UNICEF has launched a book, comprising diet plan for children in India to tackle problems of underweight and obesity which have been prevalent among children under five.
Taking the findings of the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2016-18 into account, the book has suggested children to include nutritious food costing less than Rs 20 in their diet. As per the findings of the Survey, 35 percent of children under five are stunted, 17 per cent are wasted and 33 per cent are underweight.
The 28-page book lists out recipes of freshly prepared foods, also giving the cost of preparation of each of them. It has suggested specific diet menu to tackle issues of underweight and obesity.
For an example for underweight- the book lists items like potato stuffed paratha, paneer kathi roll and sago cutlets and for obesity – it suggests sprouted dal parantha, poha and vegetable upma.
Unicef chief Henrietta H Fore said the booklet aims to tell people what is nutritious and in what amount.
Fore said there are two stages in a person’s life when nutrition is extremely important.
“The first is in the first 1000 days of a child and for that we need to reach young mothers and second is when you are in adolescence and for that we need to go into schools,” Fore told PTI.
“The first one would require healthcare workers at hospitals. It is at that time you can teach a young mother about nutrition and the second one is at adolescence when it can be communicated through teachers, knowledge of nutritious food needs to be brought into schools and made part of the curriculum,” the Unicef executive director said.
