You must be happy and anxious to see your child have a fat body. But, being fat isn't the benchmark that your baby grows healthy. Because, obesity in children can cause obesity and ultimately increase the risk of children getting various chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, and also problems with the bones and joints.
To avoid this, as a parent, you must be a "keeper" so that the child's weight does not continue to grow. How to? Don't worry, see the following tips.
An important key to prevent obesity in children
Obese children can be caused by many factors. However, the most common causes are unhealthy eating patterns and lack of physical activity of children. The rest is caused by genetic factors or hormonal diseases. Well, to keep your child's weight healthy, especially you have to pay attention to how the child's diet.
Food is indeed a source of nutrition and energy for children, but to reduce or maintain weight does not mean you have to reduce nutrition. So, the important key to keeping a child's weight healthy is to balance calorie intake for children per day with physical activity.
Ways to monitor calorie intake needed by children
Balancing calorie intake means providing food with adequate nutrition and the appropriate amount of calories. But, you need to understand that the calories needed by each child vary depending on the sex, age, and level of activity of the child.
1. Carefully choose food for children
There are many foods that can make you gain weight, especially if the intake is not restricted. For example, in foods containing sugar, fat, and also protein.
Fatty and protein foods can be obtained from various types of meat. You can choose beef or chicken whose fat has been set aside. Various nuts also provide fatty acids and proteins that are important for the body. Serve more food menus with a combination of vegetables, fruit, and wheat products to meet the needs of fiber, vitamins and minerals fulfilled.
In addition to healthy food choices, you also need to pay attention to how to process food. Reduce cooking food by frying. Don't forget, to use the best oil for cooking, for example olive oil.
2. Choose healthy, low-sugar drinks
Besides food, some drinks can also increase a child's calorie intake, such as milk or juice. Both drinks sometimes contain lots of sugar. Well, so that children still get the benefits of either milk or juice, choose low-sugar milk and not add a lot of sugar to the juice.
Just like milk in general, low-sugar milk still provides protein, calcium, vitamin D and other important minerals needed by the body. The benefits protect the health of bones and teeth and prevent excess fat deposits in the body.
3. Limit snacks containing sugar
Children love sweet foods which certainly contain lots of sugar, like candy, chocolate, or cake. Well, to reduce this food, you should provide homemade healthy snacks. Do not provide food like this in the refrigerator, because children can reach it easily.
4. Applying healthy eating habits
So that children's calorie intake is not excessive, rearrange the meal schedule and snacking on children. At mealtime, don't let the television turn on. The child's focus will be diverted and make him not pay attention to the amount of food he should eat so that the portion of his meal can be excessive.
Then, don't force the child to use up the food. This action can make children overeating and calorie intake can certainly exceed the limit.