Important tips for Children Fasting During Ramadan
Although it is necessary to encourage our children to continue fast during the month of Ramadan, it is also important to ensure that your child receives the proper nutrition that they need. To ensure their growth and development, both mental and physical, therefore, you must provide a balanced diet for your child during Ramadan, making sure that he\she gets adequate proportions of nutrients important for their growth, such as iron, calcium, and vitamins.
What are your child's main nutritional needs during fasting each day?
- Carbohydrates: serve as fuel for the body as they provide it with the energy it needs to function normally, and starches play an important role in maintaining the level of sugar in the blood. Carbohydrate sources include whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and brown pasta. Do not forget about dates, dried and fresh fruits that are an excellent source of natural sugars, for more energy and activity during every Ramadan meal
- Proteins: Proteins are essential for building and regenerating cells and tissues of the body. Good sources of protein include fish, skinless chicken, lean meats, as well as legumes (beans, chickpeas, beans), nuts, and seeds. Eating an adequate amount of protein in all his meals during the month of Ramadan will keep him feeling full until the next meal without the need to eat an excessive amount of sweets
- Fats: They are also an important source of energy for our bodies and play an important role in the functions of body cells. Some of them (such as healthy fats) are good for heart, skin, and hair health as well. These beneficial fats are found in vegetable oils, olives, fish, and nuts. You should also avoid using saturated fats found in butter and ghee in your Ramadan dishes, because they may raise the level of cholesterol in the blood and increase the risk of heart disease. On the other hand, use canola and olive oil for better health
- Vitamins and minerals: They play an important role in maintaining the normal functions of the body's cells. They also enhance the body's immunity and give it vitality, in addition to the role of some of them as antioxidants that protect the body from diseases. Food sources of vitamins and minerals are vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fruits (fresh, dried, and juices), all of which have a special place on the Ramadan table. Do not forget about milk and yogurt, which contain calcium in addition to other vitamins essential to maintaining healthy bones
How do you encourage your child to fast without force?
- It is important not to force the young child to fast, but you have to rehabilitate him psychologically to start learning to fast, and this is by clarifying the importance of fasting and making sure to encourage him to do so.
- The child is gradual in fasting by fasting for several hours in his first fast, and this is because the child will not bear thirst and hunger during the whole day, so gradualism little by little is very important
- The reward method is one of the methods that have positive results for the child's fasting and helps motivate him to fast throughout the days of Ramadan
- If it is noticed that the child suffers from extreme exhaustion and fatigue during his fast, he must break his fast immediately so that he does not suffer from complications
- Be careful to prepare delicious foods that the child loves for breakfast, which must be complete with the necessary nutrients
- Giving the child plenty of fluids and water from after breakfast until the suhoor meal, to compensate for the lack of body moisture, which may cause him to become dehydrated
