When your child turns six months of age, it signifies a significant milestone. It’s the time for them to begin strong meals, with most cultures having a ceremony to mark the event.
Celebrations apart, the weeks main as much as this milestone are full of nice confusion as dad and mom learn books, converse to household and mates, watch movies and seek the advice of docs/nutritionists about what they need to supply to the kid first.
As a mom to a 15-month-old, I’m wondering what to feed my toddler each day and the best way to give him a balanced food plan. Our nervousness will increase once we see quite a lot of opinions from completely different docs and nutritionists.
Nonetheless, numbers don’t lie and the rising weight problems amongst kids as we speak underscores the necessity for the appropriate vitamin for kids.
Within the period of fast commerce and quick meals, one is likely to be tempted to purchase packaged meals and purees like cerelac for infants.
Nonetheless, a brand new report has unearthed surprising details. A report printed by the Swiss organisation Public Eye, and the Worldwide Child Meals Motion Community (IBFAN), discovered that Nestle, the Swiss multinational meals firm, provides extra sugar in toddler meals merchandise in lower-income international locations, together with India.
The report states that its toddler cereal Cerelac, supposed for infants from the age of 6 months, contained 2.7 grams of added sugar per serving in India. The identical Cerelac incorporates no added sugar within the UK and Germany.
However why is that this necessary?
India is seeing a rising development in childhood weight problems, with 43 lakh kids within the 0-5 age group recognized as overweight or chubby in 2023, in keeping with a report in The Hindu.
The World Well being Organisation (WHO) recommends that no added sugars or sweetening brokers must be utilized in meals for kids underneath the age of three to cut back the chance of weight problems.
Packaged meals objects like Cerelac sometimes present a straightforward possibility for fogeys and have been used for many years in India. Over the previous few years, docs have stopped recommending such cereals and as an alternative ask dad and mom to offer home made more healthy options.
So what do you supply your infants after they begin solids; and later, to your choosy toddlers?
The Higher India spoke to paediatricians and nutritionists to reply these burning questions.
Which strong meals do you have to introduce first to your child?
First issues first, you have to begin solids in your child solely at six months of age and never earlier, say specialists.
Once you begin solids, breast milk or formulation stays the first supply of vitamin.
“The concept is to let infants attempt all kinds of meals slowly and introduce them to diverse tastes. Begin with single components and provides every meals merchandise for 3 days. You possibly can give carrots, apples, bananas or papayas in pureed and mash varieties. You possibly can slowly introduce ragi, rice porridges, and moong, masoor and toor dal,” says Vidhya Ramasubramanian, Head, Division Of Diet on the SMSIMSR (Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Analysis).
Begin by changing one meal a day, ideally breakfast, and slowly introduce the second meal. Don’t fret in case your child simply eats one or two spoons at first. It’s not about them ending the bowl, the concept is to show your child to eat meals and revel in it, stresses Vidhya.
Right here’s a pattern meal plan for a toddler by Vidhya Ramasubramanian-
No screens whereas consuming
Dr Vikram Gagneja, the Head of Division, Paediatrics And PICU (Paediatric Intensive Care Unit), Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, says that a very powerful factor is to mannequin wholesome consuming habits.
Each time we eat at resorts, we discover kids consuming with a video enjoying in entrance of them. It is a doubtlessly dangerous behavior, explains Dr Gagneja.
“Kids see us as function fashions. We have to cease consuming in entrance of a display screen and cease feeding kids by distracting them utilizing a TV or a cell phone. They need to see what meals they’re consuming and develop an curiosity in it,” he provides.
Identical to we mannequin good behaviour, we have to mannequin good consuming habits too.
No added sugar until 2
Everybody accepts that utterly limiting sugar shouldn’t be doable, however specialists suggest utilizing pure sugars and sweeteners as an alternative.
“We see so many overweight kids now. Sugar is extraordinarily addictive, and if launched at a younger age, kids don’t eat the rest. Fruits have pure sugars and can be utilized to sweeten porridge. Refined sugar shouldn’t be advisable, utterly keep away from until one, and after that, you should use dates and jaggery,” provides Dr Gagneja.
Till one 12 months of age, no sugar and salt must be given to infants.
To make your porridges tastier, you’ll be able to add spices like jeera, asafoetida, elaichi, saffron and extra; or you’ll be able to add fruits to sweeten them.
“When adults are shifting to low salt and sugar diets, why do children want a lot sugar and salt?” asks Dr Amit Gupta, Senior Advisor Paediatrician & Neonatologist on the Motherhood Hospital in Noida.
“Since processed meals incorporates a number of salt and sugar, we should keep away from that whereas beginning solids. As it’s unattainable to utterly keep away from it, it’s okay to offer it as soon as in per week to older children,” he provides.
After one, infants must be given what the remainder of the household eats, the place delicate sugar and salt can be utilized, he provides. Encourage responsive consuming and don’t pressure feed. Identical to we regulate our consumption, settle for a toddler’s ‘no’ as properly, he explains.
“Urge for food is a pure phenomenon. The concept of getting the kid to eat the identical because the household is to stop fussy eaters. They need to get used to the whole lot one eats repeatedly,” he provides.
A child is a clear slate, and can settle for something you give. For instance, after I began cow’s milk for my son after he turned one, I didn’t add any sugar or sweetener to it. It’s simply boiled and cooled, and he loves it, since he doesn’t know some other style.
Garima Dev Verman, an authorized nutritionist and medical content material analyst with The Wholesome Indian Mission (THIP), states that if we begin a child on the sweetened, powdered child meals at six months, she or he received’t settle for the rest later.
“The quantity of sugar in a single serving of Cerelac is an excessive amount of, which isn’t in any respect required by a child. Sugar is addictive, resulting in infants demanding solely candy meals then. You possibly can as an alternative use fruits that are naturally candy,” she says.
What are the necessary vitamins {that a} child wants?
A child wants a balanced food plan, comprising all important vitamins. Each meal for a child should embrace fat, carbohydrates and protein, says Sanchita Daswani, a vitamin advisor.
Iron and calcium are important for a child’s growth.
“Carbohydrates and irons are essential for infants, as are fat for his or her mind growth. Together with this, a fruit and a vegetable is equally paramount. Embrace ghee, nuts and seeds for fat; millets, root greens, dal, poha, pasta and quinoa for carbohydrates with fermented meals like idli, dosa and curd,” she says.
All of the meals our child wants is obtainable within the kitchen, provides Dr Amit Gupta. After six months, a toddler wants complementary meals to offer the required vitamin.
“There are numerous recipes obtainable to interchange store-bought cerelac. We must always use these as an alternative. Give plenty of pulses, nuts, inexperienced greens and ghee to your children. Non-vegetarians can embrace broths and soups that are additionally glorious for infants,” he says.
For a wealthy supply of protein, supply curd, eggs and paneer. Add nut butters and nut powders in porridges, dosas, fruits to make sure an entire meal.
Simple to make cereal mixes at dwelling/throughout journey
Most specialists advise dad and mom to make use of millets — India’s superfoods — that are nice for teenagers.
“You possibly can roast makhana, rava, poha, ragi, oats and different millets, after which powder them individually. Simply combine with scorching water, add a fruit if you want, and an prompt porridge is prepared. They’re nice for journey too. It’s also possible to add mango, banana, apples, berries to sweeten them,” says Divisha Jadhwani, a child and little one nutritionist.
One other good possibility for Indian households is sattu maavu (multigrain) combine. Most of those powders and mixes are bought by homegrown manufacturers in case one can’t make it at dwelling.
For snacks, you may attempt murmuras, makhanas, puffed rajgira, jowar puffs, ragi puffs, laddoos, and home made cookies. All these will also be carried throughout journey.
Right here’s a one week journey meal plan by Divisha Jadhwani-
It’s time to get up and set a great instance for our youngsters. Prioritising vitamin and making them develop a wholesome relationship with meals from the get go is utmost necessary.
“Eat wholesome, spend high quality time together with your kids and keep away from display screen time as a lot as doable,” says Dr Gupta.
The following time you might be confused about what to offer your little one, simply keep in mind that they too have their moods identical to us. Concentrate on introducing them to quite a lot of wholesome meals, and attempt to restrict their consumption of sugar and processed meals. Allow them to develop a great relationship with meals by making a conducive atmosphere sans screens and distractions. Take pleasure in your child’s milestones and don’t fret after they have their off days. Don’t all of us have these too?
Edited by Padmashree Pande.
Sources-
WHO
‘43 lakh kids beneath the age of 5 recognized as overweight or chubby: official knowledge’ Revealed on 17 September, 2023. Courtesy: The Hindu