Why you must give your child veggies, fruits daily – nutritionist

A Nutritionist at the State House Medical Centre in FCT, Mrs Nelly-Margaret Akuchie, has stressed the need for daily consumption of vegetables, fruits and cereals as part of children’s meal.

Akukchie disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday in commemoration of the World Food Day celebration, annually marked on Oct. 16 around the world to emphasize the need to tackle hunger and malnutrition.

She stressed the importance of adequate nutritional food for children to facilitate growth, development and to reduce risk of diseases.

According to her, “child’s nutrition is very important, what the child takes from the first 1,000 days has a lot to do with the life of that child, even to adulthood and old age.

“So it is very important that children should be well fed and given adequate diet that contains all the nutrients in appropriate proportion.

“Children should be given appropriate food that contains vegetables, fruits, minerals, vitamins and cereals as part of their daily diets to enhance their growth.’’

Akukchie also stressed the need for children’s food to vary from carbohydrates, protein, minerals, rather than giving them a particular meal with the same nutritional value.

“Children’s foods should be varied. They must not take one particular food from morning till night, their food should contain protein, carbohydrates, minerals, fruits and vegetables.’’

She also advised parents to stop giving children junk and carbonated drinks to school, emphasizing on a well balanced diet and natural drinks.