Since school-age children are in the period of growth and development, the average daily calorie intake and the pattern of nutrients they will consume are of great importance. The most common problem experienced by children in this age group is that they skip breakfast because they wake up early. Since they do not have a regular breakfast and are influenced by each other, another common problem is that they consume foods that are described as junk food with very low nutritional value and fiber content but high calorie value. Such foods are especially preferred with sauce, so the calories consumed are quite high and of poor quality.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for school-age children. In order to avoid unhealthy breakfast alternatives at school, breakfast should be made as a family. Milk for breakfast. Variety should be provided by choosing vegetables such as or freshly squeezed fruit juice, eggs, cheese, molasses or honey, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers. When breakfast cannot be had at home, healthy sandwiches can be prepared and consumed. Fruit, buttermilk or milk can be placed in the lunch box as a snack. In this way, Choosing breakfast alternatives that we consider unhealthy at school, such as pastries, chocolate, sausage toast, pastries made with puff pastry, sweet biscuits, even chips, as well as cola drinks and ready-made fruit juices, will be prevented. A child who is fed adequately and balancedly and consumes as much as he needs from each food group will be prevented from being prepared for the obesity disease and the problems that this disease may bring in the future. It should not be forgotten that childhood obesity may mean that a person has to deal with a weight problem throughout his life.
Other issues that families complain about their children are nutritional problems such as choosing food, lack of appetite, and turning to fast food-style foods. The most decisive factor in this regard is the family's attitude towards food consumption.
Growth and development occur very rapidly during childhood. Therefore, the vitamin, mineral and energy requirements of children are different from those of adults. This situation even shows seasonal differences in children. Therefore, nutrition is structured according to these special periods. It should be.
The important thing is not how much food the child eats, but to observe how balanced his diet is and whether he is getting enough energy and nutrients. Normal development should be evaluated by looking at the child's height and weight. Nutrition education and psychotherapy are of great importance in solving the problem of loss of appetite. Eating problems observed in children are usually due to the attitude of family members towards food.
If there is no metabolic problem in children, the way to follow is to first prepare a nutrition plan equivalent to the energy appropriate for the child's age and ensure that the child acquires physical activity. Nutrition education is the most important part of this plan and should include all family members.
Rapid weight loss and very low energy diets are not suitable for children. The important thing is that the child is healthy and loses weight over time. While the child loses weight, he does the right thing. He/she should acquire nutritional habits and apply them to his/her life. In the light of all this, we can list the general treatment principles to be applied in the treatment of obesity as follows:
- Energy should be given as much as the daily energy requirement of the obese child, and no restrictions should be made.
- A nutrition program should be made taking into account the daily life style and habits of the child and the family.
- Bad eating habits should be corrected and the daily nutrients should be given in frequent meals (5-6 meals/day). In this way, children should have enough food without being left hungry. A balanced diet is planned.
- In the given diet, 50-55% of the total daily energy should come from carbohydrates, 15-20% from protein, and 30-35% from fat.
- Sugar and Foods with high energy content, such as sugary foods, nuts, chocolate, pastries, donuts, etc. should be excluded from the nutrition program.
- In order to ensure saturation in the diet, fiber foods (such as salad) should be used. Additionally, fluid consumption should be increased. >
- In addition to the nutrition program, it is recommended that your child engage in regular physical activity such as walking and cycling, in short, increase his/her daily movements.
To summarize, for your child to have a healthy diet;
- Teach your child the habit of eating breakfast.
- Your child Sit at the table with your child and remember that your child will take you as an example.
- Ensure that your child eats while sitting down, do not try to make him eat by running after him while he is playing or doing something else.
- Ability to choose your children's meals. You can make healthy foods more attractive by playing with their images.
- Do not reward or punish your child with food.
- Do not forbid your child foods that you think are not healthy, this may be more attractive to him/her.
- Do not put hard, indestructible foods in front of your child, which may make it problematic for them to use forks and knives. Cook foods that can be consumed more easily.
- Make sure that the television is not on while eating.
- Give nutritious snacks to children who do not consume main meals very well.
- Sugary foods before meals. Make sure they do not consume it. These types of foods suppress the appetite and give empty energy.
- Meal times should be arranged very well and the child should not be too hungry or too full.
- Create an alternative to the food he does not want to consume.
- Include low-sugar, low-fat cakes or cookies as snacks from time to time, but give snacks consisting mostly of milk and fruit-type foods.
Children generally prefer to eat foods with a small volume, so they should have breakfast. You can make toast with fat-free whole grain bread, white cheese and tomatoes for the child who does not want it. Or a breakfast prepared with whole grain cereal and milk can provide variety from time to time.
If your child eats at school, the food menu should definitely be checked.
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