There is nothing micro-about a Micronutrient Deficiency

The best way to prevent micronutrient deficiencies is to ensure variety on the plate, and have a full-colour meal every day of the week. [iStockphoto]

Here are some tips to get more nutritious meals for the whole family:

Power of Vegetables

For your family's optimal health, include in your diet green vegetables such as spinach, and cabbage, traditional vegetables such as managu, terere and kunde, and peas.

Yellow veggies such as carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potato. These vegetables are high in fibre - to help control blood sugar levels, folate, a very important B vitamin, magnesium, vitamin A and potassium. Make your family part of the shopping and preparation of these veggies to ensure commitment to eating them.

Have more colours on the plate, in the lunch boxes or for snacking

The best way to prevent micronutrient deficiencies is to ensure variety on the plate, and have a full-colour meal every day of the week and not only on Sundays and special occasions. This you can do by planning your meals, this will create excitement for mealtimes and a giant step in giving yourself and your family a fighting chance to live up to their full potential.

Dairy Goodness

A glass of milk has nutrients such as calcium which is important for strong bones, vitamin D - a special vitamin important for our immune system, and potassium - which ensures proper function of the muscles and nerves. Dairy-based products come highly recommended as they are easy to prepare and help to ensure that you still meet your family's nutritional needs.

The writer, Elidy Wangeci, is the Corporate & Public Affairs Manager at Nestle East & Southern Africa Region (ESAR).