While obesity has become an increasing problem in the world and in Turkey in recent years, experts warn about healthy eating and exercise at every opportunity. According to the information in the World Obesity Atlas published in the past months, it is stated that Turkey is predicted to be at the top of the childhood obesity rate in 2035, and the need to raise awareness about the disease from childhood is emphasized.
Specialist Dietician Büşra Tekin from Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital also pointed out that the products in children's lunch boxes are of great importance. Expert Dietitian Tekin pointed out that it is of great importance to consume healthy food groups instead of packaged foods and fatty, fried products.
"If the right breakfast is not eaten, lack of concentration may develop at school."
Stating that healthy eating habits should be acquired from childhood against obesity, Expert Dietitian Büşra Tekin said, “Since our children spend a long time at school, the foods they consume both at school and at home are very important. Unfortunately, food preferences have been changing recently due to increasing obesity in childhood. First of all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and unfortunately it is the meal that our children skip the most. The reasons for skipping this meal are because children wake up late, have insomnia problems, lack of appetite, or refuse to consume food when they wake up in the morning. If a correct and healthy breakfast is not eaten, lack of concentration and attention may develop at school. As a result, our children's school success decreases and physiological problems such as dizziness and headaches may also occur. Therefore, we recommend that the most important breakfast meal be made at home if possible. Even if it is not possible, we recommend adding a breakfast meal to the child's lunch box. If our child chooses a beverage as breakfast, he/she should choose healthy drinks such as milk and ayran. We recommend that our families prepare freshly squeezed fruit juice at home, not packaged. If we look at the food group, sandwich groups can be made with whole wheat, cheese and plenty of greens. Homemade pastries made from whole wheat flour can be made. There may be healthy pastry groups with vegetables prepared by our mothers. "We should add easy-to-consume fruits such as bananas and apples to our children's lunch boxes," he said.
“It is absolutely wrong to skip breakfast and choose fatty foods for lunch.”
Specialist Dietitian Tekin, who made evaluations about the consumption of packaged foods and fatty products, said, “We see a lot of fried and packaged foods in school canteens. If there is a fried product, we need to prevent our child from choosing it to some extent and add meatballs, chicken or tuna to sandwiches made in the oven or grilled at home and create these alternatives for our children from home. In addition, even if the packaged foods in the canteens have an encouraging and tempting effect, adding dried nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts to the lunchboxes as snacks or sweet and dried fruits such as dried figs and apricots can be added to the lunchboxes so that the child can stay away from those groups and keep the child's blood sugar balanced. It may have been blocked. Lunchboxes should be packed with food groups, one main meal and one snack. If possible, families can go to school canteens and observe. The first consumption of high-fat carbohydrate foods such as bagels and pastries on an empty stomach in the morning, skipping breakfast and children choosing fizzy drinks along with fatty, fried foods directly from the canteen for lunch, these are absolutely wrong and negatively affect the child's growth and development. "Our children may experience various health problems such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies and growth retardation," he said.