Our body is similar to a machine and the food we eat is the source of the necessary fuel, lubricants and other essentials that are required for its upkeeping and maintenance. Just as a car performs better in the long run if it has been religiously looked after since its manufacture, so does our body. It is said that what one eats today will determine the state of our body in 5 years.

Although the benefits of a consistently healthy diet really add up over the course of your life, it is of foremost importance that children eat a well-rounded diet. The foundation laid down during childhood will hold up through the rest of one’s life.

All food items in the world are essentially permutations and combinations of different nutrients – Macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrates)  and Micronutrients (minerals and vitamins). Dietary fibre and water are the other important components.

The quantity or portion of the meal is just as important as its constituents. Deficit in the essential quantity of carbohydrates tend to make children irritable as they feel de-energised. Flawed and forceful feeding methods will result in bad eating habits which in turn will affect the discipline and behavioural patterns as they grow.

Among the more obvious benefits of healthy eating are quintessential development of the mind and body. Ideal nutrition is the primary aid in the formation of strong muscles, organs, bones and teeth as well as cognitive and motor skill development. Malnutrition in childhood often results in early onset ailments like obesity, osteoporosis, organ failure, diabetes etc.

Consistency is another extremely crucial element to leading a healthy lifestyle. Long term benefits can only be availed via a healthy lifestyle. Sporadic bouts of healthy life choices will not translate into optimal body efficiency.