JAKARTA - Meeting the nutritional needs of children in early childhood is one of the most important foundations in determining the quality of their growth and development. At the age of 1-5 years, children experience a rapid growth phase that requires the intake of macro nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, as well as micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals in sufficient amounts.
Not only affecting height and weight, nutritional adequacy is also closely related to children's development such as thinking ability, concentration, and children's body resistance.
The issue was highlighted in an educational forum entitled "Complete Nutrition, Tall Children & Quick Response" held by Danone Specialized Nutrition Indonesia. This educational forum saw a survey conducted by an online media (Detik) on thousands of mothers who showed a gap between expectations and practices in fulfilling children's daily nutrition.
The majority of parents use height, weight, and cognitive ability as the main indicators of growth and development. Around 60 percent of respondents consider height and intelligence as important benchmarks.
However, on the other hand, 69.76 percent admitted that they did not understand the difference between macro and micro nutrients, while 62.87 percent said that vitamins and minerals were the most difficult components to meet every day.
Another challenge that many face is children who tend to be picky eaters, as admitted by 69 percent of respondents.
In the discussion, nutrition specialist, dr. Juwalita Surapsari, M.Gizi, Sp.GK emphasized, nutritional adequacy is not enough to be measured from fullness alone. The balance between macronutrients and micronutrients is an important aspect that is often overlooked.
"Parents have a big part in determining what the child will eat, when the child eats, and how the child will eat. However, the child himself determines how much he will eat. Therefore, in the process of feeding, there should be no element of coercion," said dr. Juwalita.
He explained, in the golden period of 1-5 years of age, children need a balanced combination of nutrients. Iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, zinc, and DHA are micronutrients that play a role in supporting brain development and the immune system. The selection of food ingredients also needs to be adjusted to the specific needs of the child's age.
In addition to food intake, stimulation is also an important factor in supporting optimal development. Simple activities such as talking to children, reading books, and playing together can help strengthen cognitive and emotional development. According to dr. Juwalita, nutrition and stimulation are two aspects that complement each other.
On the same occasion, Dr. Ray Wagiu Basrowi added that the challenge of meeting nutrition is not only about the amount of food, but also its quality.
"Many parents feel that their children have enough to eat. However, fullness is not necessarily complete. Children need a combination of quality protein, iron, zinc, vitamin C, DHA, Omega-3, and various other essential vitamins and minerals to support their physical growth and cognitive development. These nutrients work synergistically, so balance is very important," he explained.
He also revealed the results of an internal research with the Indonesia Nutrition Association (INA) which showed that children who consume milk fortified with iron have better iron sufficiency than those who do not. However, he emphasized that a diverse and nutrient-dense food source remains the main basis in a balanced diet.
From the parents' side, Dhea Ananda shared her experience in dealing with children who are selective in choosing food. He admitted that understanding the child's nutritional needs in a comprehensive way is not a simple thing.
"As parents, we certainly want our children to grow tall, have ideal body weight, and their cognitive abilities develop well. However, understanding the child's nutritional needs in a comprehensive way is not that simple. At first I also didn't understand the difference between macro and micro nutrients, even though vitamins and minerals have an important role and are often more challenging to meet every day," he said.
According to him, practical and easy-to-understand nutrition education helps parents make decisions regarding children's daily intake.
Through this forum, parents are advised not only to ensure that children eat enough, but also to pay attention to diversity, balance of nutrients, and a responsive feeding approach without coercion.
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