Ms. Sheryl Salis shares tips to make your daily tiffin more nutritious and fun.
Importance of homemade food
The prevalence of obesity has increased significantly with more and more children becoming overweight. India possesses an overweight population which is as large as the total population of Germany. Out of the 30 million people who are overweight in India, 20 per cent of them are children in the age group of 5-14 yrs. What is worrying is the increase in incidence of Type 2 Diabetes amongst children and adolescents. What once affected people above the age of 50 years is now diagnosed in children aged between 6 and 18 years.
This increase is mainly seen due a high-on- junk and low-on-exercise lifestyle of children today. Children prefer slouching in front of their TV/computer screens and munching on a packet of chips rather than involving themselves in any outdoor activities.
Healthy home food has been replaced by high fat junk food like pizza, burgers and pastries/doughnuts which are promoted heavily by TV commercials. A lack of open and large spaces either public or within the residential societies and school premises deter children and adults from having outdoor activities. Playgrounds are being increasingly replaced by video games and computers.
Moreover, academic pressure has increased; allowing very little time for the children to play. It is important to note that a child is at risk of Type 2 Diabetes if s/he is overweight, physically inactive, plays/watches more than two hours of video games or television per day or has a family history of Diabetes.
The responsibility to stem the tide of obesity leading to Type 2 Diabetes in children lies in the hands of parents and teachers.
Tips for parents to prevent Diabetes and obesity
- Cultivate taste buds and eating habits as early as possible
- Be a good role model .You can’t expect your children to have good eating habits if you don’t maintain them yourselves
- Don’t cook separately for the kids, offer the same meals to the entire family
- Make changes slowly. Pick one habit you want to change every month. For example: Instead of a dessert serve a fruit.
- Make sure your children eat breakfast comprising of wholegrain cereal, fresh fruit and milk instead of fried snacks.
- Control portion size – serve ice-cream in small bowls and not cereal bowls.
- When eating out, never supersize -think
- Order kiddie meals and not adult portions when eating out.
- Stock the house with healthy foods like fruits and nuts instead of deep-fried snacks like chips, chaklis etc.
- Avoid eating food in front of the TV and on bed. Make it a habit to eat at the table as a
- Have set-meal times to limit
- Increase the protein intake by incorporating cottage cheese, lentils, nuts , milk in the meals
- Give homemade healthy snack in the tiffin box and restrict the amount of pocket money
- Use tricks to make healthy food more attractive to children – shapes and colours, add vegetables to parathas, soups, dosas, poha, upma and idlis.
- Don’t stop treats completely for the child or he might overdo it on the sly.
- Limit TV and computer time. Limit it to less than one hour per day with more time for play.
- Encourage the child to take up one sport
- Be a role model for an active lifestyle. Remember your child will follow your footsteps more readily than your advice
Schools must contribute
Schools play a vital role in improving the nutritional status of the children. Teachers must educate the students about healthy eating habits and encourage them to choose healthy food. Canteen should stock only healthy food options. Schools must encourage students to adapt to healthy eating habits by holding debates/discussions on healthy food habits and their benefits. Initiatives to organise campaigns like “Healthy eating week” which can spread the message among all students must be taken. An hour of
physical activity made compulsory for all students. This will need concentrated efforts from parents and teachers to ensure a healthy future free of Diabetes and obesity.
Ms. Sheryl Salis is a registered Nutritionist, wellness coach, certified Diabetes educator, health writer and the Founder and Director of
Nurture Health Solutions
