Smart and Healthy - Parenting

A healthy standard of living can significantly boost the quality of life for both adults and children. Obesity has now happened to be a global health problem affecting people of all ages. But what is shocking is that it has not spared the children as well. Good nutrition is important for all but it is more noteworthy for growing children to develop healthy minds and bodies. The more nutritious food you give your child, the more he becomes healthy. Kids need a balanced nutritious diet for growth and unhealthy foods will slow down their growth if, daily nutrition is not met accordingly.

Factors Affecting Your Child's Growth & Development:

• Abundant consumption of unhealthy junk food,
• Erratic meal timings,
• Hard to please eating habits,
• Inadequate nutrition,
• Lack of physical exercise,
• Stress of modern life.

Growth is an important objective parameter of general health of a child. A lot of factors depend on how much the child can grow. Parents’ height, diet, lifestyle etc. play a major role in determining the growth of child. The amount of food a child needs varies according to his/ her age group, height/ or build, gender and activity levels. What a child eats and in what quantities, successfully negotiates whether a child is having a balanced diet or not. While the wrong diet can add inches to a child's waistline, the right diet can add inches to his height. Parents and many children too are well aware of the fact that junk food is not healthy and in spite of that we find most children eating a lot of junk food. Experts claim that eating junk food regularly has side effects which stunt the growth of children likewise making them sluggish in the classroom. Healthy diet is very important for child's physical and mental development. A child's growth symbolizes his/her overall health & wellbeing.

Eating healthily starts with accepting how to eat in a smart way. Healthy eating means eating a wide variety of nutritious foods from all of the food groups. The food should be easily digestible and nourishing. It is of utmost importance that kids have good nourishing diet. Today's kids are stubborn and often not pay attention to what their parents say? Excess calorie intake and unhealthy food has snatched a huge portion in their menu. Healthy eating habits can stabilize children's energy, sharpen their minds and even out their moods. Earning healthy eating habits at a young age can reap benefits for a lifetime. Healthy eating requires one to inculcate diverse range of foods in their eating habits. Furthermore, good eating habits need to be supplemented by exercise.

If you show your child that you always like eating healthy food, then he/she may try to imitate your habits and will also eat nutritious foods. Studies reveal that the parents who don't eat healthy cannot have a child with the healthy eating habits. Kids adopt the same eating habits as. Set a good example for the children, by doing the same yourself. Here is a nutritional guide if you want your child to have the best possible health status:-

• Support your child to eat slowly and chew the food properly.
• Promote taking meals with the family as repeatedly as possible.
• Monitor the portion size of kids’ platter.
• Maintain a serial record of height and weight of your child.
• Kindly do not restrict your child a category of food on casual advice!
• Involve your child in grocery shopping to reveal the healthy vs unhealthy trait of numerous packaged food products.
• Get creative with foods and prepare delicious but healthy dishes at home.
• Engage your child in outdoor activities &/ games more often.
• Endorse eating home-cooked rather than processed foods.
• Come what may, breakfast should be taken every morning.
• Children need to be given food choices and must be allowed to eat little and often.
• Always pack wholesome school-lunch for your child.

It's easier to nurture a healthy child than revamp an unhealthy adult. Take care of their health…!!!!