I would like to start this process with one of the questions I encounter most frequently.
Can Children Go on a Diet?
One of the questions I encounter very frequently lately is children's diet. whether he can do it or not.
In this period when obesity reaches childhood ages, everyone, including parents and teachers, is aware of being overweight. My mother, a kindergarten teacher, says that 10 years ago there were no obese children in her class, but now there are 1-2 overweight children in every class. While all data show that overweight is increasing, families are still hesitant to get support from a dietitian.
Because they think that their children will be on a low-calorie diet, they will get sick and their resistance will decrease. However, children gain weight because they eat unhealthy and too much. And they lose weight just by arranging their healthy diet lists. Actually, we do not diet with children. We only eat healthy. We definitely do not cut back on the calories and vitamins and minerals that one should consume. On the contrary, we give the child the energy needed for the child's growth and development with the right nutrients. The child also loses weight with the influence of healthy foods.
'The Child Doesn't Go on a Diet, He Eats Healthy'
Just as the foundations of the child's education and self-care are laid at this age, the foundations regarding nutrition are also laid. It takes shape at this age. We all learned that sugar is added to tea at a young age... Therefore, even if the child is not overweight, it is useful to get support from an expert to ensure that he/she eats healthy and grows and develops healthily. There is no age limit for this support. You can get support from an expert for child nutrition starting from the age of 2, and for baby nutrition before that…
Tips for Child Nutrition
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The child should not be forced to eat. If the child's height and weight are within the required range, forced eating will alienate the child from eating. If you are facing such a situation, I would advise you to listen to your child.
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If the child is underweight, learning how to increase calories in small portions It would also be beneficial to get support from an expert. For example, we can increase the calories of 1 glass of kefir by adding honey and fruit...
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If the child is overweight, a nutritionist should ensure that the child is given the nutrition he needs and other foods that we call garbage should be removed from the child's diet.
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While the child is eating, the meal should be eaten at the table as a family in order to form table habits. During this process, there should be no distractions such as phones, tablets or computers. The child should know what he eats.
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If there are foods that the child does not like, they should be taken away from the child during the food preparation phase in order to make the child like them instead of forcing them. Children should also be taken to the market. Thus, the food will attract his attention and he will want to taste it.
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While presentation is important even for us adults, imagine how important it is for children... you can make them like things they don't like with special plates and shaped presentations.
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Your child should be allowed to understand his/her satiety by putting less food on the child's plate instead of more food than he/she needs to eat.
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