GEORGE TOWN: Real, natural food is best for preschool kids aged four to six.
That means potatoes instead of fries, brown instead of white rice and actual fruits instead of juices, said nutritionist Annie Yee.
And while the government’s effort to increase aid for preschool meals is commendable, Yee was concerned that a budget of RM2.50 to RM2.75 per meal would not be enough.
“Kids may miss out on important nutrients from dairy products or nut, which would be more expensive,” she said.
Yee, who is the senior nutritionist at Penang Adventist Hospital, said parents and preschools should give children real food instead of fast or highly processed food.
She urged parents to top up on the government’s efforts and collaborate with their children’s preschools to ensure sufficient budget for quality nutrition in their children’s meals.
As an idea for nutritious food on a tight budget, family medicine specialist Dr Mastura Mohd Sopian said fresh sardines are inexpensive, and the fish could be filleted and deboned, then fried with rice for a good serving of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.
She added that the leftover heads and bones could be boiled into a soup stock.
Dr Mastura, who is from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), said good nutritional intake is a high priority for kids because of their rapid growth.
Aside from macro nutrients such as proteins and fats, she said attention must be paid to micro nutrients for tooth and bone development and cognitive activity.
She said iron-rich food like vegetables, meats instead of high-calorie food to make preschoolers feel full is crucial.
“Children should be encouraged to eat a high fibre diet and stay away from highly processed food,” she said.
Kindergarten operators interviewed applauded the move to increase the budget for food aid.
In this year’s national budget, the preschool food aid was increased from RM89mil to RM108mil, a 21% increase.
Tadika Pavitra principal V. Santhi said the increased aid is significant to parents in the B40 group
“This is good long-term help for kids in lower income groups because it will increase their nutrient intake,” she said.
Santhi, who has been running her kindergarten in Simpang Empat on mainland Penang for the past 25 years, said the typical morning meals for preschoolers were fried noodles, nasi lemak or roti canai.
With the increased aid, she said fruits and milk could be included in their breakfasts.
Tadika Bijak Pintar operator Christine Tan, expressed similar enthusiasm and asked for clarification on how the aid would be channelled.
“Will it be channelled through subsidies or other mechanisms?” she asked.
Malaysia Preschool Teachers Association president Sally Ng praised the government’s focus on preschoolers’ nutritional needs.
“Although the amount is not much, it adds up over the months and with the increased cost of living, it means a lot for the kids and their parents,” she said.
