Nyra’s plate — feeding the future
During one of my trips to the USA, I spent over a month with my son’s family and my six-year-old granddaughter, Nyra. On the second day of my stay, I prepared a healthy breakfast for her — eggs, poha with vegetables and peanuts, and a glass of milk. But she refused to eat any of it. Instead, she chose white bread with jam and colourful breakfast cereals — without milk. The next morning, she had pancakes with maple syrup.
Concerned, I spoke to my son and daughter-in-law. They explained, “Mummy, earlier she used to eat fruits, vegetables, home-cooked dal-chawal, and chicken. But ever since she started going to daycare and attending birthday parties, her food preferences have changed.”
These birthday parties, which happened almost every weekend, often served pizza, packed juices, chips, and cakes loaded with icing. At school too, meals often include frozen or pre-cooked pizza, pasta, and similar items.
That experience with Nyra made me reflect on how quickly children’s eating habits can shift — especially under the influence of peer culture and regular exposure to processed foods.
In India too, I’ve seen a similar trend. During my visits to family and friends, I noticed children snacking on pizza, burgers, samosas, kachoris, or packaged foods — often accompanied by cold drinks.
Our food courts and mall eateries are frequently crowded with young people, many of whom are visibly overweight.
The increasing popularity of fast food, packaged snacks, and frequent celebrations centered around chips, burgers, fizzy drinks, and overly sweet cakes is shaping children’s food preferences. Without even being exposed to traditional homemade food, they develop a taste for unhealthy options far too early.
In contrast, during our childhood, we ate simple, home-cooked meals — dal-roti, sabzi, khichdi, idli-sambar. Our school tiffins typically contained parathas with various vegetables. Evening snacks were often leftover rotis or parathas served with homemade chutney, pickle, ghee with jaggery, or sautéed vegetables. During festivals and special occasions — which came every month — we looked forward to homemade treats like laddus, mathris, gujiyas, dahi bada, pakode, and more. We were happy, felt content, and enjoyed even our seemingly monotonous meals.
So why are today’s children drawn to fast and packaged food?
Because they are engineered to be addictive as these products are loaded with salt, sugar, and fat, making them highly palatable. They’re designed to trigger the brain’s pleasure centers and make children crave more. Since these foods are regularly served at parties and celebrations, children begin to associate them with fun and joy.
Bright packaging, free toys, attractive discounts, and eye-catching advertisements and are powerful marketing tools that create an emotional bond between children and these foods. Regular exposure at school, parties, malls and screens cement these habits.
Due to lack of time or energy, parents sometimes turn to such foods as an easy way to treat their kids or skip cooking. Sadly, children are not mature enough to understand the long-term impact of their food choices.
That’s why we, as adults, need to be more mindful. It is our responsibility to protect and guide our children before the convenience of junk food begins to affect their overall well-being.
What Can Be Done?
1. Awareness Begins at Home and School
Parents and teachers play a key role in educating children about their food choices and how they affect their health.
2. Reading Food Labels
Children should be encouraged to read food labels with the help of adults and understand what ingredients are going into their bodies.
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3. Understanding Hidden Harm
Teach them about the dangers of high salt, sugar, preservatives, emulsifiers, and additives — often hidden behind attractive branding.
4. Make Homemade Versions
Recreate fast food like burgers, pizzas, fries, pani puri, and samosas at home using fresh, healthy ingredients. Involve your children in the cooking process — it builds awareness and interest.
5. Limit Exposure
Reduce the number of fast food ads they watch (on YouTube, TV, etc.) and avoid frequent visits to fast food outlets.
6. Set a Routine
Regular, balanced, and satisfying meals prevent hunger pangs and reduce the temptation for junk food.
7. Educate Gently
Talk to children about food and its effect on their health in a positive and encouraging way. Make it part of daily conversation without sounding preachy.
8. Healthy Swaps
Know your child’s taste buds and offer fun yet nutritious alternatives — fruit smoothies or milkshakes instead of soda, fruit chaat instead of chips, and dry-fruit laddus instead of candy.
9. Use Rewards Wisely
Avoid using fast food, ice cream, or chocolate as rewards. Instead, reward children with experiences — visits to the zoo, story time, playtime, or a walk in the park.
10. Be a Role Model
Children learn by observing. If they see adults enjoying home-cooked meals, they are more likely to do the same.
11. Make Meals Enjoyable
At least one meal a day — usually dinner — should be a relaxed family time, free from stress and distractions like phones. These shared meals build positive associations with home-cooked food.
Occasionally, children can enjoy fast food — but it should not become a regular habit or an addiction.
With the advent of technology, food shows on YouTube and TV, and the increased affordability of travel, the world has become a smaller place. Children are now exposed to a wide variety of cuisines and food styles from different regions and countries at a very early age. While this exposure can be enriching, it is essential that children learn to distinguish between what is merely tasty and what is truly healthy. They should be guided to make informed food choices that support their growth and well-being.
Raising awareness about food from a young age is not just about promoting good health — it’s about empowering children early to make informed choices. As a society, it is our collective responsibility to guide the next generation toward better eating habits, before the convenience becomes a costly burden on their health.
