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City children missing vital nutrients? Pediatric neurologist flags diet problems
City children missing vital nutrients? Pediatric neurologist flags diet problems: ‘Deficiency severely affects growth’
City children missing vital nutrients? Pediatric neurologist flags diet problems: ‘Deficiency severely affects growth’
Urban children are vulnerable to deficiencies like anemia and fatigue because of nutritional gaps caused by reliance on processed foods.
Updated on: Mar 12, 2026 4:24 PM IST By Adrija Dey Share via Copy link Childhood is a critical period of growth and development. During this period, parents need to provide adequate nutrition so that children's physical strength, cognitive abilities and immunity develop in the right direction. But with the growing influx of junk food and ultra-processed options all around, proper nourishment has a tendency to take a backseat. The convenience of food delivery apps makes them materialise at your doorstep with a tap of a phone.ALSO READ: Toddler to teenager: Know how excessive screen time can slow children’s growth and development Parents need to ensure their children's dietary requirements are met, to prevent nutritional deficiencies. (Picture credit: Freepik ) These foods are loaded with preservatives, sugar and additives, making them more palatable, so children are naturally drawn to them. As a result, healthier and more nutritious home-cooked meals are usually replaced. Over time, it creates major nutritional gaps in the children's diet. HT Lifestyle connected with Dr Sonam Kothari, pediatric neurologist and CEO and Co-Founder of Butterfly Learnings, who helped explain the dietary gaps children in urban cities often face and why these nutritional shortfalls are becoming increasingly common.
“The shift is largely because these foods are ‘highly palatable.’ However, they contain excessive sugar, salt and fats, which can put health at significant risk," she said. This suggests that because these foods taste good, they naturally become more attractive to children. Since children are more willing to eat them without any fuss or tantrums, parents also don't mind. These foods are typically loaded with calories but contain very little nutritional value. Such empty-calorie foods mainly result in weight gain.
Nutrients lacking in urban diets
Children are more attracted to junk food, causing an obvious nutritional gap in their diet because they are empty calorie foods. (Picture credit: Freepik) Dr Kothari observed that the gap is present in both macro and micronutrients, with the former being carbs, protein and healthy fats and the latter consisting of vitamins, minerals like zinc, and magnesium. “The majority of urban Indians suffer from protein deficiency, primarily because their diets are heavily based on cereals that are low in high-quality protein,” the pediatric neurologist shared. “This ongoing deficiency severely affects growth, muscle recovery, and immune function.” Protein is foundational for the diet, but still a large section of the population, especially during the developing years, misses out on high-quality protein because of poor dietary choices.Another macronutrient that is often missing in healthy fat, with the major one being, omega-3 fatty acids. The neurologist traced back the causes, which are rooted in excessive reliance on refined oil and reduced consumption of fatty fish and other natural sources of omega-3.
How to bridge the nutrition gap?
Eat chia seeds for good omega-3 intake. (Unsplash) Dr Kothari recommended these steps to bridge the nutrition gaps: 1. Replace refined foods with whole foods:
Swap refined grains (maida, white bread, packaged snacks) with whole grains like whole wheat, millets, brown rice and oats. Include leafy greens, nuts and seeds in daily meals for better nutrient intake.2. Eat omega-3-rich foods
Flax seeds Walnuts Chia seeds3. Diversify protein sources
Go beyond pulses for protein Consider adding legumes, lentils, eggs, lean meats, fish, and dairy items.4. Cut down on processed foods
Limit foods high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats Eat nutrient-dense foods with empty calories Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adrija Dey Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read More Nutrition Childhood Healthy Diet Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs. News / Lifestyle / Health / City Children Missing Vital Nutrients? Pediatric Neurologist Flags Diet Problems: ‘Deficiency Severely Affects Growth’ See Less
Childhood is a critical period of growth and development. During this period, parents need to provide adequate nutrition so that children's physical strength, cognitive abilities and immunity develop in the right direction. But with the growing influx of junk food and ultra-processed options all around, proper nourishment has a tendency to take a backseat. The convenience of food delivery apps makes them materialise at your doorstep with a tap of a phone.
ALSO READ: Toddler to teenager: Know how excessive screen time can slow children’s growth and development
These foods are loaded with preservatives, sugar and additives, making them more palatable, so children are naturally drawn to them. As a result, healthier and more nutritious home-cooked meals are usually replaced. Over time, it creates major nutritional gaps in the children's diet.
HT Lifestyle connected with Dr Sonam Kothari, pediatric neurologist and CEO and Co-Founder of Butterfly Learnings, who helped explain the dietary gaps children in urban cities often face and why these nutritional shortfalls are becoming increasingly common.
“The shift is largely because these foods are ‘highly palatable.’ However, they contain excessive sugar, salt and fats, which can put health at significant risk," she said.
This suggests that because these foods taste good, they naturally become more attractive to children. Since children are more willing to eat them without any fuss or tantrums, parents also don't mind. These foods are typically loaded with calories but contain very little nutritional value. Such empty-calorie foods mainly result in weight gain.
Dr Kothari observed that the gap is present in both macro and micronutrients, with the former being carbs, protein and healthy fats and the latter consisting of vitamins, minerals like zinc, and magnesium.
“The majority of urban Indians suffer from protein deficiency, primarily because their diets are heavily based on cereals that are low in high-quality protein,” the pediatric neurologist shared. “This ongoing deficiency severely affects growth, muscle recovery, and immune function.”
Protein is foundational for the diet, but still a large section of the population, especially during the developing years, misses out on high-quality protein because of poor dietary choices.
Another macronutrient that is often missing in healthy fat, with the major one being, omega-3 fatty acids. The neurologist traced back the causes, which are rooted in excessive reliance on refined oil and reduced consumption of fatty fish and other natural sources of omega-3.
Dr Kothari recommended these steps to bridge the nutrition gaps:
Source: HindustanTimes
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