5 Food Choices To Minimize The Impact Of Air Pollution On Children

As the air quality in the city remains to be poor due to smog and pollution, our health and well-being is at constant risk. When it comes to our children, we don’t want to take any chances because they are very susceptible to environmental pollutants, and the first ones to be affected.

- Meenal Arora, Founder Director, Shemford Group of Futuristic Schools

Just by ensuring a nutrient-dense diet for our children, we can help them overcome any adversity. Load up your little one on these essential nutrients to make them strong enough to combat the ill-effects of air pollution.

Vitamin C - Let it work wonders

Foods rich in Vitamin C are a powerhouse of antioxidants. They protect your cells from any damage caused by smoke and air pollution by scavenging on the free radicals.

Load up your children on Vitamin C rich fruits like guava, strawberries, papaya, oranges, kiwi, gooseberry (amla) and grapefruit. Toss them into a mixed-fruit chaat or eat them as is.

Vegetables like cauliflower, kale, cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, drumsticks and capsicum are a natural source of Vitamin C. Turn them into lip-smacking meals for your child.

One of the easiest way to sneak Vitamin C into your child’s diet is to offer them lemonade. The juice from two lemons can suffice their daily dose of Vitamin C.

Vitamin E is what they need

Foods rich in Vitamin E play a major role in protecting lungs from the harmful pollution-ridden air. Vitamin E, with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, ameliorates the effects of air pollution to a great extent.