What should children eat to maintain growth momentum during Tet?

Maintaining a balanced menu of 4 food groups, ensuring enough meals and food quantity, prioritizing foods that support growth are things to keep in mind for children during Tet.

Children often have an unbalanced diet during Tet, leading to an excess of one nutrient and a deficiency of another. Master, Doctor Nguyen Anh Duy Tung, Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System, said that children's growth rate may slow down during these days.

Children who lose or gain weight during Tet can be malnourished. For example, children who eat a lot of banh chung, gio thu, candies, and drink soft drinks will take in excess protein, fat, starch, and sugar but lack vitamins and minerals, making them prone to weight gain. Malnutrition becomes more severe in underweight, stunted children who eat carelessly and skip meals.

Children with short-term nutritional problems also affect and inhibit optimal growth rate. Dr. Tung gives some nutritional tips for children for parents to refer to.

Balanced diet with 4 groups of nutrients : Children's Tet meals still need to balance 4 groups of nutrients including starch (rice, porridge, beans, tubers, seeds); protein (meat, fish, eggs, seafood, soybeans), fat (fat, vegetable oil, butter); vitamins, minerals (green vegetables, fruits).

Maintain main and side meals : During Tet, parents should try to maintain their children's main meals without changing too much compared to normal days. Children should have at least one main meal a day with enough salty dishes, soup, stir-fry. Parents can change their children's side meals with dishes that their children love but are varied to provide all the essential nutrients.

Children eat enough meals and balance nutrients to ensure comprehensive development. Photo: Freepik — Children eat enough meals and balance nutrients to ensure comprehensive development. Photo: *Freepik*

Maintain food and milk intake : Parents should give their children the same amount of food as usual or consult a nutritionist. Children should avoid eating too much and should drink milk regularly, with an average of about 4-5 units per day (one unit of milk is equivalent to 100 ml of milk or 100 ml of yogurt, 15 g of cheese).

Prioritize good foods : Recommended foods for children during Tet include pork, lean beef, chicken, fish, and fresh seafood to provide protein. Fruits, smoothies or fruit juices (guava, orange, tomato, pear, watermelon, apple) and vegetables (spinach, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, watercress) provide fiber and vitamins. Milk and yogurt help children digest well, reducing bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.

Doctor Tung noted that children can eat rice and porridge as usual or reduce and replace it with a small piece of banh chung or banh tet. Banh chung and banh tet should be eaten with vegetables, not with other starchy dishes. If the family is going on a spring trip, they should research the food sources at the destination in advance to avoid children eating dishes that are too different from usual. Children's digestive systems are not yet mature enough to adapt quickly to strange foods.

Parents should limit giving their children candy, soft drinks, jams, fast food, and processed foods because they provide empty calories, lack vitamins and minerals, are low in fiber, and contain a lot of sugar or salt. Avoid giving your children old foods because they may not be safe and hygienic. Watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. are also not recommended because they can easily cause children to choke.

Children should drink enough water, eat on time, have regular activities, and maintain physical activity during Tet. Parents should take their children to a nutritionist for a physical examination and advice on diet to maintain optimal growth during and after Tet.

Kim Thanh

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