Define Guidelines of School Children and Adolescents?
1) Do not skip breakfast. At least have milk, fruit and cereal. Some children prefer to flavour the milk with cereal or protein supplement to make breakfast less bulky. Munching fruits freshens and massages the mouth too. This ensures non- irritable behaviour and good attention span in school.
2) Carry nutritious and interesting Tiffin. Avoid eating out and in canteen on daily basis. , Upto 70% of school children snacked regularly.
3) Avoid junk food. Aerated beverages consumption should be kept minimal. Some school children report as much as 2-3 cold drinks a day. Some school canteens have substituted aerated beverages for lemonade or juice.
4) Have 4-5 meals per day. Keep gap of 3-4 hour between meals but not more than hours. Avoid nibbling.
5) Avoid highly fried and oily dishes. Make proper dish selection while eating out. Avoid too many sweets and sticky foods to prevent dental caries.
6) Regularly exercise or play games outdoor ill school and home. Monitor weight. Know your ideal body weight and maintain it. Upto 30% of well- to-do children and adolescents were overweight or obese in India.
7) Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. They are protective foods which are rich in vitamins and minerals and have dietary fibre. They ensure satiety and delay onset of hunger. Upto 20% of children don't eat fruit.
8) Drink plenty of water especially during sports.
9) Include items from all food groups in the daily diet. Children should consume plenty of milk (3-4 serving s/d).
10) Visible fat should not exceed 25 g/d. Taste should be developed for moderate salt intake. Special emphasis should be given to good food habits as already mentioned above, since adolescents are most vulnerable to erratic dietary practices at this age due to peer pressure, media and self likes.