auntuser, Author at Aunt Porridge

November 8, 2022August 3, 2023

In Nutrition Tipsby auntuser

Tips for a pregnant Mum

As a pregnant mum, there’s lots of advice concerning nutrition. Sometimes you wonder what to pick or leave, yet it all looks essential. With lots of information, one may wonder who is right and wrong. Always talk to your gynecologist before making any abrupt decision.

As a nutritionist I bring you a few essential tips or guidelines to help you;

Always consume fortified foods such as vegetable oil, flour, or cereals for additional vitamins and minerals. Fortified foods have labels marked with an “F”. The goal is for you and the baby to have as much abundance of nutrients so the body doesn’t go to your reserves
Always use iodized salt to prevent poor brain development, physical growth, and goiter. Iodized salt protects against unexplained abortions, miscarriages, and stillbirths too.
Drink and drink lots of fluids, especially water. An estimation of at least significant 8glasses/2.5litrtes/6 full NICE cups for a good functioning body.
Eat a variety of locally available foods. Have a blend of animal and plant sources Why?? It’s not one particular food that has all ingredients. One food may be high in one nutrient and low in another yet you can get that down in a different food.
For example, fruits have high levels of vitamin C and beef has more iron. Meaning fruits have little or no iron while beef has no vitamin C.
During pregnancy, there’s a provision for you to eat at least one extra meal in addition to the regular meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Avoid taking tea or coffee with meals especially if they contain iron. There are particular chemical compounds found in tea or coffee that interfere with iron absorption.

If you would like specific advice regarding pregnancy nutrition and how to prepare for the delivery of a healthy baby.

Contact our nutritionist for expert advice on vitamin and nutrient deficiencies.

Dietician /Nutritionist Aunt Porridge || +256 787 070 057

Vitamin A foods and how you can add them to your everyday diet

Last week we talked about why your child needs Vitamin A. Kindly read that post before you continue. This will help you better understand why Vitamin A is a big deal to your child’s health.

Vitamin A helps your child have good eyesight, a strong immune system, and proper growth and development. it’s found in the following local foods such as;

Fruits
Pawpaw, guava, and mango

Vegetables
Pumpkin, Carrots, Broccoli, orange flesh sweet potato, red and yellow bell peppers, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, nakati

Animal sources
Meats( especially liver) dairy and their products (cheese, yogurt, butter), eggs, fish especially oily fish

Fortified foods
Cereals, flour and cooking oil.

Aunt porridge has pumpkin and silverfish which are rich in vitamin A.

The question now would be, how to incorporate them into your diet?

You can add a teaspoon of mukene to any sauce made at home.
Mashing pumpkin into sauce adds extra vitamin A .👌
Giving your child a boiled egg 🥚 (the whole egg and not just the egg yolk).
Adding either pawpaw, mango, carrot, or guava to your choice of juice.

Contact our nutritionist for expert advice on vitamin and nutrient deficiencies.

Dietician /Nutritionist Aunt Porridge || +256 787 070 057

Why your child needs Vitamin A daily?

Vitamin A is a fat–soluble vitamin meaning it’s best absorbed in the body in the presence of fat or oil. Vitamin A has other names like “Retinol or retinoic acid”.

Being deficient in Vitamin A has fatal consequences like;

Significant morbidity (how many times one falls sick) and mortality( those who die from a particular disease) from childhood infections.
The world’s leading preventable cause of childhood blindness.
The body experiences a low ability to fight infections.
Increased risk for childhood respiratory diseases.
Decreased growth rate and slow bone development.

From the above consequences of vitamin A deficiency; one needs a daily dose of it from foods.
If you noticed at 6 months your child is supplemented with a drop of vitamin A in their mouth. Sadly this is not enough and more is got from the foods your child eats. Let’s prevent deaths and sicknesses caused by nutrient deficiencies.

Contact our nutritionist for expert advice on vitamin and nutrient deficiencies.

Dietician /Nutritionist Aunt Porridge || +256 787 070 057

Why your toddler’s Appetite is low?

Your child used to enjoy meal time, but now is getting upset at the site of food. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get any food down their throat.
Sometimes low appetite may signify a deeper issue other than just refusing food. Low appetite may be a temporary indicator of an underlying issue like illness, congestion or constipation.

If the above is not the case, then let’s understand their Developmental milestones.

When your baby started walking or running, they prefered doing that to sitting down and eating. Especially children 2-3years, they like to use meal time to assert their independence. Because of this milestone, they like taking charge and the feeling of control is exactly the tune they want to dance to. Forcing them to eat is only making it worse and reducing their acceptance towards food.

When to worry about the low appetite

abdominal pain with eating
weight loss or poor weight gain
decrease in energy
vomiting, shortness of breath, cough, facial swelling or rash after eating which may indicate a good allergy.