Are your children feeding right?

HEALTH 

Parents, do you take keen interest in what your children eat?  Did you know that poor feeding can hinder a child's concentration in class and can result in poor performance?

Worse still, poor feeding causes nutritional deficiencies, thus affecting the physical development of a child.

Lewis Wasswa, a nine-year-old pupil at God's Will Junior School in Matugga, says: "I hardly get time to eat breakfast. I usually take tea, with no accompaniment, before I run off to school. During break time, I drink water and eat fried cassava.

"My mother works, so I do not go back home for lunch because there is no one at home to cook. For lunch, I eat porridge and two pancakes. My next meal is supper, which I have at home with my mother."

Lewis's mother may not be aware that she is hindering the academic performance, health and well-being of her son. 

Importance of a good meal

According to Haspha Nassolo of the Joint Clinical Research Centre, if you want to boost your child's school performance and health, you must pay attention to what you feed the child on.

"Make sure your child eats breakfast every morning. In addition, pack for your child healthy snacks such as juice, bananas, a boiled egg, soya beans and groundnuts, among others.

It is better to prepare the snacks at home to ensure hygiene and safety," Nassolo adds.

Some children refuse to carry to school, specific foods their parents packed for them because they fear to be teased by their peers.

"Parents must, therefore, pack food or snacks, which children will not be embarrassed to eat among their peers, and above all, the food must be nutritious.

"If your child rejects healthy food or a snack, consult a nutritionist for an alternative. Many children interviewed say their parents are not strict on breakfast because they are always in a hurry to beat traffic and make it work in time.  Others have no idea what snacks their children take to school, because the housemaids pack the lunch box. 

"When my parents pick me from school in the evening, they do not whether I ate anything while at school," a child confesses.

When your child loses appetite

According to Dr. Elizabeth Kiboneka, a consultant paediatrician at Mulago Hospital, various factors, including lack of nutrients in the body can cause loss of appetite in children.

She adds that sickness, such as malaria, cancer, HIV, flu, cough and digestive problems such as caused by intestinal worms, can lead to loss of appetite.

Other factors include inadequate blood, a deficiency of red blood cells (anaemia), stress and loss of appetite.

Some children also get stressed by homework, consequently losing appetite.

Kiboneka says some drugs, especially those with a foul smell, for example iron tablets, can cause loss of appetite.

Feeding a child on the same food too can also lower the child's appetite.

What should parents do?

If a child persistently refuses to eat, regardless of whether he is sick or not, the parents should seek medical help.

Kiboneka says a balanced diet, especially foods rich in proteins, can help restore appetite.

If a child does not want to eat a specific food, the parents should improvise and find another type to boost appetite.

These foods, though expensive, include; meat, eggs, chicken and milk.

Kiboneka says regular de-worming helps maintain appetite.

She urges parents to feed their children on iodized foods such as vegetables and animal proteins.

"Parents should put less sugar in children's drinks and avoid beverages with additives. This can result in loss of

Parents should monitor what their children eat

Kiboneka advises parents to monitor what their children eat, both at school and at home.

"Children from Primary One to Primary Seven need to eat all types of food to boost muscle growth and development," she says.

Proteins (body building foods) help children to grow, while carbohydrates are energy and growth foods.

She also recommends vegetables and fruits and plenty of water, at least three glasses of water every day to prevent malnutrition.

Iodine-rich foods aid growth, intelligence and academic performance.

"Iodine can be got from salt, though too much of it, especially eaten raw, can result in high blood pressure.

Quick tips

A child needs to eat three times a day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between, the child can be given healthy snacks to give the child's body the fuel it needs to keep going throughout the day.

A child must eat a variety of food every day. Fruits, vegetables, bread, meat, cereals and dairy foods such as milk and yoghurt, will give your child energy, vitamins and minerals.

Your child must also drink plenty of water throughout the day. Water will keep your child hydrated.

If the weather is hot and the child is playing a lot, he needs to frequent drink water.

A child should stay away from fatty foods like potato chips, fried foods and soft drinks because too much of them are unhealthy and may result in childhood obesity.

Parents should eat breakfast with their family. They should also set good eating habits.

Buy healthy foods such as bananas, avocado, and vegetables. Avoid stocking up on liquor like beer as well as soft drinks including soda.

Take time to talk to your children and find out about their lives when they are away from home, for instance, what they ate at school.

Also ensure you have supper with your children

The story first run on April 29, 2013