“Mother must be familiar with the 4 healthy 5 perfect diet. This food with a combination of staple food, side dishes, vegetables, fruit and milk offers various benefits for the health of the body.
harrisandbaker.com, Jakarta – 4 healthy 5 perfect foods are foods that have a complete nutritional content that is good for the body. This content is in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
The foods included in the 4 healthy 5 perfect menu are staple foods, various side dishes, vegetables, fruit and milk. Initially, this program was a form of campaign from the government for the people of Indonesia.
However, over time, this campaign has become a lifestyle for the community, which is definitely balanced with other healthy lifestyles. This includes regular exercise, adequate rest, and controlling stress.
Food 4 Healthy 5 Perfect
Food 4 healthy 5 perfect is very good for supporting the growth and development of children. However, make sure the dose is appropriate for their age. Here are guidelines that you can pay attention to:
Staple food
Generally, the staple food for Indonesian people is rice, which is a source of carbohydrate intake. In accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the rules for daily rice intake for children are as follows:
1 year: 4 tablespoons.
2 to 3 years: 6 tablespoons.
4 to 8 years: 8 tablespoons.
9 to 13 years: 10 tablespoons.
If the child still shows signs of hunger, they will usually ask for an additional portion independently after finishing the initial portion that the mother gave.
Side dishes
The next healthy food is the side dishes that accompany the staple food. Types of food for this group usually contain protein and fat. Options include:
Poultry, beef, lamb and fish.
Egg.
Tempeh and tofu as sources of vegetable protein.
A study in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics states that protein along with calories are two types of nutrition that are very important for supporting the growth and development of children. The daily protein needs for children according to their age can be seen as follows:
2 to 3 years: 200 to 400 grams.
4 to 8 years: 300 to 500 grams for girls and 300 to 550 grams for boys.
Vegetables
The next 4 healthy 5 perfect foods are vegetables with many colors, ranging from orange, green, red, and various types of nuts. Green vegetables contain vitamins A, B and chlorophyll.
Vegetables with yellow or red color contain lots of vitamin A and carotene. Vegetables with a yellow color and a sour taste are high in vitamin C, and vegetables with a sharp aroma have a high sulfur content.
Regarding their needs for children, at least mothers must fulfill 1 to 2.5 cups of vegetables every day.
Fruits
Not much different from vegetables, the nutrition contained in fruit includes fiber and minerals. Studies in the Journal of Antioxidants say that fruit has an important role as an antioxidant.
This is because the skin of the fruit contains a lot of chlorophyll color pigments, for example in guava and kiwi fruit. The darker the color of the fruit, the greater the antioxidant protection in the body.
If you want to serve fruit in the form of juice, you should avoid adding added sugar. In addition, at least 1 to 1.5 cups of fruit in the form of juice should be served to children every day.
Milk
The last 4 healthy 5 perfect foods are milk. Mothers can give this product and its derivatives, including cheese and yogurt, to children two to three times a day. The types of milk included in this healthy program are soy milk, cow’s milk, and almond milk
Benefits of 4 Healthy 5 Perfect Foods
The 4 healthy 5 perfect food menu has a variety of balanced nutritional content which is certainly very beneficial for organ work and overall body health. The benefits include:
Maintain ideal body weight, so that children avoid the risk of early obesity.
Supporting children’s growth, including supporting the growth of bones and teeth and keeping children active.
Supporting brain development, for example through the nutrients contained in fish.
Preventing children from experiencing malnutrition which leads to stunted growth alias stunting.