New standard offers guidance on safe, proper food for kids

Recommendations to help care, centre operators, prepare nutritious meals

- Lee Li Ying

To ensure children get a well-balanced diet, their lunch and dinner should consist of four main food groups whole grains, lean meat, vegetables and fruit. Fruit should also not be used to replace vegetables because it contains different types of nutrients.

These recommendations are part of a new standard launched on Wednesday to equip care centre operators and their food service providers with the information needed to prepare safe and nutritious food in appropriate portion sizes for infants and children up to 12 years old.

The new standard was launched against the backdrop of more children being placed in care centres by their working parents, and a rising proportion of overweight students aged six to 18 - from 11 per cent in 2013 to 16 per cent in 2021.

The Singapore Standard 692 Guidelines for Nutrition and Food Services for Infants and Children, or SS 692, was developed by a 20-member working group led by the National Healthcare Group (NHG), with representatives from healthcare, national agencies, research institutes, institutes of higher learning, relevant industry associations and service providers.