FREE listing for Events & Business in FL

Nyra's Plate - Feeding the Future
 
During one of my trips to the USA, I spent over a month with my son’s family and my four-year-old granddaughter, Nyra. On the second day of my stay, I prepared a healthy breakfast for her—eggs, poha with vegetables and peanuts, and a glass of milk. But she refused to eat any of it. Instead, she chose white bread with jam and colorful breakfast cereals—that too without milk. The next morning, she had pancakes with maple syrup.
 
Concerned, I spoke to my son and daughter-in-law. They explained to me, “Mummy, earlier she used to eat fruits, vegetables, home-cooked daal-chawal, and chicken. But ever since she started going to the daycare and attending birthday parties, her food preferences have changed.” These birthday parties, which happened almost every other weekend, often served cakes loaded with icing, pizza and chips packed juices. At school too, meals often included frozen or pre-cooked pizza, pasta, and similar items.
 
This experience with Nyra made me reflect on how quickly children’s eating habits can change—especially under the influence of peer culture and frequent exposure to processed foods. In India too, I’ve seen a similar trend. During my visits to family and friends, I notice children snacking on pizza, burger, samosa, kachori, or packaged foods—often accompanied by soft drinks.
 
Our food courts and the eateries at the malls are always crowded with young people, many of whom are visibly overweight. The increasing popularity of fast food, packaged snacks, and frequent celebrations centred around overly sweet cakes, burgers, chips, and fizzy drinks, and is shaping children’s food preferences. Without even being exposed to traditional home-made food, they develop a taste for these unhealthy food options.
 
In contrast, during our childhood, we ate simple, home-cooked meals—daal-roti, sabzi, khichdi, idli-sambar, daliya, halwa, etc. Our school tiffins typically contained parathas with various vegetables. Evening snacks were often leftover rotis or parathas served with home-made chutney, pickle, ghee with sugar or salt, or sautéed vegetables. During festivals and special occasions—which came every other month—we looked forward to again home-made treats like laddus, matharis, gujiyas, dahi bada, pakode, and more. We were happy, felt content, and enjoyed even our seemingly monotonous but healthy meals.
 
Children these days often become addicted to fast and packaged foods because these products are loaded with salt, sugar, and fat, making them highly palatable. They are designed to trigger the brain’s pleasure centers, encouraging their repeated consumption. Since these foods are regularly served at parties and celebrations, children also begin to associate them with fun and joy.
 
Eye-catching advertisements, bright packaging, attractive discounts, and free toys are powerful marketing tools that create an emotional bond between these foods and children. Moreover, due to the easy availability and access to fast food, children are increasingly drawn to these unhealthy eating habits.
 
Due to lack of time or energy, parents also sometimes turn to such foods as an easy option to feed their kids or in order to skip cooking. Sadly, children are not mature enough to understand the long-term impact of their food choices. Children are developing life-style diseases such as obesity, fatty liver, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart attack at an early age due to regular consumption of unhealthy foods.
 
That is why we, adults, need to be more mindful and careful. It is our responsibility to protect and guide our children before the convenience of junk food begins to affect their overall well-being.
 
What Can Be Done?
 
1. Awareness Begins at Home and School
Parents and teachers play a key role in educating children about their food choices and what are the potential effects of unhealthy food on their health.
 
2. Reading Food Labels
Children should be encouraged to read the food labels with the help of adults and understand their nutritional value and the ingredients that are going to enter their bodies and their harmful effects.
 
3. Understanding Hidden Harm
The children should be taught about the dangers of high salt and sugar content, preservatives, emulsifiers, and additives—often hidden behind the attractive branding.
 
4. Make Home-made Versions
Recreate fast food like burgers, pizzas, fries, pani puri, and samosas at home using fresh, healthy ingredients. Involve children in the cooking process—it creates awareness and builds interest.
 
5. Limit Exposure
Reduce the number of fast food ads they watch (on YouTube, TV, etc.) and avoid frequent visits to fast food outlets.
 
6. Educate Gently
Talk to children about food and its effects on their health in a positive and encouraging way. Make it a part of the daily conversation without sounding preachy.
 
7. Set a Routine
Regular, balanced, and satisfying meals prevent hunger pangs and reduce the temptation for junk food.
 
8. Healthy Swaps
Know your child’s taste buds and offer tasty yet nutritious alternatives—fruit smoothies or milkshakes instead of soda, fruit chaat instead of chips, and dry-fruit laddus instead of candies and chocolates.
 
9. Use Rewards Wisely
Avoid using fast food, ice cream, or chocolate as a reward. Instead, reward children with experiences—visit to the zoo, story time, playtime, or a walk in the park.
 
10. Be a Role Model
Children learn by observing. If they see adults enjoying home-cooked meals, they are more likely to do the same.
 
11. Make Meals Enjoyable
At least one meal a day—usually the dinner—should be a relaxed family time, free from stress and distractions like TV and phones. These shared meals build positive associations with home-cooked food.
 
            With the advent of technology, food shows on YouTube and TV, and the increased affordability of travel, the world has become a smaller place. Children are now exposed to a wide variety of cuisines and food styles from different regions and countries at a very early age. While this exposure can be enriching, it is essential that children learn to distinguish between what is merely tasty and what is truly healthy. They should be guided to make informed food choices that support their growth and well-being. They certainly can enjoy fast and packaged food occasionally—but it should not become a regular habit or an addiction.
            Raising awareness about food from a young age is not just about promoting good health—it is about empowering children to make informed choices. As a society, it is our collective responsibility to guide the next generation towards better eating habits, before the taste of junk food becomes a costly burden on their health.
 
 
Lily Kapoor
Jaipur INDIA
lilykapoortelemed@gmail.com
Phone +91 933 666 9555