Did you know that 1.5 cups of fruits, 2.5 cups of vegetables, 170 gm of grains, 140 gm of proteins, and 3 cups of dairy products are needed per day for proper nutrition of children aged up to 10 years? School kids were welcomed to Nutrifest, where they had a fun-cum-educational tutorial on the importance of ‘Nutrition in Children’.
The event was organised by The Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Marathalli, on Tuesday. The children were engaged in a variety of activities ranging from poster competition on the theme titled ‘What I eat in a day, Know your nutrients exhibition.’ Speaking on the occasion, Neeraj Lal, vicepresident and cluster head of Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Bengaluru, said, “Every kid deserves a healthy life and these habits will lead the kids to a healthy adult life.” During the programme, the doctors said consumption of fruits was very important and should be at least half a cup every day.
Instead of giving aerated or artificial fruit juice to the kids, parents should offer natural fruit juice. Also, experts suggest that they should have at least two-and-a-half cups of vegetables every day, since they give the required vitamins and energy. Parents were advised to choose different coloured vegetables in the platter so that the kids can eat it willingly.
The doctors also suggested that the intake of grains should be around 170 grams per day as they give the required energy to play and study. They also said parents should opt for whole grains, and at least 140 grams of protein-rich food a day should be provided to kids as protein builds stronger muscles and bones.