INVESTING ON NUTRITION

JOAN N. MIRANDA

Kids could not learn on an empty stomach. Not by a long shot. According to the National Nutrition Council (NNC), good nutrition plays a crucial role in child development.

The NNC advises children to eat a variety of nutritious meals every day – the go, grow, glow foods. Go foods gives energy, grow food is needed for tissue and muscle development, while glow foods are necessary for body regulation and protection.

The NNC is also reminding school kids not to skip meals, especially breakfast and avoid food high in salt, fat, or sugar.

They advise parents to prepare nutritious snacks for their kids like boiled banana, cassava, sweet potato, corn, peanuts, fresh fruits, sandwiches, milk, fresh fruit juices.

Meanwhile, there is a need to check food labels when doing grocery shopping for nutritional content information.

Children should also be engaged in physical and creative activities, and eat and sleep on time.

It’s saddening to note that one of the leading causes of hunger in the country is poverty. A lot of families cannot afford nutritious meals. This compromises the health of family members, especially the children, which in turn limits their opportunities for school.

Malnourished children, studies show, may grow up to become unhealthy parents – and in adulthood, would repeat the same poverty cycle and affect their future children. When these problems manifest, then they would probably drop out of school.

This is why we should invest on our children’s nutrition – and this begins at home, where parents are expected to provide the basic needs of their children, including clean, sufficient, and nutritious food.

But the government plays a role, too. They must educate and support its people, especially the poor who are most vulnerable to hunger.

And this is where the schools come in – where they can be given nutritious food through the Gulayan sa Paaralan program.

According to Unicef, “well-nourished children perform better in school, grow into healthier adults and are able to give their own children a better start in life.” — oOo—

The author is Teacher III at Mauaque Resettlement Elementary School, Mabalacat City, Pampanga