If you've already become a habit, unhealthy way of eating will be difficult to change. Therefore, to prevent obesity and a variety of complications, following a healthy eating should begin to get used to since childhood.
Some myths which often lead to wrong habits or unhealthy eating patterns in children. One example is that many parents take breakfast before going to school is not important because it can make kids fatter faster.
Dr. Saptawati Bardosono, a nutritionist from the Indonesian Medical Association Physician Nutrition (PDGMI) insists there is no research that proves that breakfast makes fat. Precisely with breakfast, the concentration of children in better schools so that academic achievement increases.
Eating right and healthy for children according to Dr Barbara, as he is usually called, is as follows.
1. Regular eating schedule
Since childhood, the child should be accustomed to eating before you feel hungry and stop before completely full. Feeding schedule as much as possible should be regularly and do not skip meals, especially breakfast.
2. Eat small meals but often
Avoid eating excessive portions, because it would burden the digestive system and can lead to metabolic disorders. A healthier diet is to eat little but often.
3. Avoid eating while on the move
Like when you're learning, children also have to maintain concentration while eating. Try not to eat while watching TV, reading books or joking with friends because it can quickly come back hungry.
4. Food should be chewed completely
Basically, chewing is a physical process of digestion that still will be followed by chemical digestion by enzymes in the stomach and intestines. Do not rush, because the perfect physical digestion in the mouth will greatly alleviate the action of the enzyme.
5. Balance with sport and physical activity
Overweight in children is triggered by an imbalance between caloric intake in food by burning through physical activity. The more food portions, exercise or physical play should be increased while watching TV and playing video games should be reduced.
As for snacks or light meals, Dr. Tati advised not to consume foods that contain lots of calories, salt and fat. All three of these components can lead to various diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Burgers and fried foods are not recommended because of high fat and calories, while a more healthy is fruit, wheat bread and beans.Milk is also healthy, but should be chosen that are low fat and lactose not to cause obesity.
"Our research results indicate that one of the main sources of excess sugar intake in children are milk," said Dr. Barbara in parenting classes themed event Selecting Food and Nutrition Healthy Children, Sunday (19/06/2011).