Did you know that nearly 1 in 2 parents in Singapore say their child is a picky eater?

Being picky about food and having poor eating habits may mean that the child is not consuming a healthy, balanced diet. Over time, he or she could lose out in terms of growth and also lack the intake of nutrients essential for optimal physical and mental development.

What a balanced meal looks like

According to the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) My Healthy Plate, a balanced meal should consist of:

• Half a plate of Fruit and Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables provide fibre, vitamins and minerals. Go for different varieties, including dark green leafy vegetables and brightly-coloured fruits and vegetable.

• A quarter plate of Whole-grains

Being more nutritious than their refined counterparts, some examples of wholegrain food are brown rice, oats, wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta and chapatti.

• A quarter plate of Meat and Others

This category includes meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, beans, nuts and dairy products. Note that low-fat or non-fat milk and dairy products are not suitable for children below the age of 2 years, as they have higher energy needs for rapid growth.

Keeping track of your child’s diet

Here’s something useful to help you find out if your child is consuming a balanced diet: the PediaSure-Nutritrac™ tool. This unique online tool is developed with the local diet in mind, based on dietary recommendations by HPB. It enables parents to identify potential dietary gaps and provides tips to help improve their child’s diet and achieve daily nutritional goals.

Try out PediaSure-Nutritrac™ today!

How does PediaSure-NutriTrac™ work?

PediaSure-Nutritrac™ calculates the calorie needs of a child and estimates the number of servings that he or she needs from the different food groups, and then checks if the the recommended calories and food group servings are met (based on food intake data that parents have inputted). Requirements are tailored according to the child’s age, gender, weight and activity level – this is important since the calorie and nutrient needs of children vary at different life stages.

Peace of mind with PediaSure®

Once you have a better understanding of your child’s current diet, you can take the necessary steps to improve it – perhaps by making changes to family meals or educating your child to choose healthier food options outside of home. In the meantime, you may wish to consider including PediaSure® as a supplement to your child’s daily meals to help fill nutritional gaps, especially if you have concerns about his or her growth.

Click here to try out PediaSure-Nutritrac™ today!

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