Getting a child to eat a nutritious and balanced diet is a hurdle most parents go through.
Indeed, how do you make vegetables and fruits more enticing than chips, french fries, popcorn and doughnuts, which have already become more of a staple in every kid’s diet?
While these kinds of food are not entirely harmful when eaten in moderation, the concern lies mostly in striking that healthy balance that would ensure your child gets the right nutrition.
To help address this growing concern, Wyeth Philippines, makers of Aqiva, a powdered milk drink for children, recently hosted an intimate and interactive cooking session dubbed as “Treat for Tots,” wherein moms were taught to prepare healthy yet delicious meals.
Nutritious meals
The event showcased recipes that could help empower moms to bridge the nutrition gap while children are still going through the so-called picky-eating phase.
Wyeth nutritionist Mary Jude Icasiano noted that nutritious meals do play a crucial role in securing a child’s health.
“There are many treats for tots that can eventually help train children eat nutritious meals. Children should definitely be getting the right amount of protein, nutrients, vitamins and healthy fats and carbohydrates which is crucial in their development and health both at the present and in the future,” Icasiano said.
Icasiano, however, reminded parents not to force-feed the child.
“Do not force your child to eat, especially if he’s/she’s not fond of the food being served. You can introduce the necessary foods slowly. A good start is to ask the child to just allow a small portion of food to sit on his/her plate. And be a good role model, make sure your child sees you’re enjoying the food that you’re introducing to him/her,” she explained.
She further noted that parents should involve children in food discussions, planning, buying and preparation. It would be good if the child is exposed to nutritious food as this will make him or her more interested with these kinds of food, she added.
Recipes
Meanwhile, culinary expert chef Carina Guevara also shared recipes for healthy spaghetti and baked fish/chicken fingers, which she said were still nutritious and yet, fun to eat and are appealing to kids.
“These treats for tots are enticing to the eyes and have that inviting smell to attract children,” Guevara shared.
The spaghetti that Guevara prepared contained broccoli, peas and spinach that would hardly be noticed by the kids since these were well-hidden and laced with tomato sauce. The baked chicken/fish fingers batter, on the other hand, was made of oats and graham, which according to Guevara, was also healthy and delicious.
“Meals prepared like these will definitely draw and encourage young ones to take a variety of healthy yet tasty foods,” Guevara added.
Bridging the nutrition gap
But to really ensure that the children will get the much-needed daily dose of nutrition, Wyeth Philippines believes it is also essential for parents to get their kids to drink milk, like Aqiva.
“With Aqiva, moms are now more empowered to help their children get the nutrition they need as they bridge the nutrition gap that unhealthy eating habits can bring,” said Aqiva senior product manager Carlo de la Paz.
“Parents are assured that their children’s nutrition will be supplemented since Aqiva helps fill the nutritional gaps in their child’s health as he/she goes through this ‘unhealthy eating’ phase,” De la Paz added.
Aqiva, a nutrient-enriched milk supplement from Wyeth, the country’s leader in pediatric nutrition, is designed to fill the nutritional gaps of children aged 4 years and older. It is formulated with “Adequate, Quality and Important” (A.Q.I.) nutrients that help ensure balanced nutrition.
AQIVA, which comes in vanilla flavor, contains more than 40 ingredients including 25 essential nutrients, to help provide a growing child with proper nutrition at the stage when his/her diet is not always nutritionally complete.