Stop Feeding Children Noodles Alone, Nutritionists Warn Parents
Stop Feeding Children Noodles Alone, Nutritionists Warn Parents
Nutrition experts have cautioned parents against the rising trend of feeding children instant noodles as their primary meal, warning that the practice poses serious health risks and could fuel childhood malnutrition.
Speaking with journalists, the nutritionists explained that while noodles provide carbohydrates and quick energy, they lack essential nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals that are vital for a child’s proper growth and development.
They noted with concern that many households now rely on noodles as a quick-fix meal, often without adding vegetables, eggs, or other protein sources. This habit, they warned, is contributing to increasing cases of weak immunity, stunted growth, and diet-related illnesses among Nigerian children.
“Instant noodles are convenient, but they cannot replace a balanced diet,” one of the experts said. “Children need foods that provide protein for growth, fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals, as well as grains and legumes for sustained energy.”
They urged parents to make conscious efforts to enrich children’s meals with affordable local foods such as beans, groundnuts, vegetables, fish, and eggs, stressing that healthy options do not have to be expensive.
The experts also called on government and health agencies to intensify public awareness campaigns on child nutrition, noting that education remains key in curbing the rising dependency on processed fast foods.
They concluded by emphasizing that children’s long-term health and learning capacity depend largely on the quality of their diets, and warned that poor feeding choices today could have lifelong consequences.
