In part 1, we talked about how you can encourage better eating habits with your children. Now, let’s focus on getting the right nutrition for a healthy diet for them.
In the infographics below, do note the alarming rates of adolescents who are not getting enough fruits and vegetables daily while consuming animal products in excess!
Why is it so important to get enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, especially for adolescents?
Fruits and vegetables are typically ‘nutrient-dense’, they are low in calories but packed with vitamin and minerals. We require all these nutrients for various body functions such as growth and development, immune functions, antioxidant activities and bone health. For adolescents, the requirements of vitamins increase as they are in the stage of rapid growth.
Fruits and vegetables are among the main sources of dietary fibre. Dietary fibre helps with bowel movement, and therefore can protect us from digestive problems.
Foods high in dietary fibre makes us feel full for a longer time. This lowers our chances of consuming excess calories.
Start today by take a step at a time!
If your children are not used to consume much fruits and vegetables, it may seem difficult to help them get the 5-a-day. However, it is definitely worth making small changes to work towards this goal! Healthy eating habits are most easily built starting from home. So, parents should definitely put more attention into home-cooked meals to improve the nutrition of adolescents.
Reference
National Health and Morbidity Survey 2017: Adolescent Health and Nutrition Survey, Institute of Public Health http://iku.moh.gov.my/images/IKU/Document/REPORT/NHMS2017/NHMS2017Infographic.pdf
