During holidays, children often experience nutritional imbalances due to disruptions in their regular routines. Let’s explore four rules to maintain a balanced diet for children during the upcoming holiday season!
1 Incorporate More Fruits and Vegetables
Each day, parents should ensure their children consume three main meals and two snacks, balancing four key nutrient groups: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and minerals. Especially during festive periods, focus on including fruits and vegetables.
Many children tend to dislike green vegetables and prefer fried, oily snacks, leading to a lack of fiber in their diet and potential constipation.
To encourage children to eat more vegetables, parents should involve them in the cooking process and experiment with diverse and appealing dishes.
Incorporate More Fruits and Vegetables
2 Limit Unhealthy Fast Food
During busy holiday periods, parents may not have as much time to prepare meals for their children. As a result, children often resort to fast food like burgers, fries, and sugary drinks, which are unhealthy and contribute to obesity and diabetes.
Therefore, parents should strive to maintain a healthy diet for their children, limiting fast food and prioritizing hygiene to safeguard their health.
Limit Unhealthy Fast Food
3 Maintain a Consistent Routine
During the holidays, children’s routines may be disrupted due to travel or visiting relatives. As a result, they may stay up late, wake up later, eat at irregular times, or skip meals and naps.
However, parents should try to organize activities reasonably to minimize disruptions to their children’s schedules. Ensure your child goes to bed and wakes up at their regular times, and don’t skip their afternoon nap.
Maintain a Consistent Routine
4 Encourage Physical Activity
With extended holidays, children may become sedentary, spending more time relaxing, watching TV, or using their phones. This can lead to a sluggish and inactive state.
Parents should motivate their children to stay active by waking up early, exercising together, or engaging in simple activities like gardening or cooking.
Encourage Physical Activity
These four rules will help ensure your children maintain a balanced diet during the upcoming holiday season, allowing them to stay healthy and enjoy their holidays without worrying about falling ill.
Source: Vietnamese Women’s Newspaper