Feeding toddlers with too many fruit and vegetables in diets can damage their health, warn nutritionists.

According to a warning from dieticians, too much fiber and too little fat can lead to vitamin deficiencies and stunt growth in children under five.

Paediatric dieticians say that a high-fiber and low-fat diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is ideal for adults. The same is highly unsuitable for young children aged one to four.

Nutritionists in the UK observed that menus of nurseries were not regulated, and many contain too much fiber and not enough fat.

The findings emerged from a trading standards study into nursery meals across East Sussex.  Scientists are of the opinion that the results could portray the larger picture at the national level. 

Sarah Almond, a consultant pediatric dietician who analyzed the study and observed this puts children at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies said, "Nurseries are applying the principles of adult healthy eating to the food they are supplying to young children.”

According to Mrs. Almond, a guest lecturer on child health at Brighton University, toddlers’ bodies needed energy-rich foods, from a number of small meals and snacks spread through the day.

Neil Leitch, the campaign director of the Feeding Young Imaginations initiative run by the Pre-School Learning Alliance, said, "The majority of nurseries are confused or misinformed about what entails healthy eating for the under-five age group.

"They are over-focusing on the message about eating five portions of fruit and vegetable a day and forgetting that it is completely inappropriate to simply puree a meal that would be healthy for a four-year-old and feed it to a two-year-old."

Source-Medindia
THK/L