The environment for raising awareness about heart health starts from childhood. Awareness about food types, types of fat and active lifestyle must be inculcated in not only the parents but also the children.

The American academy of pediatrics recommends less than 30% of total calories should come from fat for children > 2 years. Younger children should not be in any fat restricted diet unless their doctors have advised so.

Red flag signs

• If your healthcare provider expresses concern over growth centiles which are not age appropriate i.e if the BMI shoots up or child is consistently in the ‘over weight ‘ or obese category
• If the child appears breathless while doing normal activities
• Complains of chest pain and palpitations
• Dizziness or fainting spells
• Swollen feet or ankles

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Lakshmy Menon, Consultant Neonatologist and Pediatrician at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals in Bengaluru's Bellandur, shared, “The choices one makes for our child help in determining their heart health as an adult. Mothers are advised to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months and subsequently continue feeding if possible at least upto 1 year. Introducing complementary or weaning foods is usually done at 6 months unless the doctor advises otherwise.”

She revealed, “Introducing different groups of food, in the correct order and controlling portion sizes helps in keeping the child healthy. Understanding cues for hunger and satiety and helping the child understand the same and respecting when the child does not want to eat , is important for developing healthy eating habits. Structured meal times and focusing on the food, eating with the family are techniques that help the child with mealtimes. As they grow older, introduce the concept of ‘my plate’.”

My plate comprises of 5 categories of food -

1. Whole grains - wheat, rice, cornmeal, millets are included in this. Make at least ½ the grains the family consumes to be whole grain only

2. Vegetables - vary the daily vegetables. Use a mix of green/ red/ yellow vegetables and use seasonal variety to optimise the intake. At least ½ the plate should have vegetables

3. Fruits - 1 portion of fruits to be included in daily diet. Vary according to season. The AAP does not recommend fruit juices to > 1-year children and limits to 4 oz between 1-3 years

4. Dairy - products like curd/ portion of milk/ paneer are also included in this plate.

5. Protein- can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Nonveg sources include lean meat/ egg. And Veg sources include dals/peas/beans etc. No portions of oil/ ghee but maybe used for preparation and moderately. The total calories according to ICMR is about 2000kcal/ day for a child with no medical condition. It varies according to the activity involved and age.

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