Meeting children's protein needs need not be expensive

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Meeting children’s protein needs does not always require expensive foodstuffs; families can make use of diverse, readily available food sources and adapt them to the household’s economic capacity.

Nutrition expert Tara Mutiara Ramdani, S.Gz., M.Sc said fulfilling protein needs is an important part of implementing balanced nutrition for children. According to her, families can plan complete and varied diets by utilising various foodstuffs available in their surroundings.

“The definition of healthy is that we must implement balanced, complete, and varied nutrition. That is the most important thing,” Tara Mutiara said in a media forum themed “Minimal Budget, Optimal Nutrition” in Jakarta on Wednesday (26/8).

According to Tara, understanding nutrition is important so that parents are able to determine food choices according to children’s needs while maintaining dietary diversity and balance.

“We need to be more mindful, need to understand more, and have nutritional literacy,” she said.

According to her, attention to food quality is necessary so that the nutritional needs of all family members, including children, remain fulfilled.

Tara then stressed that nutrition education is needed so that parents understand the requirements for protein and other nutrients in supporting children’s growth and development.

By recognising various food sources and planning menus in a balanced way, families can meet children’s protein needs without having to rely on expensive foodstuffs.