Start your child’s year smart and strong with the right nutrition, says expect

Year 2020 has helped us form stronger bonds with family. For most parents the year enabled us to pay more attention to the growth and progress of our children.

As a parent, you probably found yourself multitasking much more than you ever imagined you could, just to keep up. 2020 also helped a lot of young parents internalize the fact that the first few years of a child’s life establish the stage for all future development and accomplishments.

In a few days, it will be an end to a memorable year. So what can we do better in 2021? One thing to prioritize is your child’s nutrition.

As a smart parent, how can you improve on ensuring what your child eats is packed with the right nutrients for their age?

Children need a consistently high supply of nutrients for physical growth, immune response, and healthy brain development. For instance, 90% of brain growth happens in the first 5 years of life. Recent studies have shown that in their early years, children uniquely form neural connections (simply put – connections that enable brain functions) at a stupendous rate – according to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, more than 1 million every single second – a pace that is never repeated.

This miraculous building process is significantly influenced by good nutrition. A key player in this process is DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid which plays an irreplaceable role in brain cell formation and visual development. A lack of DHA in your child’s diet can cause unbridgeable delays in mental development and a lack of progress in learning at school. The need for this nutrient in balanced diets cannot be overemphasized.

Looking for how to incorporate nutrient packed foods in your child’s diet? Milk is an important component of a balanced diet that can be a source of the majority of nutrients a child may need. Smart parents out there looking to start their young one on a strong nutritional foot in 2021 should include milk in their child’s meals. If you have a 4 year old, a good milk to try is Peak 456 growing milk for children. It is specially formulated with DHA and a vast range of other essential nutrients to support the nutritional needs of children within the age of 4 to 6 years.

In a world has an increased demand for physical endurance and high immunity to infections in growing children, Peak 456 Growing Up Milk is also abundantly fortified with essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals like lysine, tryptophan, zinc, selenium, iron, vitamins A, B, C, D, E etc. that support your child’s physical growth, development and overall immunity response.

2020 sharpened our awareness to so many aspects of child development and we should take this heightened knowledge into 2021 with an unshakable sense of intention. When choosing foods for your child, prioritize meals that support not just child’s physical development but their neurocognitive function as well as their immune system in your child.

Christopher Raiwe is the Medical Detailing Manager, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc.