A nutritionist, Mrs Nkechi Ejelue, has urged parents to be conscious of what they feed their family members to avoid health challenges, especially infant obesity that is becoming rampant.
She expressed this view on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Ejelue said food and nutrition played a major role in health issues including diabetes, heart disease and even certain cancers.
“A balanced diet contains all the proper proportions of carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamin and water in order to maintain a good health, this also means eating certain food items in moderation.
“Maintain a variety of different food from four of the main food group, note that fat is important but not in excess.
“The organs in our body require all the dietary needs adequately for a healthy life, eating a balanced diet means choosing the right amount of food and drink that will keep your body active.
“The requisite origin for vitamins and minerals are fruits and vegetables, which in turn would decrease the risk of having stroke and heart diseases.
“The guide for having a good amount of vitamins and minerals is eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables in a day.
“Some starchy food contains fibre which is also an important part of a healthy diet; at least one third of everything we eat should contain starch.
“Protein is fundamental for body growth and repairs, many sources of protein such as fish and eggs also contain good and rich vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, zinc and iron.
“Fish is good because it contains Omega-3 fatty acids which are essential vitamin, it could be fresh, frozen or canned.
“Milk and other diary food are good source of protein; they are also rich in calcium which keeps your bones strong and healthy,” she said.
Ejelue added that fats and sugar should not be abused as they could be detrimental to health even though they are sources of energy.(NAN)