Health department uses fun games to instil healthy food habits in children in Kerala’s Alappuzha

An increased reliance on a diet replete with traditional food combinations, which are rich in carbohydrates but low in protein, and low intake of vegetables and fruits are at the centre of the debate on Kerala’s obesogenic environment.

Research suggests that across cultures, food preferences are formed early in life.

Public health researchers have thus been increasingly stressing on the importance of teaching children what constitutes healthy/unhealthy food so that healthy eating habits are developed early.

“It is critical that we teach children at a young age the connection between food, nutrition, and health. Internationally, there have been several interventional experiments, which suggest that children are capable of classifying foods as healthy or junk as early as three years of age if we give them the right messages and that it can impact their food choices later in life,” says a Health official.