No milk in the market? Give your kids other nutritional substitutes for good health

Milk is not the ultimate nutritional elixir…there are other food substitutes that can be equally beneficial…learn more…

Friday, 9th April 2021

The recent spike in the number of daily covid cases countrywide has urged the governments of many of the states in the country to go into partial lockdown again. Lockdowns may disturb the supply chain of many vital products required in our day-to-day lives. One such product is ‘Milk’. The limited supply of milk in the markets may cause many parents difficulty in procuring the needed amount of milk each day for their kids. It is a practice in most Indian households to give kids a glassful of milk at breakfast or at the evening. So, if the much-needed milk isn’t available adequately parents who wish to get their kids the best nutrition often get tensed.

But in this context, experts like Dr. Sanjay Wazir have something to say… “Milk is a source of calcium and protein. But as long as the child is eating a healthy balanced diet, you need not worry about their intake of milk, which will provide them essential nutrients,” says Dr. Wazir, Director, NICU as well as consultant pediatrician, Cloudnine Hospital, Gurgaon.

“Children more than two years old should ideally have less than 500 ml of milk in a day. So make sure they do not consume too much of it,” explained Dr. Wazir.

Thus, if you fail to get milk adequately for your family, fret not. Here are some very good nutritional alternatives you can provide to your children, as suggested by Dr. Sanjay Wazir. Read on:

For calcium

For calcium, parents can give their children various non-dairy calcium foods like broccoli, almonds, dried figs, oranges, bread made from calcium-fortified flour, fortified cereals, soya milk, and green leafy veggies such as spinach, okra, curly kale, etc. If the child is already deficient in calcium, he or she might need the support of calcium supplements

For protein

Children require 1 gram of protein per kg. So, if milk isn’t available for protein, other protein sources such as paneer, tofu, chickpeas, lentils, and soya beans may be included in the diet. Also, fishes, meat, seafood, and eggs are rich sources of protein and may be included in the diet.

Breast milk

Children below 2 yrs of age may be given Formula Milk if that’s available. Also, mothers may try breastfeeding their little ones as breast milk is replete with all the essential nutrients required for a child’s healthy growth and is an excellent immunity booster.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

Indianexpress