Mostly Paediatricians who help parents deal with childhood illness report of digestive issues. There have been increasing reports of children digestion problems which were earlier linked with adults. Problems like bloating, gas, constipation and diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome is a common concern. There can be various reasons linked to these illnesses, however, poor eating habits is the biggest factor.

One thing which we do not realise is that if digestion of the body system does not work efficiently, the nutrients from the food will not be properly absorbed. Thus, energy and nutrients of your body will be unusable. Doctors always say, “Poor digestion is the key to ill health conditions”. The same goes for kids these days, as a parent one needs to be careful about the diet of their child. Through this blog, you will learn simple tips that will help you take corrective measures related to diet changes.

If you want to improve your child’s digestion follow some of these key listings.

Say no to over-eating!

There are so many delicacies available in the market and it is just next to impossible to say no. It is all the more difficult for kids to be disciplined into eating right. Right portion is what we need to emphasise in case of children’s eating habits. Children will never have the correct sense of eating especially when you are eating out. Overeating will exert a lot of pressure on your child’s digestion this will be too taxing for their body. It is advisable to serve your child smaller portions in short gaps which will improve the digestive problems.

Do not drink while eating!

Food with water or any other beverages lower downs the digestive capacity of our body. Make your child drink a glass of water before mealtime say about 10 to 15 minutes prior to any meals. Also, make sure they do not drink water for about 30 minutes after meals.

No processed food!

Say no to packaged and fast food as they are the major cause to digestive problems. The trans-fats and preservatives in the processed food are unnatural and complicate our normal digestion. Apart from this the nutrient content in processed food is very less, they use the body’s nutrient to digest themselves. This will create nutrient deficiency which is harmful during the child’s development phase. Children who are facing digestion problems must stick to whole grain foods.

Do not indulge in heavy foods

Heavy foods like dairy products and red meat are considered heavy foods. They take the time to digest, plus your digestive system will take time to recuperate as it has to perform other tasks for the body. Heavy foods will also consume digestive energy. It is advisable to take vegetarian meals twice to thrice days a week.

Right combination

A balanced diet is what we all need. Eating some food groups together and some food groups apart can also lead to digestion problems. Starch and protein dense food should not be taken together which means protein rich meat and bread should not be eaten together. However, this does not mean that your child will always be deprived of meat sandwich you can always limit the intake at times.

Are you aware!

It is a very common sight that children eat their food while watching television. Our body does not digest properly when distracted. Parents must inculcate a good habit of mindful eating with no distraction.

Say yes to water!

Drink enough water to avoid constipation and boost digestion. Make sure that your child is properly hydrated throughout the day. Include foods like cucumber and melons which are rich in water.

Fibre rich food

Good amount of fibre aids digestion. Now an important question arises, how much fibre is needed for a child? There is a simple maths to this, just add number 5 to your child’s age which will be equal to a number of grams your child needs. For example, if your child is 11 years old he needs 16 grams of dietary fibres.

For your child’s healthy eating habits and good digestion, incorporate these tips and notice improvement in some time.