149.2 million children aged below five years are stunted (short for their age) and 45.4 million are wasted (underweight for their height) across the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that over three-quarters of children suffering from wasting live in Asia. WHO also estimates that over 47% of children below five years are anemic, and 38.9 million children are overweight across the world. About 45% of deaths among children below five years are linked to undernutrition. Not just the deaths, stunt, wasted, anemia, and other issues are also closely related to nutrition deficiencies. Before we go on to discuss its causes and ways to overcome it, let’s understand the importance of a healthy diet and WHO’s recommendations on maintaining a healthy diet.
Importance of a healthy diet
A healthy diet is incredibly important for children as it lays the foundation for their growth, development, and overall health. Proper nutrition ensures that children get the essential vitamins, minerals, protein, fats, and carbohydrates needed to support their physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Below is a breakdown of why a healthy diet is so crucial for children.
1. Physical growth and development: A balanced diet with nutrients like calcium, protein, and vitamin D helps in the proper formation of bones, muscles, and organs, ensuring children grow at a healthy rate. Also, it provides the necessary energy for children to stay active throughout the day, supporting both physical activity and cognitive function. Carbohydrates are a key source of energy for children, fueling everything from running and playing to concentrating in school.
2. Building immune system: A healthy diet helps children in building a strong immune system, reducing the risk of illnesses and infections. Nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc support the body’s ability to fight off sickness and maintain overall health.
3. Reduced risk of chronic diseases: A balanced diet with limited processed foods and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can lower the risk of developing chronic health issues later in life, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
4. Regulation of sleep: A balanced diet helps maintain healthy sleep patterns. Foods rich in magnesium, tryptophan, and serotonin-boosting amino acids can promote restful sleep, which is essential for growth, learning, and mood regulation.
WHO recommendation on maintaining a healthy diet
One of the significant factors of a healthy diet is its diversity. For it helps to meet essential nutrients’ requirements of individuals. For children aged between 6 and 23 months, the WHO has set up a set of guidelines to include minimum dietary diversity in their meals. It is the consumption of four or more food groups from the seven recommended food groups. The recommended food groups are-
- grains, roots, and tubers
- legumes and nuts
- dairy products
- flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry, and organ meats)
- eggs
- vitamin-A-rich fruits and vegetables
- fruits and vegetables
It means that a child is most likely to consume at least one animal-source food and at least one fruit or vegetable in addition to a staple food in a day. By consuming adequately diversified food, one can improve intake of nutrients. It in turn will lead to better nutritional status. In addition, below are some of the recommendations on maintaining a healthy diet.
1. Fruits and vegetables: WHO recommends an intake of at least 400 g or five portions of fruits and vegetables in a day. It will help to ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fiber. Intake of vegetables and fruits can be improved by
a. Including vegetables in all meals.
b. Consuming raw vegetables and fruits as snacks.
c. Consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially seasonal fruits.
2. Fats: It is advisable to limit total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy. This will prevent unhealthy weight gain. In order to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases, one needs to reduce saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake and trans fats to less than 1% of total energy intake. WHO recommends replacing both saturated and trans fats with polyunsaturated fats. Consumption of fats can be improved by
a. Switching to boiling and steaming instead of deep frying.
b. Replacing butter, ghee, and lard with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats like soybean, corn, safflower, and sunflower oils.
c. Consuming lean meats and reduced-fat dairy foods.
d. Removing visible fat from meat.
e. Limiting consumption of baked, fried, and other processed foods.
3. Salt, sodium, and potassium: According to research, reducing salt intake to less than 5 grams per day could prevent at least 1.7 million deaths in a year. In general, people consume too much sodium through salt and a lesser amount of potassium. This is one of the reasons for high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of stroke and heart diseases. Salt intake can be reduced by
a. Limiting consumption of salty snacks.
b. Choosing edible items with lower sodium content.
c. Limiting the amount of salt and other sodium condiments while preparing foods.
Similarly, potassium—which is capable of mitigating negative effects of increased sodium consumption on blood pressure—can be increased by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. Sugars: The recommended level of sugar intake in a day is less than 10% of total energy intake. Reducing it further to less than 5% of total energy intake would provide additional health benefits, according to experts. Increased sugar consumption leads to dental caries, unhealthy weight gain leading to overweight and obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Sugar intake can be reduced by
a. Consuming fresh fruits and raw vegetables.
b. Avoiding consumption of foods and drinks with high amounts of sugars.
Link between healthy diet and academic performance
Over a period of time, multiple studies have established the direct connection between diet and academic performance of students. The diet of a person can have a direct impact on their cognitive function, energy levels, mental health, and overall well-being.
1. Improved cognitive function: A diet that is rich with complex carbohydrates like whole grains, vegetables, and legumes releases glucose steadily into the bloodstream, fueling the brain for a long period. This steady supply of glucose is vital for maintaining focus, memory, and mental performance of students. In contrast, diets high in refined sugars and simple carbohydrates can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. It in turn will negatively affect the cognitive performance, mood, and attention of students.
Inclusion of antioxidants like berries is associated with improved memory and learning abilities. These antioxidants will protect the brain from oxidative stress. Similarly, inclusion of healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids supports cognitive functions like memory, concentration, and problem-solving abilities, and improves brain plasticity. Polyphenols, commonly found in tea, dark chocolate, and red grapes, are found to enhance memory and learning by stimulating the growth of brain cells in the hippocampus.
Certain amino acids found in protein-rich foods like lean meats, nuts, and eggs are utilized by the brain to produce neurotransmitters that regulate mood, cognition, and memory.
Nutrients like iron and zinc are vital for maintaining brain function. While iron helps to carry oxygen to the brain, zinc supports neurotransmitter function and protects the brain from oxidative damage. These minerals ensure that the brain gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs to operate efficiently.
2. Improved mood regulation: A healthy diet supports mood regulation because of their influence on multiple neurotransmitters. A diet rich in tryptophan helps to maintain optimal serotonin levels—the feel-good neurotransmitter—regulating mood, appetite, and sleep. Similarly, diets rich in tyrosine and phenylalanine support dopamine production, helping to boost motivation and improve mood. Diets rich in tyrosine help with the synthesis of norepinephrine, supporting mood regulation and stress management.
Deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals can negatively affect mood and mental health. B vitamins, especially B6, B12, and B9, are crucial for the production and function of neurotransmitters. Deficiencies in these vitamins are associated with symptoms of depression, irritability, and anxiety. Foods like leafy greens, beans, eggs, and fortified cereals are rich in B vitamins and help maintain mental stability.
Magnesium is known for its role in regulating mood and stress levels. It has a calming effect on the nervous system and helps reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Magnesium-rich foods include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to mood disorders like depression. Vitamin D helps regulate serotonin levels, and sunlight exposure or foods like fortified dairy and fatty fish can boost vitamin D levels, improving mood.
When students consume a nutritious diet, their cognitive ability will improve and their mood will stabilize in addition to their physical well-being. This in turn will ensure that students attend their classes regularly without taking leaves. Reduction in absenteeism will ensure significant improvement in their academic performance.
Smile Foundation’s work in Child Nutrition and Education
Smile Foundation recognizes that nutrition is the cornerstone of a child’s health, academic performance, and overall future. Through its nutrition-focused initiatives integrated with education programs, the foundation ensures that children from underserved communities receive both quality learning opportunities and proper nourishment—two essential pillars for holistic development.
Through its Mission Education program, Smile Foundation provides mid-day meals and nutritional support to children, ensuring they receive adequate vitamins, proteins, and essential micronutrients necessary for cognitive function, physical growth, and immunity. By addressing malnutrition alongside education, the foundation helps children stay attentive in classrooms, develop better memory and learning abilities, and reduce absenteeism due to illness. These efforts directly align with global recommendations, including those by the World Health Organization (WHO), advocating for balanced diets, diverse food groups, and sustainable nutrition practices.
Moreover, Smile Foundation’s healthcare initiative, Smile on Wheels, extends preventive healthcare and nutritional awareness programs to marginalized communities. Through regular health camps, anemia screening, and dietary education for families, the foundation promotes long-term nutritional well-being. By ensuring that children not only learn in school but also thrive physically and mentally, Smile Foundation plays a vital role in shaping healthier, more resilient generations, breaking the cycle of poverty, malnutrition, and academic underperformance.
Healthy diets play a significant role in shaping the future of children. For it not only helps in maintaining physical well-being but also enormously supports the mental well-being of students. When a child is fit both physically and mentally, improved academic performance becomes inevitable. This in turn ensures a prosperous life for children.
