Appebon Kid: “Batang Ganado, Batang Can-Do”

One of the things that I am very grateful of for having this blog is getting invited to events that make me a more informed mom. To mark Nutrition Month this July, I got invited by Appebon Kid coordinated by Nuffnang Philippines to an insightful talk for moms involving kids’ nutrition in which Appebon Kid’s newest campaign was also launched with the theme: “Batang Ganado, Batang Can-Do.”

 

The event was an intimate gathering of moms where one of the country’s respected pediatricians,  Dr. Florianne Feliza-Valdez, was invited to share her joys of motherhood, and at the same time, impart some important points involving kids’ health. Dra. Valdez enthusiastically talked about the three important N’s that would greatly impact a child’s well-being namely: Nurture, Nature and Nutrition.

 

One important trait that we, moms, innately have which Dra. Valdez discussed is our being “nurturing” to our kids. This quality of ours helps develop our children’s emotional and social well-being.  Let me ask you this, how do you show your love to your kids?  We each have our own ways of showing our love or in other words we each have our own way of nurturing them. For example, you can nurture your children with your smile and hugs. You can nurture your children by cuddling and playing with them.  You can also nurture them through your words of encouragement, or just by listening to their stories. These “little things” that we do to our kids would mean so much to them.

 

Providing our kids with peaceful environment is also another factor that could bring positive results.  Creating a non-threatening home-environment by fostering open communication and by teaching kindness by being kind are some of the ways. As Dra. Valdez puts it, “Be the soothing element to your child.”

 

Picky eaters: Are they born that way?

When Dra. Valdez introduced promoting good nutrition, she posted this question: Are kids born to be picky eaters? The answer? NO! Being a picky eater is not about our children, it depends on the eating habits we have at home! Yes moms, our eating habit, Dra. Valdez said, has a great impact on our kids’ eating habits!

So for the age-old nature vs. nurture question on our kids’ eating habits, their eating habits are more likely the result from our environment, rather than our genetics! This stresses how important our role is when it comes to determining the eating habits of our kids! Nurture, specifically diet and nutrition, greatly affects who we are and the level of our everyday health, hence it important that the entire family eats healthy!

Let us consider some of these ways to develop a healthier eating habit to our kids:

• Start giving them healthy meals early. Once kids are ready to eat solid food, start giving fruits and veggies.
• Never give up, keep serving healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. Just always serve healthy meals and never give up; it may take many exposures for the big kids to learn to like them!
• Do not give snacks for at least 2 hours before the “big meals”. Make sure that your kid is hungry enough before the meals so that he is likely to eat something that he does not prefer.
• Make it fun! Try creative food plating like arranging food into something like an airplane or a bear. Kids might be enticed to eat healthier that way!
• Set a good example. Make sure what you’re eating healthy, too, and they’ll get into the same eating habit!

In order to make sure that your child is nutritionally healthy, ask your pediatrician to assess your child’s nutritional status so you will know your child’s nutritional needs. To gauge this, your pediatrician will measure your child’s weight, age, height and the percent of desired weight for height.

And if your child does not get enough nutrients, ask your pediatrician as to what vitamins you can give. Dra. Valdez approves health supplements such as Appebon Kid (the over-the-counter variant of Appebon) for kids that are 2-12 years old as Appebon Kid has Vitamin B complex (1, 6, 12), and Iron. This strawberry- flavored daily supplement also has appetite enhancers necessary to make our kids “ganado”.

Here’s the nutrition information of Appebon Kid based on 5ml recommended daily dossage:

I know you’ll agree with me that kids who are healthy eaters are more likely to be “ganado” at home, in school and even in playgrounds because a “Batang Ganado” is also also a  “Batang Can-Do”! Let us then promote a healthier eating habit right in our homes!

Thank you Appebon Kid and Nuffnang Philippines for this learning opportunity! =)