Children not eating well during shutdown, says dietician

With schools closed, children are being exposed to poor nutrition, says an expert.

PETALING JAYA: A dietician has raised concerns over school children not receiving proper nutrition because of the closure of schools and school meal programmes during the Covid-19 crisis.

University Malaya consultant dietician Dr Hazreen Abdul Majid said the supplementary food programme and the free breakfast programme had been cancelled for the time being.

According to a study, the food programmes met a third of school children’s macronutrients requirements, benefitting more than 37,000 students from poor households.

Hazreen said nutritious food does not have to be expensive but parents must be committed to providing the meals as recommended by the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines. “The meals should be nutritious at a low cost,” he told FMT.

However, travel restrictions under the movement control order had led to parents buying food that is low in cost, easy to cook and highly processed. Such food could could lead to problems of obesity as well as children being under weight.

“If they are from a poor household, there is a possibility the foods that are being provided are dense with oil and sugar but poor in quality (lack of fibre, protein, vitamin and minerals) thus leading to obesity.

“They (school children) can also be underweight if they do not eat according to their nutritional requirements, such as by skipping meals or not having a balanced diet,” he said.

He urged parents to incorporate some healthy practices such as minimising the oil by grilling or baking the dishes as well as adding more vegetables and lentils in the dishes to provide more fibre.

“The children are also encouraged to do some home-based exercises and to cut down their time spent on video screens. Get them active by helping with your daily chores and plan their day.”

Parent Action Group for Education chairman, Noor Azimah Rahim, echoed Hazreen’s call, saying balanced meals shouldn’t have to be expensive.

“Fruits and vegetables are relatively affordable and should be on families’ daily menus,” Azimah said.

She urged the government to continue giving assistance at this critical period by providing supplementary food for low-income households.

“Fruit and vegetable baskets can be purchased by the government from local planters and sent to the urban poor who live in low-cost flats,” she added. - FMT