For busy families, time constraints and costs shape kid’s daily diets
Malaysian parents are struggling to balance healthy nutrition for their children against the rising costs of living and time constraints. While some parents manage to pack home-cooked meals, many low-income families rely on processed foods like instant noodles due to affordability.
Why it matters
This highlights the socioeconomic divide in child health and the impact of inflation on basic dietary choices for working-class families.
PETALING JAYA: For housewife Nur Diyanah, ensuring her two school-going children eat properly means striking a balance between home-packed food and meals from the school canteen.
The 35-year-old mother packs food for them three days a week and allows them to buy from the canteen on the other two days.
She said the various menus at the school canteen partly influence her decision as her children, aged nine and seven, sometimes prefer specific dishes.
“On days I pack food for them, it’s usually snacks because they have already eaten breakfast or lunch at home.
“The snacks I prepare include nuggets, egg or chicken wraps, paratha, fruits and others, depending on what the children had eaten earlier that day,” she said.
Nur Diyanah believes healthy eating habits should be inculcated from a young age, with parents leading by example.
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