It is the time where there is a development of cognitive skills, bone mineralization occur and lifelong eating patterns are developed due to which nutritional requirements are high. As the apparently healthy looking child can may have nutritional deficiencies like vitamin-A, vitamin-B6, B2, folate and calcium.

Nutrition For School Age Children

NUTRITION FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN (6 T0 12 AGE):     

As the children of this age group have to choose their meal from canteens and lunch boxes. So a high care are required in order to prevent a children from bad food selections. Food choices of a children are highly depend on family food choices. A family must have a healthy food selections and a variety of food according to food pyramid.

The nutritional  guidelines for a child of this age can may be the:

  •          Provide a variety in meals and in lunch boxes in a colorful and appealing way. Avoid monotony. A healthy lunch box can prevent a child from having an unhealthy and processed food from canteens.
  •           Encourage your children to have a healthy selection of their snacks than fried and unhealthy snacks like fries, crisps etc.
  •          Physical activity is highly recommended. It prevent a child from gaining over weight.
  •           Provide a plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products.
  •           Limit sugar and salt.
  •           Must encourage the child to eat with the family. It has a psychological impact on a child mental health and food selection.
  •           Never skip breakfast.
  •           Avoid to serve food in front of TV. It may leads to over intake or under intake of food.
  •       A higher than desirable weight at this age group can may lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, increase blood cholesterols or triglycerides values.

Vegetables

3-5 servings per day.

Fruits

2-4 servings of a day.

Whole grains

6-11 servings of a day

Proteins

2-3 servings of a day.

Dairy products

2-3 servings of a day.

Zinc

Zinc is a mineral plays a vital role in improving a child memory and school performance.

Water

6-8 glasses of water each day.

Healthy fat

Healthy fat are also important for proper child growth and development. These includes fats from canola oils, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in fishes.

 

COMMON NUTRITION PROBLEMS OF A SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN’S:

Some of the common nutritional problems that a school going children’s facing are:

Obesity:

Obesity is considered as on its peak in school going children’s which are the cause of loss of self-esteem and self-confidence in these child’s. The cause can may be the irregular pattern of diets and low physical activity. Obesity are one of the major issues in developed countries. As obesity are the early sign and symptom of CVD’s in a child in future.

Eating disorders:

There are a lot of cases reported in which school going children are highly reported with anorexia and bulimia and highly prevailing in girls than boys. Recent survey in different hostels of Gilgit Baltistan shows that most of the girls are not having a food of two big meals in a day just because they do not want to gain weight and wants to shows themselves extremely thin. Due this abnormal eating patterns they are having high nutritional deficiencies like anemia, loss of interest in studies, feeling tired whole day and cannot concentrate to the any activity of the day.

Anemia:

Anemia can be characterized as the low level of iron, hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. As iron can be considered as the key nutrients for the transportation of oxygen to the overall body parts. If there is a deficiency of this iron than it may lead to the abnormal functions of overall body system. In order to prevent this disease a person is given with course of iron supplements.

Campaigns in Gilgit Baltistan in order to improve the health conditions of school going students:

Launches free meal for school going students:

Government of Gilgit Baltistan first time launches free meals for the children of school going age. As this will improve the health and nutritional status of a child and in addition it also attract the students towards school. This scheme was first time introduced by the Prime minister of Gilgit Baltistan Khalid Khurshid. He said that this program or initiative will improve child health and well-being and also encourage the enrollment of students in school "our goal is to make public schools more attractive than government schools". 

Awareness sessions by NHO(nutritional health organization GB chapter):

This organization performs awareness sessions in different schools and colleges in order to educate the children about basic health nutrition and to make them aware about healthy food selections so that they can themselves select a healthy and nutritious meal.
NHO done awareness sessions in about 12 different private and public schools of GB.