Positive Parenting
By Assoc Prof Dr Norimah A. Karim

DO you often worry whether your child is well-nourished? You are like millions of mums out there who share the same concern. As a parent, I know how distressing it can be. Here are some common concerns that were raised during a recent Positive Parenting Nutrition Seminar.

How much milk should a child consume?

If children are between the ages of two and six years, it is advisable to give them one or two cups/glasses of fresh or powdered milk a day (our regular cup or glass is about 240ml-250ml).

As children's stomachs are very small, sometimes they may not be able to drink the whole cup in a go. So, give one third or half a cup at a time. If your children do not like the taste of powdered milk, try hiding it by adding a little chocolate or cocoa powder.

Alternatively, you can give flavoured milk off the supermarket shelves; it is quite similar to white milk except for being sweeter. As long as your child is not diabetic, it is alright to consume it.

My child likes to eat instant noodles. How can I improve the nutritional contents whenever I serve a bowl of these noodles?

If you serve just the noodles, flavouring and water, your child will only get carbohydrate and a lot of MSG. So to improve the nutrition in instant noodles, porridge, fried rice or mee goreng, add on one boiled egg and small chunks of chicken and fish.

Try adding colours to the dishes by putting in vegetables like carrots, cabbage or leafy green vegetable. It would be advisable to cook instant noodles not more than three times a week. Just ensure that every time you cook it, add different protein like eggs, chicken and fish and different types of vegetable.

By doing so, your child is will get a variety of meat and vegetables as well as the different natural flavours.

Is it OK to serve only very soft food to my child as he dislikes crunchy foods?

Texture is very important when it comes to food. Once your child's teeth start to grow, you should slowly add different textured food into the meals by the time they reach the age of two.

The child will then slowly get used to it. Do not only give pureed food until the age of five. Pureed food is meant only for infants.

How can I substitute meat if my child dislikes meat in any form except if it is mashed or cubed?

Chicken is not the only source of protein. There are egg, fish, tempeh, soya and taufu. Children sometimes dislike meat because they are not used to the texture when it is first introduced to them. So do cook meat tender enough for them to chew, especially for young children. You can substitute with others like fish and egg.

If my child is below 10, how much protein, carbohydrate and vegetables should be consumed?

You can refer to the food guide pyramid to know how much to feed your child. For carbohydrate, it is recommended that they take between six to 10 servings per day. This depends on the age of the child and also on how active they are.

If the child is very active and older, they would require a bigger serving size. One piece of bread, half cup of rice or one bowl of rice is considered one serving size.

Basically, six to 10 servings per day of rice, divide it for lunch, for dinner, that's already like six servings, which is about two plates of rice. As for protein, the normal serving would be one medium size ikan kembong or one drumstick. If we buy fruits at a stall, one slice of papaya, one apple and one medium banana is one serving.

For vegetables, half a cup of cooked vegetables equals to one serving.

Follow the BMV

The BMV approach to feeding a child can help guide you when feeding your child.

Balance - have balanced meals coupled with physical activity to encourage a healthy weight.

Moderation - ensure he eats food in moderation to maintain adequate caloric intake to support normal growth and development.

Variety - ensure a wide variety of foods from different food groups in his diet.

A way to apply BMV is to follow the food guide pyramid for children to help you create balanced, moderate and full of variety meals for your child.

Cereals and cereal products: Rice, noodles, bread, cereals and tubers are good choices of carbs. Spread the portions of these throughout the day. Do choose high-fibre breads and cereals. Also, resort to low-fat cooking to cook these.

Fruits and vegetables: Start serving children a variety of these at an early age. Add bright-coloured vegetables to make the dish look attractive and appetizing. This also applies to fruits depending on the dish you wish to prepare.

Milk and dairy products: Cultivate the habit of drinking milk daily in your children. Children aged from two to six years old will need at least two glasses of milk a day.

Meat (including chicken and fish): Choose lean meat, trim the fat away and resort to low-fat cooking methods for meats. Also, serve him meat once for lunch and the other for dinner to spread out his meat intake.

Feeding your child right can be challenging at first but rewarding in the end. Your child will grow healthily and normally. You would not need to worry about his eating habits any more even when he grows up. Remember that starting your child on a balanced and healthy diet ensures a brighter future for him.

> This article is courtesy of Positive Parenting Nutrition Programme by Malaysian Paediatric Association in collaboration with Nutrition Society of Malaysia and supported by an educational grant from Abbott Nutrition International. For more information, please visit www.mypositiveparenting.org.

The Star/Asia News Network

This story was first published in The Star on Oct 12, 2008.