Which Diet Is Best For Your Child?

“Isn’t dieting bad for children? I’m not going to starve my child just to lose weight!”

Nope! Parents, you have misunderstood me. 

And before you start coming after me with your broom and feather dusters, let me explain myself!

What Is A Diet? 

A diet isn’t just a form of torture that you willingly put yourself through just to lose weight.  

It’s simply just the food and drink that you eat often. 

Think about it in the context of the animal world.

A herbivore rabbit’s diet only has plants, while a carnivore crocodile’s diet only has meat. But you wouldn’t say they’re trying to lose weight, right? Their diet simply works the best for their species.

But make no mistake. 

Sometimes a ‘diet’ can also mean eating less or only certain foods. This could be for medical or personal reasons that a doctor advises you to do, or you choose to do. 

For example, the ketogenic diet, a low-carb, high-fat diet, was created to help with epilepsy in the 1920s. But these days, it’s a popular diet people choose for weight loss.

Why Should My Child Go On A Diet? 

Now, I’m not implying that your child must go on a diet! That’s up to you, as their parent, to decide what’s best for their health, performance, and wellbeing. 

You’ve probably heard that the best diet for anyone is a balanced diet, where your child should be eating a balanced amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fats, with 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A generally “healthy” diet.

However, some people have certain reasons why they have to change or watch their diet. For example, some children might be born with existing conditions, like epilepsy, diabetes, or ADHD. 

So people usually change their diets, and for most health conditions, some of the negative symptoms could be helped by cutting certain foods out of their diet. But this should not be the only course of action of course!

Furthermore, everyone’s body is unique, and some bodies simply react better to certain foods and poorly to others. Carbohydrates give many folks an energy crash, but not to some. Those lucky people!

Is Your Child Too Young To Be Put On A Diet?

“But my child is still too young. She’ll grow out of it! And anyways, chubby kids are cute.”

I don’t disagree that chubbier kids are cute too. 

But parents, the issue of childhood obesity is a very real concern. In 1990, 1 in 12.5 Singaporean children were overweight. But guess what that number was in 2022? 

About 1 in 5! 

And you might think that your child will shed the baby fat as they grow older. However, the statistics that 60%-85% of obese children remain obese as adults beg to differ. 

Furthermore, even if they don’t care about getting bullied for their size, obesity is the breeding ground for mental and physical illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer! Think about your child’s health in the long term!

I urge you to take the matter of healthy eating for your child seriously. So continue reading if you’d like to learn about alternative diets that might benefit your child physically and mentally!

What Are The Best Alternative Diets For Children? 

In this article, we’re bringing your attention away from the standard Singaporean diet of hawker food and dishes from our ethnic cuisine to three more well-rounded diets for children. 

However, proper research should still be done, so you can be assured that you’re making the best choice for your child. But if you think that your child is thriving on their diet, then don’t change it!

Low-Carbohydrates Diet 

The low-carb diet, as it sounds, is a diet…low in carbs.

But we’ve been taught that carbohydrates give us energy, right? 

Well, that may be true. 

However, carbohydrates are turned into sugar while your body is digesting them. This is why some people find themselves in a “food coma” after they eat carbohydrates.

But carbohydrates also make our brain feel satisfied, so we stop eating. (Darn these carbohydrates.)

So to feel satisfied and give the body energy to run without carbs, many people look to increasing portion sizes or eating more fat. 

And contrary to popular belief, fat is not bad for you! Unsaturated fats, at least, like olive oil, grapeseed, and avocado, are actually good for your body. 

Many parents have noticed their child having more focus and energy when they reduce carbohydrates in their child’s diet. The good kind of energy, not the jumping off the walls kind of energy. 

Mediterranean 

The Mediterranean diet is the diet of the people living in the Mediterranean region, namely, France, Italy, Spain, and Greece. (The name can’t be that confusing, right…?)

The diet has been gaining popularity around the world for the last few decades, as it is one of the world’s healthiest diets. 

It limits processed food and red meat. Instead, you eat a tonne of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and fish. In this diet, your healthy fat comes from nuts, seeds, and olive oil. 

Now it makes sense that olive oil is a main component in Mediterranean cuisine, huh?

So I guess it’s no coincidence too that the folks of the region have lower rates of heart and chronic diseases!

Likewise, this diet would be great for maintaining your child’s general health. But the diet is high in omega fatty acids and other nutrients that’s especially great for heart and brain health!

DASH diet 

Now, in this diet, you dash through your meal and finish it as quickly as possible. Great for young kids right? 

Just kidding.

But finally, a diet with a name that isn’t on the nose. 

DASH stands for ‘Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension’. 

So if your child is born with a pre-existing heart condition or chronic disease, this diet might be a great choice for them!

It’s pretty similar to the Mediterranean diet, except it really advocates for keeping everything low-fat and reducing your salt intake by as much as possible.

Eating less salt and fat can control your child’s blood pressure under control, which can help with hyperactivity.

Conclusion

This article is meant to highlight the idea of adopting an alternative diet that would be the best for your child’s needs. 

SmileTutor isn’t a nutritionist or dietician, so be sure to consult with a doctor, before putting your child on a new diet.

However, as many of us are set in our ways of following the diet we grew up with, considering another alternative that might work better never hurts!

Food is such an important part of anyone’s life and is usually one of the first few things someone changes when they’d like to improve on their life. 

So you might just be surprised to see positive changes in your child’s behaviour, performance, and health when you take a closer look at their diet!