06 Feb 2017

Day care centres have been implored to ensure that the food they prepare at their kitchens are healthy for children consumption.

This sentiments were shared by principal home economics officer, Ms Itumeleng Labani of social and community development department during an early childhood care and cooks education workshop in Bobonong recently.

She reiterated that the workshop was aimed at equipping cooks with knowledge on good hygiene and sanitation practices.

“Keeping a good standard of hygiene helps to prevent the development and spread of infections and illnesses”, she said.

Ms Labani explained that maintaining hygiene was necessary for personal health, psychological or simply a way of life.

She added that imparting good cooking practices preserved the nutritive value of food for improved brain development.

For his part, Bobirwa district nutritionist Mr Gobe Jori stressed that it was good for young children of six months to two years to eat energy giving food for their body to develop, grow and strengthen.

Mr Jori said children must be given balanced diet food for them to become fit adding that the way a person eat determined his /her growth or even appearance.

He said providing children with varieties of food like liver and salt would protect them from being diagnosed with diseases like anemia and mental problems.

Mr Jori indicated that lack of iron in the body could lead to anemia while lack of vitamin D could cause eye defects.

He further stressed that eating vegetable as well as fruits helped in boosting the body immune system.

“Eating too much sugar and fatty food is not healthy as it can lead diabetes and heart attack”, he said.

He said most people have a tendency of avoiding to give children water on winter season but that on its own is not good.

He said sometimes people struggle on how or where to get certain micro nutrients like vitamin D not knowing that it could be absorbed from the sun light rays through basking.

Senior environmental health officer, Mr Barulaganye Tuelo advised cooks to take a bath, wash their aprons as well as avoid painting nails when handling food. He also stressed that covering hair and cutting of nails helps prevent food contamination. ENDS