fruit and vegetables, and dark green leafy vegetables.
Fish and nuts Fatty fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel, and some nuts like walnuts, contain good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of phagocytes, the white blood cells that destroy bad bacteria. If your child doesn’t like fish or nuts, try products like bread, eggs and milk that have been enriched or fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.
Lean meats In addition to being high in protein and iron, lean meats are rich in zinc, which is said to help white blood cells fight off infections.
Keep her diet balanced
Whole grains These are packed with immunity-boosting vitamins (like B vitamins and vitamin E), minerals and fibre. Examples of wholegrain food include wholemeal bread, brown rice, brown-rice bee hoon, oat porridge, wholemeal pasta, and wholewheat or wholegrain cereal.
Fruit and vegetables These are excellent sources of fibre and contain antioxidants like vitamin C and carotenoids. Aim for two servings a day, and make sure they are brightly coloured. Think red, yellow and orange fruit and vegetables, and dark green leafy vegetables.
Fish and nuts Fatty fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel, and some nuts like walnuts, contain good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of phagocytes, the white blood cells that destroy bad bacteria. If your child doesn’t like fish or nuts, try products like bread, eggs and milk that have been enriched or fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.
Lean meats In addition to being high in protein and iron, lean meats are rich in zinc, which is said to help white blood cells fight off infections.
Boost her gut health
Eating well is also important as it helps to maintain the balance of healthy bacteria in your child’s digestive system, says Charmaine. These good bacteria help to get rid of potentially pathogenic substances such as viruses, bacteria and toxins.
A well-functioning gut also allows your young one to absorb the nutrients she needs to stay healthy. One way to increase the levels of good bacteria in her gut is to give her food that is rich in probiotics, such as low-fat yogurt.
Before you supplement
Vitamins and supplements aren’t magic pills; it’s always better that your kid gets the nutrients she needs from a balanced diet. Food contains vitamins, phytonutrients and other substances essential for good health in varying amounts, explains Denise Teo, a dietitian from the National University Hospital.
If you have a picky eater, ask your family doctor if she needs vitamins, but don’t overdose on them. Visit www.tinyurl.com/VitForKids for the recommended daily allowance for diff erent age groups.
Always buy from a licensed clinic, or a registered pharmacy or retail store rather than from dubious online stores, reminds Lynette Goh, a senior dietitian with the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics.
Watch for food allergies
Some 3 to 6 per cent of kids in Singapore have food allergies, notes Dr Anne Goh, head and senior consultant of the department of paediatrics’ Allergy Service at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
The common causes: cow’s milk, eggs, wheat, soya, peanuts, tree nuts such as walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts and chestnuts, as well as shellfish and fish.
Your child will typically react to an allergy anywhere between 10 minutes and six hours after eating the ingredient, and it will recur every time she takes it, Dr Goh says.
Allergies are different from food intolerances, which may happen when she eats contaminated food or cannot digest the lactose in milk because of an enzyme deficiency, so it’s best to seek your doctor’s advice.
While there’s no cure yet, some kids will outgrow their allergies, says Karen Wright, lead dietitian from The Food Clinic.
She still needs milk
Your little one may be fully weaned, but she still needs calcium from milk, according to the Health Promotion Board’s website (www.hpb.gov.sg). Preschoolers aged three to six years old should drink two glasses (500ml) a day, while kids in primary school should take one to two glasses (250ml to 500ml)
Just be sure to avoid flavoured milk, which contains artificial flavourings that are high in sugar and colouring, says Dr Nancy Tan, a paediatrician from SBCC Baby & Child Clinic.
If your young one is lactose-intolerant, there are plenty of good alternatives, such as dark green leafy veggies, fish with bones (sardines), nuts, calcium fortified products, yogurt and tofu, says the HPB. As a comparison, one to 1.5 tubs of yogurt contain the same amount of calcium as a glass of milk.
