Proposal to promote healthy nutrition in children and adolescents

Children go through several physical, psychological, and biological factors during their transition from childhood to the adolescent stage; for this reason, health experts propose to promote a healthy dietary pattern. It has been scientifically proven that for a child to accept a new type of food, it can take up to 10 meals for his/her brain to assimilate it and begin to create a positive habit. Having this in mind, they propose several strategies to reduce the risk of becoming overweight and obese, as well as developing further chronic degenerative diseases, such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Among the strategies that nutrition experts have recommended are:

Shared meals: during the first stage of life, shared meals have a great impact on the development of healthy habits and dietary practices. Making nutrient-rich foods and beverages part of the normal household mealtime routine helps children engage in healthy behaviors.

Snacks: nutrient-rich snack foods, such as fruits or vegetables help contribute to a healthy diet for children.

Food decisions: adults should involve children in age-adequate meal decisions, as well as in food shopping and preparation.

Beverage selection: decreasing and/or avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages in children will help to achieve a healthy dietary habit.

Written by Jennefer Iveth Mercado Cerda. Student of the Master of Public Health, Bachelor of Public Health, Researcher in the Department of Development at CidVID.

Source: Dennis Anderson Villaluz. (2021, March). Giving Children and Adolescents a Healthy Start Through Nutrition. Oficina de Prevención de Enfermedades y Promoción de La Salud. https://health.gov/news/202103/giving-children-and-adolescents-healthy-startthrough-nutrition