Supporting Your School-Age Children’s Nutrition during Pandemic

The current COVID-19 pandemic is a universal crisis that has affected everyone around the world, including children. For children, this prolonged pandemic has profound impacts that cause major disruptions in their learning, growing and social environments; thus forcing them to encounter a somewhat out of ordinary childhood.

Children in many parts of the world, Malaysia included, have to stay at home most of the time and miss the opportunities for direct learning and interacting with their peers when schools are closed for long periods.

On top of this, the current situation also prevents children from being physically present for their extra-curricular activities like swimming classes, field trips to the library, museum or zoo, and even family holidays.

School-Age Children’s New Normal

With schools shut and children out of the classroom, to curb the learning set-back, remote learning has become the new normal to almost all schooling children in Malaysia.

The sudden adoption of online learning came not only as a massive shock to parents, mainly to those who have to work from home, but also to children’s routines, social life and learning process at home.

Consequently, parents need to rethink their approaches in parenting and nurturing their children’s wellbeing so their children can grow and learn well despite the ongoing restrictions.

Growing Well in a Changing World

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to disrupt our normal lives, parents ought to pay extra attention to their children’s overall health and well-being.

With the shifts in lifestyle, it is particularly important for parents to ensure their children receive all the vitamins and minerals they need from their daily diet to support overall growth and development.

The following are the importance of good nutrition to school-age children during the pandemic that you should know:

1. Build a strong immune system

A strong immune system can greatly reduce the risk of contracting diseases and its severity, especially important during a pandemic. On that account, one of the best means to improve children’s immune system is to attain and maintain good nutritional at all times so they remain strong and healthy.

To support good immune function, our children must eat a variety of foods are packed with essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Iron.

Here are some examples of foods where you can find these nutrients:

• Citrus fruits and vegetables like broccoli and tomatoes are a great source of Vitamin C, a strong antioxidant.
• Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin E, which are important for healthy skin and eyes.
• Legumes and meat are a great source of Iron, an important nutrient for red blood cell formation.

2. Promote cognitive function

With online classes potentially here to stay for a while longer, it is important to ensure our children are benefiting as much as they can from their classes by keeping them focused during their lessons whilst at home.

Did you know that what your children eat may affect their brain development, concentration and cognitive skills? This said, it is necessary to include ‘brain’ nutrients such as Protein, Folic Acid, Vitamin B and DHA in your children’s daily diets.

What are the foods that may potentially help kids stay sharp and focused as they carry out their daily learning? Here’s a list of foods rich in nutrients that can help support their healthy development.

• Eggs are a great source of Protein, Vitamin B and Choline. Vitamin B9 and Choline may help with improved academic performances.
• Wholegrain bread, pasta, cereal and rice are rich in Folic Acid and Vitamin B which help provide a steady supply of energy for the brain to function, and to stay focused and concentrated.
• Fish, especially oily fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna etc., are rich in Vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA that may help support brain development.

3. Support Growth

Protein is one of the most fundamental macronutrients for children’s growth. It is made up of building blocks called amino acids that play an important role in building and repairing muscle, cell growth and supporting normal immune system development.

Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Vitamin D help support healthy development of children’s growing bones and teeth. By building on bone density during these years, it helps reduce the risk of skeletal problems in later life. Interestingly, the nutrition needed to build healthy bones also helps build a strong foundation for dental health.

Examples of foods rich in nutrients contributing to growth are:

• Eggs, fish and milk which are rich in Protein & Vitamin D. Alternatively, exercising outdoors during the day also ensures a daily dose of Vitamin D from sunlight that your child needs.
• Milk & dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese are rich in Calcium and Phosphorus, key nutrients in bone and teeth development.
• Okra, legumes and wholegrain cereals are rich in Magnesium which aids Calcium absorption.

Ensuring School-Age Children Get the Right Nutrition during Pandemic

The current situation has highlighted the importance of good nutrition for all, and furthermore, with parents and children now working and studying at home in tandem, it can be challenging to find time to always prepare nutritious meals and make sure your children receive all the essential vitamins and minerals they need for their developmental needs.

One easy way to ensure your school-age children get all the essential nutrients they need during this pandemic is by serving them two glasses of milk every day. Milk contains many beneficial nutrients including Protein, Calcium and Vitamin D to help your child grow up healthy and strong.

In line with the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines, it is recommended to serve 2 servings of milk and milk products daily as part of children’s healthy and balanced diet. However, not all milks are created equal!

More than Just Full Cream: Nestlé NESPRAY Full Cream Milk!

Like any other parent, you want only the best for your children and you sometimes wonder if your children are getting enough nutrition especially in these tough times.

Looking for a milk that is not only creamy and delicious but also packed with all the essential vitamins and minerals your children need for their growth and development? Look no further than Nestlé NESPRAY Full Cream milk!

Nestlé NESPRAY Full Cream Milk: The Best Choice for Your School-Age Kids

Nestlé NESPRAY, an iconic heritage brand in Malaysia, is here to support mums in nurturing their children’s fullest potentials from the inside out by providing them with the only full cream milk packed with 15 vitamins and minerals*. It is specifically designed for school age kids to help support their overall physical, mental and social development, something so critical in this time.

Nutritious and easy to prepare, Nestlé NESPRAY Full Cream milk definitely ticks all your boxes for your school going children!

• The ONLY full cream milk with 15 vitamins & minerals.*
• Creamy and delicious.
• Good source of Protein.
• High in Calcium, Iron, Vitamin C and Vitamin D.
• Contains 0g sucrose.

*Comparison based on nutritional information on Full Cream Milk products from Nielsen’s data (October 2020).

Support your children in every way you can to fulfil their fullest potential in life by incorporating Nestlé NESPRAY Full Cream milk into your children’s daily diet!

Wait no more, encourage good nutrition on your school-age children and purchase Nestlé NESPRAY Full Cream milk at your nearest supermarkets or online via Shopee or Lazada.

For more information about Nestlé NESPRAY Full Cream milk, do visit their official website here.