Rich fruit and vegetable diet cause damage to toddler

Nutritionists in UK have found that feeding children with fruit and vegetable is no more healthy but rather such diet damages their health.

The team made an important observation while studying trading standards of meals across East Sussex, in which they observed that menu in nurseries is not regulated and the diet include too much fiber and too less fat.

Sarah Almond, a consultant pediatric dietician and a guest lecture on child’s health on Brighton University, evaluated the study and said, “Nurseries are applying the principles of adult healthy eating to the food they are supplying to young children.”

“We expected the study to show nurseries were serving children food that was too high in calories, fat, saturated fat and salt, and low in vegetables and fruit,” she added.

“Instead, we found that the majority of nurseries had gone to the other extreme and appeared to be providing food that was too low in calories, fat and saturated fat, and too high in fruit and vegetables,” she observed further.

She later explained that toddler’s bodies need energy rich foods and must be accompanied with small meals and snacks throughout the day as they cannot eat much because of small stomach and under developed gut.

Neil Leitch, the campaign director of the Feeding Young Imaginations initiative run by the Pre-School Learning Alliance, said, “The majority of nurseries are confused or misinformed about what entails healthy eating for the under-five age group.”

“They are over-focusing on the message about eating five portions of fruit and vegetable a day and forgetting that it is completely inappropriate to simply puree a meal that would be healthy for a four-year-old and feed it to a two-year-old,” he added.

The nutritionist warned that too much fiber and too little fat can lead to vitamin deficiencies and stunted growth in children under five, they emphasised that such diets with high fiber and law fat is suitable for only for adults.

This study will enlighten parents and teachers who without knowing the science behind it provided toddlers, diet rich in fruit and vegetables without any fat content only to cause them more damage.

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