Ensuring the comprehensive development of your children through healthy habits at home is important to enhance their physical and mental abilities.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of children and adolescents between 5 and 19 years of age who are obese has increased tenfold worldwide in the last four decadesHence the importance of ensuring the well-being of your children, paying special attention to their eating habits.

Keep in mind that if they do not have a proper diet, Your children are vulnerable to different situations related to their physical and mental health, such as malnutrition, sedentary lifestyle and hyperactivity.

In addition, healthy children and young people They learn better, are stronger and more productive.. For this reason, we invite you to take care of the food you consume on a daily basis, following the recommendations of the WHO:

● Include fresh, varied and natural foods in your diet:
❖ Lean meats such as fish, chicken, turkey, some cuts of lamb, pork and beef.
❖ Eggs and dairy.
❖ Bread, cereals, rice, potatoes, pasta.

● Make sure they consume five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

❖ They must be present at all meals.
❖ They are a good option as a snack.

● Reduce your total fat intake to less than 30% of caloric intake.

❖ Replace saturated fats and trans fats with unsaturated fats.

To reduce fat intake, especially industrially produced saturated fats and trans fats:

❖ Steam or boil foods instead of frying them.
❖ Replace butter, lard and ghee with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean, canola, corn and sunflower oils.
❖ Give them skimmed dairy products and lean meats.
❖ Limit your consumption of fried foods, as well as snacks and packaged foods.

● Most people consumes high amounts of sodium and does not consume enough potassium. Look for:

❖ Limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments when cooking and preparing foods.
❖ Give them products with lower sodium content.
❖ Increase your potassium intake by eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

● Reduce your consumption of free sugars less than 10% of total caloric intake.

❖ Excess calories from foods and drinks with a high sugar content contribute to weight gain.

To reduce sugar intake in children and young people:

● Limit your consumption of foods and drinks with high sugar content, for example, snacks, sugary drinks, and candy.
● Offer them, as a snack, raw fruits and vegetables instead of sugary products.

Likewise, experts from the Stanford Children's Health, share the following nutrition tips for you to put into practice:

● Establish regular meal times with social interaction and demonstrations of healthy eating behaviors.
● Involve your children in selecting and preparing meals, and teach them to make healthy choices about what they eat.
● Avoid processed foods at the table.
● Provide appropriate portion sizes for your children, taking into account their physical characteristics.
● To avoid dehydration, encourage your children to drink water regularly.

Remember to establish healthy eating routines at home. If you do, you will be contributing to the formation of healthy and happy human beings. Take care of your family!

Sources:
● World Health Organization.
● Manual on food and nutrition for the population throughout the life course. Mayor's Office of Medellín.
● Stanford Children's Health.