What are our children eating? Can it be improved? | Norma Camilleri

Children are the most precious gift of our community because they represent our future. So, are we doing enough to ensure they grow into healthy, happy children?

From my professional background as a speech and language pathologist, I understand the relationship between food and the development of our children. Food is an essential part of our children’s life, and it contributes to their healthy g3rowth and development, their mental wellbeing and immunity, to ensure they are able to live healthy lives. The environment around them and parents/caregivers play a major role in shaping children’s eating habits from an early age.

Nutrition is closely linked to educational outcomes. Children who are well-nourished are more likely to perform better in school. They have improved concentration, higher energy levels, and better memory retention. Conversely, malnutrition can lead to reduced cognitive function, fatigue, and behavioural issues, all of which can impact a child's ability to learn and thrive in an academic environment.

Providing children with nutritious meals not only benefits their physical health but also enhances their educational prospects. This, in turn, can have a positive ripple effect on society, leading to a more educated and productive workforce in the future.

A healthier future through better nutrition

Good nutrition is the foundation for a healthy life, and its importance for children cannot be overstated. As your candidate, I understand the need to create policies that ensure a bright future for our children. Here's why focusing on nutrition and providing access to good food for children is critical.

But are we giving much thought to the food we put on our children’s plate and the type of food our children eat?

It is a well-known fact that there is a high rate of overweight and obesity in children in Malta and also that the food eaten as a baby and young child has an effect on our health as an adult. The large number of food outlets selling foods high in sugar, salt and fats, the convenience of food being easily delivered to the doorstep, the increased food prices, together with a hectic lifestyle, can all contribute to the consumption of food which is energy-dense and poor in nutrients.

In these circumstances, what can be done to encourage our children to make healthy food choices?

Eating together as a family: This instills a positive environment around food and mealtimes. Families that eat together eat more varied foods and are more likely to eat healthier foods.

Planning ahead: With a busy lifestyle, it can be easy to eat ready-made meals which are usually high in sugar, salt and fat. We need to support an environment where parents and caregivers can plan ahead, prep, cook in bulk and freeze home cooked meals to make the provision of nutritious meals for the family more manageable.

Buying seasonal fruit and vegetables: Seasonal fruit and vegetables sourced locally will increase the variety of food and nutrients that your children eat, but should also help to keep the cost of food lower. We must support local producers so that they are in a position to support our nutrition.

Rewriting the kids’ menu: When eating out, many food options on the kids’ menu aren’t always the healthiest options. We need to work together to encourage food providers to change these menus.

Our children are the next generation. We need to ask ourselves whether it will be a healthy one.