The importance of nutrition and proper diet for growing children and toddlers

Nutrition and healthy diets are a pillar in children’s development journey. At Miles of Smiles Early childhood centre, nutrition and healthy food are taken seriously and we have drafted a  detailed policy and procedure to frame what is allowed and not. Although parents are aware of this importance they may be unaware of what food to provide for their children. So, we at Miles of Smiles Early Childhood centre send parents nutrition information packs to guide them about suggested snacks that they can prepare daily for their parents considering their various dietary preferences. As we always organize some webinars for this topic discussion, now we are writing the below article for parents to learn about the ideal time for meals for their children and much more.

During the early years, the child is developing and growing very rapidly and his body needs support and a healthy nutritious diet. There is a serious relationship between healthy food and how it impacts children’s growth and academic achievements. A healthy diet for toddlers and growing children benefits them in many ways, first, it gives them the energy they need to play and learn, to build good muscles and bones, and definitely healthy teeth. Healthy food also protects kids from being ill in addition to that, it protects them from diseases later in their life. Between the ages of 1 to 4, healthy eating helps in building a strong body, a perfect relationship with food, and healthy food eating habits. It is essential to build a strong body and to ensure a well-developing brain and this is mainly what healthy eating and proper diet can influence.

Having poor nutrition and a non-proper diet in this specific stage of life can lead to many serious problems like emotional and physical problems, developmental delays, and low immunity that cause illness and slow recovery. In order to grow and have strong immunity, children need a well-balanced diet containing all the vitamins and minerals that the body needs. Healthy eating encourages proper growth and helps in avoiding chronic diseases. A proper nutritious diet gives energy to children and makes them more active, attentive, and able to learn and perform well at the nursery so it highly affects their behaviours.

A proper diet includes a balance of all the food groups and types that parents can include in their children’s meals to ensure that they are getting the most essential nutrients such as proteins found in food like eggs, fish, pulses, meat, beans, carbohydrates found in bread, rice, potatoes, grains and pasta, vegetables and fruits rich in minerals and vitamins containing fibres that facilitate the digestion and fats like cheese, oils, butter, yoghurt, and milk. To get a balanced diet, parents should include food from each of the groups in regulated quantities.

Children are in need of three complete meals during the day but children need to have snacks between meals to control their hunger. Snacks are very beneficial since it is through snacks that parents can add extra nutrition to their kids’ diets. Furthermore, children in their early years cannot eat a lot so snacking is important to support them. Snacks prevent kids from getting cranky so providing them with snacks between the three meals is important and it becomes a good habit this habit will enhance their metabolism and allows them to gain the habit of being filled with small quantities.

There are a lot of excellent healthy and tasty snacks that parents can provide for their children such as fruits like grapes, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. The most important thing is to cut the fruits to prevent the child from choking. Vegetables are also good options for snacks such as carrots, cucumber, and beetroot. Vegetables and fruit juices, milkshakes are also perfect options for a quick snack.

All children are in need of healthy snacks and meals and we take the responsibility of promoting their health in partnership with their parents. It is so important to offer children at the nursery healthy food and make them enjoy their mealtime. A proper diet is all about balance.

At Miles of Smiles Nursery, the staff ensures that children are eating healthy food and snacks and always encourage the parents to provide their kids with a healthy and proper diet.