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What is a balance diet? |
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Differing advice and warnings are given about the correct diet for both adults and children. It is important that a diet contains all types of food. Given a normal varied diet, it is unlikely that any dietary deficiency will occur. There is no advantage in giving children extra protein since a normal diet will contain an excess of protein. A varied diet usually contains enough vitamins, but two groups of children are potentially liable to vitamin deficiency. All children should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to ensure they are getting adequate fiber in their diet.
Growth is rapid in infancy, and children need relatively large amounts of different vitamins. Milk powder are fortified with vitamins, but breast fed babies and infants on mixed feeding should be given vitamins supplements until the age 0f two years. Suitable multi-vitamins preparations are obtainable from child health clinics or doctors.
Asian diets may be rather low in vitamin D. When requirements for the vitamin are high, in infancy, during puberty, and in pregnancy, deficiency can occur. Milk, butter, margarine and meat are good dietary source of the vitamin, but some children vitamin supplements are advisable up to the age of five years and during the puberty growth spurt.
Sugar in the diet is a cause of dental caries (tooth decay). Sweets and candy are almost pure sugar, so are particularly damaging to teeth. Biscuits, cakes, and soft drinks also contain large amount of sugar, and the amount should be restricted.
In affluent countries a great deal of fat is eaten daily. Ordinary fat (so call saturated fat) tends to raise the level of cholesterol in the blood. In adults it therefore seems prudent to make a modest reduction in the amount of ordinary diet fat. The polyunsaturated fats (such as corn, sunflower, sunflower oils and their products) tend to lower blood cholesterol. As for children, healthy eating habits established early will often persist into adulthood.
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