How to inculate good nutritional manners in your child this term

By Grace Canada Our bodies are built from what we eat, and to a great extent we do have control over how our bodies feel and function. Your child's body including yours are very much like a motorcar engine. The quality of petrol and oil used determines how effectively the engine runs. In the same way, the quality of food you feed your child determines their health and how effectively the child absorbs school lessons. This brings us to short-term hunger, the type of hunger that occurs between meals. For example, the gap between breakfast and lunch or lunch and supper. This type of hunger can temporarily interfere with your child's learning by lowering their blood sugar. In turn low blood sugar will cause poor concentration, headache and irritability. It is important to satisfy this type of hunger by packing for your child high quality snack foods, especially those at boarding school. l You need to distinguish between foods with real food value and those with empty calories. l Empty calorie foods include all sodas, sugary drinks, popcorn, biscuits, white bread and sweets. l Pack snack foods that provide vitamins, minerals, protein and the right type of fat. Some of them are groundnuts, simsim seeds and balls, roasted soya beans, dried skimmed milk. l While packing include some extra for your child to share with friends. l Instead of giving the child pocket money that is more likely to be spent on snacks with no nutritional value. Take your child fresh snacks at least every two weeks. Teach by example. Condition your child to eat healthy snacks and avoid fatty, sugary foods by not bringing them home. Ends