correct, healthy eating children - the topic is relevant at all times. It is known that it is a healthy diet, the regularity of eating food, foods that are full in nutritional quality - are the basis for the formation of proper food addictions and good health.
Healthy nutrition is a properly, well-composed, balanced diet, which contains a wide variety of products necessary for the proper development and growth of the child's body.
Today we will talk about healthy nutrition for children. sample menu compiling so that you have an idea of general principles children's diet. And, in addition, we will discuss many more interesting things related to the nutrition of children.
Habit to proper nutrition
Moms and dads know that babies begin to be interested in adult food early. Knowing this, you can begin to form their right addictions from an early age. This will help to avoid problems with feeding children in the future. For example, when a child grows up and he can gradually begin to give adult food, start with healthy "right" foods.
For example, boil cauliflower or stew the zucchini. But do not teach your child to sausages, sausages, salty foods.
Also, in order for the child to eat with pleasure the food that you have prepared for him, it is important to observe an attractive appearance dishes. They should attract the child, arouse his interest, be tasty, with a diverse combination of tastes. By developing the habit of healthy foods in your child, you lay the foundation for his health in the future.
Family food habits
Remember that if you snack on a sandwich with sausage, and offer your child an omelette, he will most likely require a sandwich. Therefore, you will also have to change your eating habits and principles.
For example, instead of rich borscht with cracklings, cook soups, instead of fatty pork, cook veal stewed in sour cream for lunch, replace fried foods with boiled or stewed ones. Don't put it on the table a large number of a variety of muffins, put sweets, jam and preserves in the buffet. This is all of course necessary, but in a very limited amount. Sweets and pastries should not form the basis of the diet.
Also, teach your child to eat regularly. It is extremely important for children to have a full breakfast, lunch, dinner. This is necessary for its full development. But if a mother does not have breakfast in the morning, as she keeps her figure, then by this she sets a bad example for her child. Of course, you can mock yourself in any way, but the child should see you at a full breakfast. In this case, he will be happy to have breakfast with you.
In addition, when all households gather at the table, this contributes to family unity. Therefore, joint meals are necessary for a positive psychological microclimate in the family - which is very important for the comfortable existence of children.
Don't encourage regular snacking. Stop buying your kids sugary sodas that cause diabetes and digestive problems. Sweets, refined purchased pastries quickly saturate, spoil the appetite, negatively affect the formation of healthy eating habits.
Important foods for children's diet
Children should definitely eat tasty and varied, getting all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals they need.
The diet must include:
Cereals, cereals - oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, wheat groats, bread.
- Vegetables - potatoes, carrots, cabbage (different varieties), beets, onions, pumpkins, legumes. Fresh, seasonal cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini.
- Fruits, berries - necessarily seasonal apples, pears, cherries, plums, apricots, watermelons, other fruits growing in the region of residence. Do not rush to include exotic products in the menu. They often cause allergies. All fruits and berries are good both fresh and in cooked jelly, compotes, mashed potatoes and other desserts.
- The child should receive the required amount of meat, fish, seafood.
Sample healthy baby food menu:
Breakfast - weak sweet tea, milk oatmeal (or any other) porridge with the addition of butter.
Second breakfast - apple or banana, fruit juice.
Lunch - Beetroot, mashed potatoes, baked meatballs with cream sauce, jelly.
afternoon tea - oatmeal cookies with boiled milk.
Dinner - vermicelli with a piece of fried fish or stewed veal. You can cook dumplings with cabbage, potatoes or cottage cheese.
Before going to bed - a cup of kefir or homemade yogurt.
Of course, this is an approximate menu for a child, so that you have an idea about the products and their combination in the diet. In addition, it is imperative to take into account the taste preferences of the child and the whole family, since preparing separate food for children is quite problematic, and even unnecessary.
Be sure to give your children bread with meals. It is necessary as a source of healthy protein and vitamin B. What kind of bread to give - wheat or rye, let the child decide. He will choose the one he likes best. Just try to have both the first and the other in the diet. Eat rationally, properly and be healthy!
simple recipes
How porridge is cooked. Just. Boil 3 times more water than pour porridge into it. Salt. When boiling, pour the porridge from the package and cook for about 7 minutes according to the recipe from the box or bag. After turning off the fire, add 1 tbsp. a slide of butter.
Potato puree. Boil water, salt it. Boil peeled potato roots. When potatoes can be pierced with a fork, drain the broth into a separate container. We crush potatoes with a pusher. Pour a mug of warm milk into it with a piece of butter dissolved in it. We continue to push. Add the broth to the desired consistency of puree.
Vermicelli. It cooks like porridge. That is, we throw a portion of vermicelli into boiling water. Cook for a couple of minutes, checking readiness by catching individual vermicelli and tasting them. When ready, drain the water from the pan through a colander. We throw the vermicelli into the pan, add a piece of butter, mix everything.
Complete and balanced diet- the guarantee of children's health. Today, when there is almost everything on the supermarket shelves, the most important issue is healthy food. It is not difficult to buy a desired sweet drink or another chocolate bar for a child, but you should be aware of how many flavors, preservatives and flavor enhancers are contained in these harmful products. Ice cream and yogurt prepared by caring mother's hands are no less tasty, but much more healthy.
What can children eat
Speaking about nutrition, it is very important to mention first courses: soups and broths prepare the body for heavier second courses, useful vitamins and micronutrients. They are well digested, but only on condition that the soup for the baby is cooked on natural meat or vegetable broth. Pickle soup and meatball soup are delicious, as well as rice, bean or pea soups. When cooking them, use only natural spices, such as leafy vegetables: cilantro, parsley, dill, onion, bay leaf.
For the second, it is very good to cook milk or rice porridge, wheat and buckwheat groats are also useful. The choice of meat for babies should be taken as responsibly as possible, it is better to give preference to pure beef without blood over heavy pork and chicken fillet. Minced meat, from which meatballs are made, should only be homemade, you should not buy it in a store. It is not necessary to give children fried or excessively fatty foods, such as barbecue, pizza or shawarma, it is best to cook breakfast or lunch for a couple.
All children love sweets, but sweets and confectionery in supermarkets contain harmful E additives and flavor enhancers. You will not find such hazards in home cooking. Delight your baby with delicious homemade ice cream, pastries or wonderful yogurt.
Recipes for babies
chicken soufflé
Chicken soufflé is an incredibly tender dish that can be prepared for young children. It can be served alone or with a side dish of vegetables. To prepare this amazing dish, you will need: 100 grams of chicken fillet, carrots, an egg, half a glass of cream, 1.5 teaspoons of flour and 1 teaspoon of butter.
First, steam the meat and carrots, and then grind the ingredients in a blender until a homogeneous mass is formed. Fry flour with cream in a pan, and then mix with grated meat. Grease the souffle molds with oil and lightly sprinkle with breadcrumbs, transfer the mixture into them and bake for twenty-five minutes in the oven.
boiled omelet
This delicate and dietary dish is perfect for your baby's breakfast or afternoon snack. To prepare it, you will need 2 eggs, three tablespoons of milk, salt and a bag for baking or freezing food. First, beat the eggs with milk and salt, while the egg mixture should increase several times. Then pour the mixture into a baking bag, close it tightly and drop it into a pot of boiling water. Cook the omelet for fifteen minutes. It can be served as a separate dish or as a side dish for cereals and salads. This recipe is well suited even for those children who have gastroenterological diseases.
pumpkin in french
Pumpkin is an incredibly healthy food product that is rich in vitamins and minerals. This dish can be recommended to children from the age of five, and many adults will also like it. To do this, you need 400 grams of pumpkin, 300 grams of pork, a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, 200 grams of cheese, as well as salt and pepper.
Cut the pumpkin into cubes. Then we fry the meat in sunflower oil, when it is half cooked, we bring in the pumpkin, which should be slightly salted and peppered. After the dish is fried thickly sprinkle it with grated cheese and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
Healthy nutrition of the child is the key to its proper development. For example, fast food contains a lot of cholesterol, which, as you know, worsens the blood supply to the body and reduces mental activity. And fish, thanks to its beneficial substances, increases attention and improves brain activity. That's why will help him develop spiritually and learn better.
And if a child gets used to eating right from childhood, then in adulthood he will adhere to the principles of healthy eating.
Basics of healthy nutrition for children
A healthy diet for children should include the “right” fats, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, fiber, and minerals.
You can not give the same dishes during the day, the diet of the child should be varied. Children who receive daily meat, and vegetables, and fruits, and cereals, and sour-milk products have greater efficiency and attentiveness at school.
Breakfast is the most important meal for children. because it is he who energizes them for the whole day. Healthy food for children for breakfast are various cereals with milk: buckwheat, oatmeal, semolina. You can give your child an omelet or boiled eggs. Instead of a sausage sandwich, give your baby a butter and cheese sandwich, yogurt, a couple of apples.
At lunch, after returning from school, be sure to feed the child the first course. This will save him from digestive problems. Cook compote or prepare freshly squeezed juice. Give your children as much fresh fruits and vegetables as possible.
It is important for a healthy diet of children and a full dinner. It can be meat or fish with a side dish of vegetables.
A couple of times a week in a healthy diet for children should be cottage cheese, kefir or yogurt.
Sometimes you can give your child a chocolate bar or a piece of sausage, while explaining to him why these foods are unhealthy foods and should not be eaten often.
Healthy food recipes for kids
- Soup or broth. To cook them, you need to take lean chicken or turkey, after removing the skin from them. It is better to drain the first fat, and on the second one you can cook soup: add vegetables after half an hour, and greens at the end of cooking. To improve the taste, put bay leaves and allspice into the soup during cooking. There are children who do not eat ordinary soup, but eat pureed soup with pleasure.
- An alternative to fatty cutlets can be meatballs, which are browned in a pan and then stewed in a saucepan. Prepare minced veal, add boiled rice, an egg, a little salt, lightly fry the onion and carrot, mix everything and form small meatballs. Fry the meatballs, then use the remaining fat in the pan to make cream sauce: Sprinkle some flour and add milk. Pour the meatballs with this sauce, add some boiled water, spices and herbs. Meatballs need to be stewed over low heat for about 20 minutes.
- For dessert, you can make a fruit salad with yogurt. Sometimes you can fill the fruit with ice cream instead of yogurt. For fruit salad, any seasonal berries and fruits are suitable.
Cook meals for your child with love and imagination, and he will be happy to eat healthy food.
Many parents try to give their beloved children the best. They pamper them with sweet gifts, take them to children's cafes, try in every possible way to feed them tasty and satisfying. They say that a growing body needs to eat well.
The efforts of fathers and mothers are quite understandable, but due to the ignorance of adults, there is often the wrong food on the child’s table. Tasty and healthy food is not always the same thing, because sweets cannot be called healthy. Children from an early age need to be taught to eat right. This process is rather difficult and lengthy, especially if the son or daughter is already accustomed to various unhealthy goodies.
It is important to teach the child to independently understand useful and harmful products. Mode also plays an important role in proper nutrition. Food should enter the young body in a timely manner and in small portions. Parents themselves need to understand that the most healthy food is exclusively freshly prepared at home. And then be sure to explain it to your child.
♨ What is the best choice for the children's menu?
☺ Daily diet should include the following foods:
- fresh seasonal vegetables, berries and fruits;
- vegetable broths;
- boiled and baked products;
- diversified dairy line;
- eggs;
- cereals;
- legumes and cereals;
- low-fat meat and fish products.
☹️ Forever you need to forget about:
- crackers, chips, crackers and their analogues;
- sweet sparkling water (by the way, children get hooked on it very quickly);
- ready-made sauces;
- canned food and semi-finished products;
- fried foods;
- flour products in large quantities.
♨ Basic nutrition rules
Parents are required to know healthy food recipes for children. Dishes should contain all the useful components that are easily absorbed by the body that is not yet strong. It is preferable to cook simple dishes, rather than multi-component culinary masterpieces.
⚙ It is unacceptable to skip breakfast. They should be moderately dense and nutritious. If the baby refuses to eat after waking up, then first he should be offered a glass of warm water with honey. This will help to start the intestines, and the appetite will soon make itself felt. At lunch, the child can also be fed hearty meals containing a maximum nutrients, but such extremes as overeating should not be allowed. But for dinner, the amount of calories should be slightly reduced. The last meal is taken no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
⚙ Snacks are recommended between meals. In terms of volume, snacks do not exceed breakfast, lunch and dinner, they are considered a useful addition. To "support the pants" the baby can be offered fresh fruit, a handful of berries or nuts, a fermented milk drink or homemade cakes.
⚙ Food for children and teenagers must be balanced. That is, in it fats, carbohydrates and proteins are presented in correct proportion. Protein is necessary for mental development and the active formation of skeletal bones. In addition, there are many substances in animal protein that stimulate blood formation.
⚙ If the child's immunity has decreased, he is not active and does not do well at school, this is a signal that he lacks protein. Fats of vegetable and animal origin are a source of vitamin D and A. They are responsible for growth and full development. Carbohydrates give you a boost of energy for the whole day, but they are difficult substances in terms of control. Their excess leads to obesity. To prevent this problem, you need to eat bread, potatoes and legumes in moderation.
♨ Features of nutrition by age
☀ Nutrition from 1 to 3 years
After a year, the child can be completely transferred to food without breast milk. In this period children's menu usually consists of all kinds of vegetable, fruit and meat purees. Also, boiled fruits can be rubbed on a fine grater. Well perceived by the child's body and cereals, cooked both in water and in milk. Steam fish or meat cutlets are also recommended at this age.
The main thing is not to overfeed the baby, it is important to monitor the volume of portions consumed. And before the age of 3, the child should try all the main foods, this will identify possible allergic reactions. If the product causes redness of the skin, then it has no place in the diet for the next year or two. It can be offered later, when the body is a little stronger.
☀ Food from 3 to 6 years
At this age, kids, as a rule, go to kindergarten. There, the chefs prepare exceptionally healthy and wholesome children's food. The menu is compiled taking into account all physiological needs. Children are offered a variety of soups, cereals (milk and water), diet meals. Such a diet is balanced, it contains the right amount of vitamins and minerals necessary for full development.
It is important that the home diet is the same as in the preschool. Parents can ask the teacher when they feed their child so that they can keep the same schedule on weekends. Healthy food recipes for children can be obtained from the chef at kindergarten and cook at home according to his recommendations.
Since preschoolers are very mobile, they need a supply of energy. It is provided by carbohydrates from fruits and whole grains. Eating such dishes for breakfast, the child will remain active until the evening. Proteins also help grow faster, so preschoolers should be given beans at least once a week. It is she who is the champion in protein content among all products.
☀ Food from 7 to 14 years old
Tasty and healthy food for children of this age range is gradually approaching an adult. During this period of constant growth and maturation, it is necessary to draw up a full-fledged high-calorie menu for the child. Children strive to try fried, spicy and "forbidden" (semi-finished products, canned food). Schoolchildren should not be allowed to eat in this way, because adolescence is characterized as a “time for gastritis”. Salt and pepper are subject to restrictions.
Natural products and minimal heat treatment - that's what a growing body needs. Vegetable and fruit salads, stews and steamed dishes are the basis of the diet at 7-14 years old. Children spend a lot of time in the classroom and do not think about a full meal or at least a healthy snack. Mom should take care of this by putting a tray with nuts, fresh fruit or vegetable slices in the student's backpack. Be sure to have a bottle of water so that the water balance is not disturbed.
☀ Food from 14 to 18 years old
At senior school age, when before graduation educational institution remains quite a bit, psycho-emotional stress increases. During this period, healthy and wholesome food should stimulate the energy and mental potentials of adolescents. They need to eat more cereals, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grain breads.
During exams, it is useful for older students to give foods that contain a lot of vitamins. They are necessary to strengthen the functions nervous system. The use of juicy fruits 3-4 times a day (including root crops) will help optimize the work of all organs and body systems. At the same time, one should not forget about the freshness and quality of fruits and vegetables, otherwise digestive problems may arise.
☀ In conclusion
As the child grows, the chewing apparatus changes and strengthens, as well as the entire gastrointestinal tract. Liquid food is gradually replaced by solid food, the diet is replenished with new healthy products, so necessary for healthy development. The task of adults is to carefully monitor this process, to ensure that food brings only benefits.
A young growing body especially needs a balanced menu. The process of accustoming to a healthy diet is long and not the easiest, but it is important from childhood to adapt the child to proper diet and limit your consumption harmful products that have no value to the body
What is healthy baby food? What should be on the child's menu?
- as many fresh fruits, berries and vegetables as possible,
- light vegetable broths
- baked, boiled dishes,
- products that can provide the daily need of a growing organism for proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and fats.
In addition, it is important:
- lack of crackers and chips in the diet,
- a minimum of fried foods, the rejection of processed food (canned food, semi-finished products, etc.),
- the use of sugar and flour in small quantities or the rejection of them,
- a clear diet, frequent intake of food in the body in small portions.
It is important to teach a grown child to read the composition of products and identify harmful components. Even "harmless" supposedly natural products with a shelf life of six months and cookies contain palm oil, preservatives and other "chemistry". Therefore, it is better to cook and bake yourself. Instead of buying a soggy “product” in margarine for tea, bake a healthy oatmeal cookie, make a tender pudding, porridge with berries or stew. Let the baby eat homemade and healthy!
Healthy food for children under 3 years old
The menu of a child under 3 years old should contain following products in a certain amount.
The main thing in the nutrition of the baby is mother's milk, which allows the baby to receive all the useful substances and necessary elements. After a year of feeding, the quality of lactation decreases. There is less milk, and providing the baby with all the necessary substances becomes a problematic task. At this stage complementary foods are introduced.
First, dishes are chosen for the child from products that are not capable of causing allergic reactions and at the same time bring invaluable benefits to the body. Vegetables are a source of phytoncides, organic acids, minerals, vitamins.
- Potato satisfies the need for vitamin C, PP, B, K, phosphorus and iron. The use of a root crop helps to improve digestion, strengthen the heart and blood vessels.
- Cauliflower is rich. It is easily digested, so it can be given to the baby without fear.
- Beets contain anthocyanins, which have a positive effect on the digestive organs and the walls of blood vessels.
- Pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene, beneficial for the health of the eyes and mucous membranes.
Complementary foods from vegetables are introduced from six months in the form of mashed potatoes. The first servings should be 60-100 g.
Fruits are a source of vitamins C, A, folic acid, ballast substances and pectins. Fresh fruits help to strengthen digestion and immunity. It is better to start complementary foods with hypoallergenic, non-acidic fruits: pears, bananas, apples. Fruit puree is introduced into the diet from 6 months, starting with 1 tsp. spoons.
Sweet is good only in moderation. In fact, sugar provides the supply of substances that are energetically important for a growing organism. However, it can cause allergic reactions, especially in those children who are prone to diathesis. Therefore, if necessary, give the child something sweet, it is better to limit yourself to fresh or dried fruits and berries. The baby can be given mousses from semolina and fruits, cereals.
Nutrition in kindergarten
In kindergarten, the diet is the same for everyone. The menu is compiled by qualified teachers who teach kids to traditional "adult" food. The guys eat porridge, kissels, soups. All vitamins are supplied in the right amount, nutrition is balanced. At the same time, if the child does not tolerate any product or it is not shown to him, this issue can be resolved in the kindergarten on an individual basis by talking with teachers.
The menu in kindergarten is designed for age. Babies under 3 years old get about 1500 kcal per day, older guys - 1900 kcal.
Nutrition for children 3-7 years old
Menu for a child preschool age should prepare his muscles and brain for physical and mental stress at school.
Pediatricians identify several principles correct menu for children from 3 to 7 years old.
- Since preschool children do not like to sit still, they need carbohydrate sources of energy. These substances contain fruits, whole grains and cereals. By eating these foods for breakfast, the child will be active all day.
- Protein is important for a growing baby - construction material fabrics. This element is found in beans and many other foods. For normal development, the body must necessarily receive proteins.
- Energy balance is important. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be supplied in a ratio of 30/20/50%. With a serious violation of the "golden rule" of proper nutrition, metabolism changes.
- The daily calorie content of the menu for preschool children is 2000 kcal. For breakfast, 25% of the daily norm is eaten, for lunch - 35-40%, for an afternoon snack - 15%, for dinner - 20-25%.
- The menu should be varied. A preschool child has an active growth phase, and during this period it is important to fully provide him with vitamins, minerals and other useful substances.
It is desirable to prepare all products for parents from natural products grown in ecologically clean areas, rather than buying "canned chemicals" in the store.
Nutrition for children 7-14 years old
The menu for children 7-14 years old is gradually approaching the adult menu. During the period of continuous growth, teenage maturation, it is important to provide the child with high-grade high-calorie nutrition. But it must be borne in mind that spicy and fatty will not bring benefits, while natural taste dishes and minimal heat treatment of products are able to nourish a growing organism. Dishes, snacks should contain a minimum amount of pepper and salt. Dishes for children 7-14 years old are stewed, steamed, boiled. Salads are cut into small pieces.
Adolescence is the time of gastritis. It is important to monitor the regularity of the child's food intake so that he does not endure 6 lessons at school without food, but dine with everyone. As a snack at breaks, children are given fruits and nuts. There must be water in a student's backpack. It is necessary to drink 1.5 liters per day.
Meals for children aged 14-18
Senior school age is a time of psycho-emotional stress and exams. During this period, it is important to include in the diet products that stimulate the intellectual and energy resources of the body: oatmeal on fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grain bread. Particular attention should be paid to nutrition during exams - food should contain a large amount of vitamin B, which strengthens the functions of the nervous system. Vegetables and fruits are consumed 3-4 times a day, no less.
Before exams, it is necessary to replenish the supply of vitamins, since beriberi is observed in the spring, and the amount of useful substances is not enough for the normal functioning of the body.
Healthy food for children provides high-quality fresh products. As the child develops, his chewing apparatus strengthens, liquid food is replaced by solid food, the menu becomes diverse.