September is just around the corner, which means that the children will soon start harsh school days again. Both a child’s mood and performance are highly dependent on their diet. According to Rospotrebnadzor, due to an improperly composed diet, more than 30% (!) Of Russian children suffer from growth and development retardation. In addition, irregular and unbalanced nutrition is the main cause of gastritis, which is included in the typical list of “school diseases”. Therefore, parents need to carefully monitor what their child eats.
Delicious start to the day
So let’s start with breakfast. According to Anna Ivashkevich, consultant nutritionist of the food design company, if it is tasty, beautiful and nutritious, the child will go to school in a good mood. A proper full breakfast can provide a child with high performance for 3-4 hours. “Try to have slow carbohydrates in your breakfast, as they make you feel full for a long time. For example, you can cook porridge with two spoons of jam, grated chocolate, condensed milk, fresh fruit. It is also good to cook a couple of pancakes or pancakes, casserole. If your kid loves pasta – that is not a reason to deny him them. You can add a little cheese or sugar to make the breakfast sweet, ”says Anna Ivashkevich.
The child consumes a quarter of the daily diet at school, but often this diet does not contain the necessary vitamins and micronutrients. Unbalanced nutrition in schools is the main cause of various school diseases, such as stunted growth, tooth decay, anemia, and diseases of the intestinal tract. According to the Scientific Center of Children’s Health of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 45% of children in Russia are deficient in calcium in their daily diet, 14% are deficient in iron, in addition, children eat little fruit and vegetables. Due to the low consumption of milk and dairy products, as well as their displacement from the diet with sugary carbonated drinks, children from a lack of calcium develop diseases such as osteoporosis, caries, rickets, a high risk of bone fractures, and growth retardation.
Therefore, think about what you can give your child to take with you for a snack. “First you need to find out when and how your child can eat: whether there will be time for recess, or time for lunch; whether it is possible to eat in the classroom or only in the dining room; take into account that the child does not stain the school uniform. It will be convenient for a first grader to carry food in a container, a special lunch box, be sure to give him a small bottle of clean water with him. There is no need to give juices, milkshakes, sweet teas or soda, they will not help to quench your thirst, but will only intensify it, ”continues our expert.
Snacking right
For a hearty snack, you can give small bread sandwiches, buns with sesame seeds, pita bread, lavish with cheese, meat, beef tongue, poultry. They can be supplemented with pieces of vegetables: carrots, cucumbers, radishes, cherry tomatoes. It is better not to use sauces, because, firstly, they quickly deteriorate, and, secondly, they can get dirty. “Prepare small pies with meat, cabbage, egg, cottage cheese, apple or apricot and give 2-3 to your child. Or you can give a couple of syrmak.
An easy and quick snack can be nuts, fruits, or dried fruits. You can make homemade granolas from them, ”says Ivashkevich. And don’t forget to give your child fresh vegetables and fruits. For example, vitamin C, which strengthens the body’s defenses and protects against viral attacks. It is very convenient for a child to take healthy apples with you – these are champions in the content of vitamins and microelements. They contribute to the general strengthening of the body, improve its defenses.
Educate your child about the need to eat soup and salad at school and not to abuse chips, soda and sweets. And in the evening, it is advisable not to overload the stomach with unnecessary work before bedtime. Vegetables, fish, lean meats (turkey, rabbit), fermented milk products are good options for dinner, and it is desirable that it be no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
In general, teach your child to eat regularly, at least 4 times a day. After all, proper nutrition at school age is a good basis for the health of the body in the future.
