Expert advocates right food choices for children

Roberta Oyedokun, Chief Executive Officer of Moppet foods company in Lagos has advised parents to look beyond known brands and foreign tags in choosing nutritious foods for their children.

She made the call in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, saying the choice of right foods would help to reduce the burden of malnutrition.

She added that wrong nutritional choices may have profound consequences on children, threaten their survival and increase the risk of severe and acute malnutrition.

A UNICEF report shows that Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children globally, with a national prevalence of 32 per cent for under five-years-old children.

It added that an estimated two million children in the country suffer from acute malnutrition, while only two out of 10 children are currently reached with treatment.

However, Oyedokun explained that malnutrition is a global public health concern.

She said “when we talk about malnutrition in children, most parents think it is only children in rural areas that are malnourished.

“But the truth is a lot of children from urban cities with richer parents also suffer malnutrition and obesity because of wrong food choices.

“Parents should choose nutritious, rich meals made with the five groups of healthy foods for their children, one that is without any artificial sugar, additive or preservative.”

She stressed the need for clinically researched formulas to cover children’s basic nutritional needs.

She said “babies and toddlers need foods from all five healthy food groups – vegetables, fruits, grain foods, dairy and protein.

Oyedokun said that to address the challenge of malnutrition in the country, the firm in 2021 launched an instant babies and toddlers cereals as a solution to the lack of fresh, natural, and convenient children’s meal options.

She said that the foods are formulated through clinically researched formulas to cover children’s basic nutritional needs.

“The products are made from naturally grown grains with no added sugar, colouring, preservatives, flavour or chemicals.

“Moppet range of cereals has nutrients that are important for growth, development and learning.

“Babies and toddlers need foods from all five healthy food groups – vegetables, fruit, grain foods, dairy, and protein, and this is what we offer in every pack of Moppet,” she said.

Oyedokun said that the cereals are developed by certified child nutritionists and experts in pediatric nutrition to ensure safety, efficacy, and the highest quality.