
Nutrition is vital to child growth. According to UNICEF, malnutrition threatens to destroy a generation in Uganda. More than one-third of all young children – 2.4 million – are stunted.
Malnutrition was common among the poor, but it now affects both the poor and the rich. Parents are either too poor to provide for their children or do not know healthy diets to give children.
Getting children to eat nutritious foods is difficult because they prefer fast foods to home-cooked foods. It is a good habit to teach children to eat healthy foods to stay healthy, and strong. It also helps to establish healthy eating habits in the children.
Consider feeding your child these foods for proper child growth.
Milk; Milk is essential for child growth from six months and above. Milk is rich in proteins, and it helps develop healthy bones and regulate blood pressure.
Eggs; Eggs are nutritious in proteins, iron, Vitamin A, D, E, and B12. Boiled are the best. Feed your child two to three boiled eggs per week.
Vegetables; It is important to feed children vegetables. Spinach, cabbage, and Amaranth (dodo) are a few vegetables children can eat.
⦁ Spinach rich in calcium and potassium
⦁ Cabbage is a source of fibre
⦁ Amaranth (Dodo) has high calcium.
Meat: Meat is rich in Zinc, iron, fats and proteins. Other animal foods are good and help children grow strong and smart.
Millet porridge; Millet is rich in fibre, proteins, carbohydrates and Vitamin B12. Porridge is for both babies 6-months above and children.
Posho; Posho is known as Ugali in Swahili. It is a source of carbohydrates.
Other important foods to include in children’s diet include:
- Sweat and Irish potatoes
- Yams
- Eggplants
- Rice
- Beans
- Pumpkin leafs
Children should eat fruits every day to get vitamins and other multiple health benefits.
Eat any of these fruits every day.
- Pineapples
- Apples
- Watermelon
- Oranges and passion fruits.
- Ripe mangoes
- Pumpkin
- Bananas
- Avacado