Children of school age need a balanced diet, high in vitamins and trace elements, which will help their body to develop and stay healthy. Below you will find information on what the healthy food of schoolchildren is based on.
Regular meals
Children need regular meals and snacks between them. This is especially important when we are talking about the healthy nutrition of younger students. If instead the child gets used to "intercept" something on the move, there can certainly be no talk of a balanced diet.
It's good when children start their day with a nutritious breakfast - for example, milk with flakes, to cope with the morning load in school. Then - one toast, 1-2 fruits or a piece of cake will give them extra energy to feel cheerful before dinner. The dinner itself should be made as diverse as possible.
The basic rules of healthy eating of schoolchildren recommend the parents the following:
- 1-2 times a week the child is preferably eating fish;
- Once a week - red meat (such as beef);
- 1-2 times a week the child should eat legumes or such dishes as stuffed vegetables;
- On other days, the child can be given white meat (for example, chicken) or dishes made from pasta.
Please note that you can be taught to eat healthy meals with the help of joint dinners and dinners on weekends, during which you will gather at the table with the whole family.
Foods from all food groups
Speaking about the healthy nutrition of students, it should be noted that children need to eat the products of all food groups - to meet their body's nutritional needs. Let us dwell on this in more detail.
Bread, other cereals and potatoes. It is good that schoolchildren rely on this group of foods. When preparing food, give preference to flour, the healthy diet assumes that 2/3 of the ration of schoolchildren will be made up of products made from such flour.
Fruits and vegetables. For healthy, high-grade nutrition schoolchildren should give 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.
One portion can be considered:
- 1 medium-sized fruit - for example, a banana, an apple, an orange;
- 2 small fruits (such as plum), 10-15 grapes, cherries, berries;
- 1 small portion of salad from fresh vegetables;
- 3 full tablespoons of cooked vegetables - such as green peas;
- 3 full tablespoons cooked legumes - such as beans (if the child eats more, it is still counted as one serving);
- 1 tablespoon of dried fruit - such as raisins or dried apricots;
- 1 small glass of natural juice (if the child drinks more, it is still counted as one serving).
Milk and dairy products. Give the children at least 3 servings of dairy products a day. It can be 1 package of yogurt, 1 glass of milk or 1 piece of cheese the size of a matchbox. This is especially important for the healthy nutrition of younger students. Dairy products of low fat content usually contain the same amount of calcium and the same list of vitamins that we find in the production of normal fat content. However, it is undesirable to use completely skimmed milk products for children.
Meat, fish and their alternative products. Meat (especially red) and fish are the best sources of iron. However, legumes (lentils, beans), green leafy vegetables and enriched grains can also give the pupil's body enough iron.
Oily fish - such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel, salmon - are very rich in Ω-3 fatty acids. These acids are necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems of the child. The rules of healthy eating not only schoolchildren, but children in general, say that in the week the children need to eat 2 servings of fatty fish. However, avoid giving the child a swordfish, because it contains a large amount of mercury.
Fatty or sugary foods. High-fat or high-sugar foods - such as cakes, cookies, chocolate wafers, crisp - give the schoolchild a lot of energy, but almost no vitamins. In a small number of children, sweets can be consumed, however, only as a component of a balanced diet, and not as a substitute for basic, healthy and healthy food.
Useful drinks. As the most suitable beverage, healthy food offers milk and water for schoolchildren - as they do not destroy their teeth. Juices have high acidity and contain a high percentage of sugar (even in natural juices we find natural sugars). Therefore, it is better to give juices to children together with food - otherwise, it is desirable to dilute them with water.
The total amount of fluid that a student needs during the day depends on the weather, the physical activity of the child and the foods that he eats. It is a good idea to give children one glass of water (milk or juice) with each meal, and one glass - between meals. Give children more fluids during the heat and during periods of increased physical activity.
The healthy nutrition of younger schoolchildren does not allow the use of carbonated beverages such as coke, containing caffeine. As for older students, avoid giving them carbonated beverages containing caffeine while eating, as caffeine prevents the body from absorbing iron.