Food Choices - Grain Food, Milk, Non Vegetarian diets, Vegetables and Snack Items

It’s important to include different types of food in kid’s diet for healthy growth and development. A balanced diet must contain milk, meat poultry, fish, whole grain food, fresh vegetables and fruits and healthy snacks and not to forget drinking enough water. Let’s now examine each of these.

Grain Food
Reason why whole grains play such an important role in our diet is because they take a relatively longer time to digest which is why you feel fuller for a longer time and not get hunger pangs too soon resulting in avoiding over eating. They include all three parts of the grain, the bran, germ and endosperm, while refined grains are mostly just the endosperm. They are high in fiber and when combined with liquids, help food go through the digestive system and guard against gut cancers and constipation. They also reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition to fiber, whole grains contain more essential fatty acids, magnesium, vitamin E, and zinc .Oatmeal, whole wheat , brown rice ,cracked wheat ,millet ,whole barley ,wild rice are some of the items that contain grain food.


Milk
Milk and other calcium-rich foods are a must in children’s diet. They are among the top and most suitable sources of calcium .Calcium as we all know is a major building block for strong, healthy bones for kids. It plays a vital role in, transmitting messages through the nerves, muscle contraction and release of hormones. Infants, kids and teenagers need to take milk mainly for bone formation, though the quantity might vary. Milk and other dairy products are excellent sources of calcium and they also contain additional vitamin D, which is also essential for bone health. Calcium is also present in orange juice, soy products, and bread apart from milk. But there’s a myth among many young boys and girls that milk is fattening which is just not true. The fact of the matter is whole and skimmed milk contain almost the same amount of calcium which is absolutely important from childhood to adolescence since the body requires mineral calcium to build strong bones. Its time all you kids had you daily glass of milk.


Non Vegetarian Diets
Non vegetarian diets usually include meat, poultry and various sea foods like fish, lobsters. It’s mostly believed that non vegetarian food is fattening and leads to heart diseases due to high levels of cholesterol. On the contrary this kind of food contains essential protein, iron and zinc which the body requires. Key is having limited portions of it and choosing lean meat as it contains less amount of fat. Meat with fat trimmed, chicken without skin, boiled and grilled meat than deep fried, egg whites without yolk should be included in the meal. This not only provides your body with protein, also helps you keep away from excess fat, nourishes you body and also helps build muscle.


Vegetables
The very word vegetable is a huge turn off for most of the kids but regular consumption of vegetables has numerous health benefits. They are one of the main sources of natural food and contain various minerals, vitamins other beneficial substances required for healthy living. They are an excellent source of dietary fiber and give us that extra energy, they are low in fat and calories and high in fiber. Veggies supply essential nutrients required to carry out various functions of the body. Brightly colored vegetables like carrots, beetroot, and green leafy vegetables contain phytochemicals and various vitamins which the body needs to maintain good health, make your immune system stronger and lessen the risk of heart diseases. So kids include 4 or 5 servings of colored vegetables and fruits in a day for a healthy you.


Snack Items
Snacks should be nutritious so that they provide both the urge to eat and at the same time give the body its essential nutrients. Healthy snacks must be nutritious - low in salt, fat, and sugar. Fresh vegetables and fruit, foods that contain whole grains and protein are good choices. Healthy snacking is all about offering the right food and the right quantity. Snacking on nutritious food can keep energy levels high and the mind alert. Some interesting snack items are



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