What should a healthy meal contain in childhood

What should a children's dish contain? What foods and in what quantities are indispensable for our children to have energy and micronutrients in their day to day? In Guiainfantil.com we tell you what should contain a healthy meal in childhood that contains all the nutrients that children need. How h

What should a children's dish contain? What foods and in what quantities are indispensable for our children to have energy and micronutrients in their day to day?

In Guiainfantil.com we tell you what should contain a healthy meal in childhood that contains all the nutrients that children need.

How healthy food should be in childhood

First, it is traditionally accepted as nutritionally healthy for children, a distribution of 5 meals a day, 3 main meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, and two lighter meals, lunch and dinner. snack. The main reason for this distribution is based on avoiding, on the one hand, the unhealthy pecking, since, if snack and lunch are offered, it is easy for the child not to ask to snack between meals, and on the other, excessive hunger and / or the reluctance.

The midday meal should contribute approximately 30-35% of the child's total caloric intake, and include foods from all groups, preferably fresh and cooked in the traditional way.

In recent years, el "healthy eating plate" , a healthy dish created by experts from Harvard University, has become very famous to promote, in a visual way, what they consider to be balanced and healthy rations of the different food groups.According to them, and always attending to the infant ration - which is usually smaller than that of an adult, except in some cases during adolescence, in which they can be similar or even superior - this would be the most recommended distribution: - Half a plate of fruits and / or vegetables

, as varied as possible, and as raw as possible, in order to preserve the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals present. -A quarter of the preferably whole grain dish

, since the exclusive consumption of refined grains is not healthy. In addition, this point also includes the potato, which, due to its high carbohydrate content, should not be included in the vegetable section. -One last quarter of protein foods.

This group includes eggs, fish, chicken, legumes or nuts. It is convenient to avoid processed meats and limit the consumption of red meats. - The cooking method should be as light as possible

, and healthy oils, such as olive oil, should be used. -The drink that should be consumed is water.

Children should not be offered carbonated drinks, juices or milk as an accompaniment to their meals. For lunch and snack, it is possible, for example, to distribute the groups between them, so that they complement each other. A sandwich of ham (cereals + protein food) for the snack, is complemented superbly with a piece of fruit and / or a yogurt for lunch, without forgetting, of course, your daily dose of physical exercise, either a while in the park, climbing the slide and running with his friends, a soccer match or a ballet class.