Despite the improvement of our standard of living, children and adolescents on the mainland are facing a severe double malnutrition challenge. Double malnutrition refers to the coexistence of insufficient nutrient intake and overnutrient intake, resulting in the simultaneous occurrence of two extreme nutritional problems: nutritional deficiency disease, malnutrition, overweight and obesity, and overnutrition.
Want to eat well
These are the problems to be avoided
The crux of double malnutrition in children and adolescents is closely related to diet, and according to the recommendations of the dietary guidelines for children in mainland China, the following problems are mainly present in children's diet in real life.
1. There are more refined grains and less coarse grains and potatoes.
When it comes to staple foods, some children tend to have an overly biased preference for refined cereals. These staple foods not only make your child gain weight, but may also increase their risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia in the future.
2. Vegetable intake is seriously insufficient.
Vegetables are like "coptis" to some children. Either due to the bland taste or the unchewable taste, whether it is an infant or a school-age child, the intake of vegetables is much larger than the recommended amount of the guidelines (100~300 g/day for 2~5 years old; 6~17 years old: 400~500 g/day). Dietary fiber deficiency can lead to constipation, food accumulation, and micronutrient deficiencies.
3. The intake of milk and beans is not up to standard, and the big fish and meat are overrun.
Many parents are aware of the importance of milk to children's health, but a large-scale population survey shows that the milk intake of mainland residents is difficult to reach the recommended daily amount of 300 grams in the dietary guidelines. Inadequate milk intake reduces calcium intake, and bone health is not guaranteed. Studies have found that supplementing growing and developing children and adolescents with milk can help increase height and bone mass. Studies have also shown that osteoporosis and fractures in old age are associated with low milk intake in childhood and adolescence.
Therefore, it is recommended that preschool children consume 350~500 ml of milk per day, and school-age children consume about 300 ml of milk per day. Children who are lactose intolerant can choose yogurt or soothing milk, and overweight and obese children are best served with low-fat or skim milk.
The intake of legumes for children in mainland China is also much lower than the recommended intake (15~25 g/day for dried beans, equivalent to 30~50 g/day for northern tofu). In their daily diet, children consume more and more meat, often exceeding the recommended amount recommended by the guidelines (50~75 g/day for 2~5 years old; 6~17 years old: 100~150 g/day). Soybean products are not only high in high-quality protein, but also have a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. Increasing the intake of legumes can avoid the risk of obesity caused by excessive intake of animal foods to a certain extent, and effectively prevent the occurrence of chronic diseases.
4. Excessive or single cooking oil.
School-age children are susceptible to excessive intake of cooking oil. On the one hand, it is due to the large amount of oil used in cooking methods such as frying, stir-frying, and frying, and on the other hand, it is due to excessive oil intake caused by excessive snacks. Excessive fat intake in children also increases the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. Therefore, parents should control oil in their cooking and diet.
Children's daily diet is also prone to the problem of too single intake of cooking oil. For example, some parents think olive oil is good, and the whole family, young and old, only uses olive oil. Olive oil does have a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, but its essential fatty acid content is not as high as that of soybean oil. Therefore, food diversification does not only refer to fruits and vegetables, but also cooking oils, so it is recommended that you try to buy various types of vegetable oils in small packages to ensure the diversification of edible oils.
5. If the water intake is insufficient, drink instead of water.
Some children don't like to drink plain water, so they use drinks instead of drinking water. But more than half of the drinks on the mainland are sugar-sweetened beverages. Excessive intake of sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of dental caries, overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and other diseases in children. Even zero-calorie, sugar-free beverages increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events.
Therefore, children of all ages should develop good drinking habits, and no drink can replace drinking plain water. Children aged 2~5 years old should drink 600~800ml of water every day; Adolescents aged 6~17 should drink 1000~1500ml of water every day.
Correct poor eating behaviors
Strengthen nutrition and health education
Helping children and adolescents develop healthy eating habits can not only improve the nutritional status of children and adolescents, but also help them reach their full growth potential. Specific eating habits can be slowly cultivated from the following aspects.
1. Parents should ensure that their children eat regularly, do not add high-energy snacks and drinks between meals, and the interval between meals is about 4~5 hours. Meals should be eaten for no less than 20 minutes and no more than 40 minutes.
2. Parents should correct children's picky eating and picky eating behaviors, and guide children to eat correctly by changing the pattern and taste of food.
3. Eliminate distracting behaviors during meals, such as watching TV, playing with mobile phones, etc. Parents should maintain good eating behavior, set an example for their children, and do not criticize and educate their children at the dinner table.
4. Some adolescent girls blindly diet in pursuit of slimness, resulting in metabolic disorders, and even anorexia nervosa in severe cases. Parents and schools should strengthen guidance for adolescent girls, establish a correct understanding of body shape, adapt to the changes in adolescent body shape, and maintain a reasonable increase in weight.
5. Teach your child to know food correctly. Children and adolescents should start by understanding food, understanding relevant nutritional knowledge, learning to choose and mix food reasonably, and developing healthy eating behaviors.
6. Create a good dining environment. Encourage children and adolescents to participate in the preparation and cooking of food. Participating in the food preparation process allows children to develop their hands-on skills and also strengthens the bond between family members. During the meal, maintaining a happy and comfortable environment can better promote the digestion and absorption of food.
7. Learn to read food labels and choose healthy snacks correctly. Parents and children should learn to check the nutrition label information on food packaging when buying snacks, and try to choose snacks that are low in salt, fat and sugar. Parents should cultivate the habit of children eating less or no snacks that are high in salt, sugar and fat. Fruits and fresh vegetables that can be eaten raw, milk and nuts are preferred snacks for children.
Text: Pan Changlu, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University
Editor: Mu Xinyu Yang Zhenyu
Proofreader: Li Shiyao
Review: Qin Mingrui, Xu Bingnan
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