Ongoing studies are investigating how food affects not just our health, but our overall mood, especially in children.
If you want a healthy and happy child, it starts from what you put on their plate. Make sure meals throughout the day has protein, eggs, diary products, vegetables, rice products, root crops, bread, noodles, and up to seven glasses of water and healthy beverages. Eating a variety of foods from each of these groups gives the body all the nutrients and vitamins it needs to function. Use the infographic above to guide you, as based on data from the Depeartment of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
British nutritional therapist, Jo Lewin, finds that tweaking a child’s diet can be extremely effective in moderating a child’s behavior. In an article for BBC’s good food, Lewin reminds parents of the importance of having children eat breakfast. She also recommends that children eat food with omega-3 fatty acids to improve concentration; and to have iron and zinc in a child’s diet to reduce hyperactivity, impulsivity, and impaired socialization.
You can also help encourage smart eating habits by following a regular mealtime schedule and serving a variety of healthy foods and snacks. Those who have regular family meals are more likely to eat fruits, vegetables and grains, and are less likely to snack on unhealthy food.
This all just proves the old adage, you are are what you eat.
Sources: http://healthy-kids.com.au/food-nutrition/5-food-groups/ http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/behaviour-children-food-and-additives http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_eating/habits.html# http://www.nnc.gov.ph/home/item/936-nnc-gb-approves-new-ngf
