Proper nutrition of schoolchildren. Proper nutrition for school-age children. Basic principles of healthy nutrition for schoolchildren

Healthy eating for schoolchildren: learning without suffering

Preschool is a wonderful time, but it doesn't last long. Very soon your baby will become a schoolboy. This, you see, is an important event, a big change in life. School uniform, textbooks, lessons, new friends... And also greater independence, a new diet and a new diet, the preparation of which must take into account the increased load. And it’s good if you start preparing for “food” changes in advance: this will make it easier for the child to adjust.

The beginning of school is the time when a child especially needs a balanced healthy diet, including essential vitamins and microelements (iodine, iron, fluorine, cobalt, selenium, copper, etc.). If there are not enough of them, immunity suffers, fatigue increases, and it becomes more difficult for the child to master the school curriculum. The need for milk protein and calcium does not disappear anywhere, so a schoolchild’s diet should include milk and dairy products. Doctors recommend giving your child yoghurts or curds in small packages, because this is an excellent “snack” suitable for recess. It would be good if food products for schoolchildren were specially fortified with calcium and vitamin D, which is necessary for its absorption—these are the yoghurts, curds and milkshakes included in the “Rastishka” series from Danone. They are made from fresh milk and fruit puree, do not contain artificial preservatives or colorings and, importantly, are liked by children. If your child is accustomed to satisfying his hunger outside the home and between main meals not with chocolate or a sweet roll, but with Rastishka, when he enters school, this useful habit will serve him well more than once and will help him quickly adapt to the healthy diet of schoolchildren.

Remember that primary schoolchildren are recommended to eat five times a day: breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. You will not be able to monitor all meals, because the second breakfast is held after the second or third period, and many students have lunch at school. But it is up to you to provide your child with the right first breakfast. The best nutrition option for schoolchildren is porridge (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, millet), containing complex carbohydrates that provide energy for a long time. You can add vegetables (carrots, boiled pumpkin), fruits, and berries to the porridge. But children do not always like this diet. Not every schoolchild is easy to feed porridge in the morning: it happens that it is already time to go to class, but the child’s appetite has not yet “woke up”. This means that the baby will get hungry long before second breakfast - and will hardly be able to concentrate on homework. This problem can be avoided if you accustom your child to the schoolboy diet in advance: the habit of having breakfast early is a matter of time. It is advisable to give your child some water before the first meal, as this helps the stomach prepare for the digestive process.

Children usually eat second breakfast at school - and here, when choosing a diet for children, you can rely on the school canteen or on yourself. Many experts, to put it mildly, are not happy with what children are fed at school: in some places there is too much sugar, in others there are dubious semi-finished products, in others there are not enough vegetables and fruits, etc. And children do not get school breakfasts always to taste... And, although hot meals for schoolchildren are certainly a good thing, in practice it often turns out that it is better to give the child a sandwich with him, which, unlike “canteen” pasta, will be eaten. Only the sandwich must be correct: make it on whole grain bread, instead of sausage, put a piece of boiled chicken, turkey or beef, don’t forget a lettuce leaf, you can add soft cheese. You can give the student nuts or dried fruits, tangerines or bananas. Children can get a hot drink (tea, cocoa) at the school cafeteria.

The basis of a schoolchild’s healthy diet is lunch, which traditionally consists of several dishes: salad, soup (cooked in chicken, meat or fish broth, dairy or vegetarian - do not forget that the diet of a healthy child should be varied), a second course and a drink. It is advisable to boil or bake meat (beef, veal, lean pork), after trimming off visible fat; It is recommended to remove the skin from poultry before cooking. Fish should be given to a schoolchild at least once a week, or better yet, more often, because it is rich in vitamins, minerals, and healthy fatty acids. However, canned, dried, smoked fish is not suitable for schoolchildren because it contains a lot of sodium.

When compiling a schoolchild's daily diet, you need to keep this in mind: it is advisable to give products made from meat, fish, and eggs in the first half of the day, since they take a long time to digest. If your child has a poor lunch at school, you should not compensate for this with a heavier dinner; it is better to deviate from the usual routine and feed the baby early, and in the evening limit yourself to dairy dishes or vegetables.

As already mentioned, the diet of children of primary school age involves one more meal between lunch and dinner. It is not recommended to give schoolchildren sweet buns for an afternoon snack; buns made from whole grains are much healthier. When choosing a drink for an afternoon snack, do not forget what was said above about a healthy diet - primary schoolchildren need a lot of milk and fermented milk products. Choose from drinks the one that suits your child’s taste.

Dinner, as we have already noted when talking about the schoolchildren’s diet, should not be as dense as lunch. Limit yourself to a vegetable dish, cottage cheese (or cottage cheese dish), and porridge. Suitable drinks include milk, kefir or weak tea.

In total, a schoolchild needs 150−200 g of meat or fish, 200−400 g of vegetables, and at least 200 g of fruit per day for a healthy diet. The total number of calories recommended for children of primary school age is from 1900 to 2000.

I was always one hundred percent sure that my mother and grandmother loved me with all their souls, because they saw it. Tenderness and care lived in grandmother’s hot pancakes and meat pies, hidden in mother’s crispy puff envelopes with chicken, which were waiting in the kitchen in the morning. Food is also a language of love and tenderness. But what to cook for a little one or a child who is suspicious of everything new? Our selection contains only proven recipes!

Breakfast (07:00 - 08:00)

Milk porridge with fruits and nuts

Milk porridge and juice

Buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, semolina - take your pick. By the way, it is better to grind the oatmeal before cooking so that it cooks faster and has a softer texture. Add fruits to porridge 2-3 minutes before readiness so that they do not overcook and retain their benefits and taste.

Practice shows that the bodies of six-year-old adults can only withstand a few spoons of rice porridge and cannot digest semolina at all. Nuts (finely chopped) and honey will go well with rice (be careful with it, some children are allergic to it). You can decorate the composition with frozen blueberries - they pleasantly highlight the milky taste and add juiciness.

Lunch (10:00 - 11:00)

Give the student a sandwich with whole grain bread, grapes, and a peeled tangerine as a snack (the child will not have time to fight with the peel). You can make the lunches themed. For example, Monday is opening day. Use cheese and a cookie cutter to represent a ladybug and carefully tape a note with interesting facts about this insect to the outside of the lunch box lid.

Lunch (13:00 - 14:00)

Mashed potatoes with meat cutlet and vegetables

Beet salad

In the children's version of this salad, it is better to add not garlic, but prunes and walnuts, season with olive oil and salt. To save money, you should stock up on boiled beets so that you don’t have to rack your brain every day looking for new recipes. It is enough to put an airtight container with it in the refrigerator, and at the right time simply grate it, add oil and other additives. Beets retain their flavor for about three days, so you can use them at least twice a week.

Vegetable puree soup

Each housewife has her own recipe for this quick, tasty, dietary dish. Presentation plays a big role. Many children refuse soups as soon as they see boiled carrots, onions, and especially tomatoes in the broth. Therefore, it is better to puree the vegetable soup, add sour cream and fresh bread crumbs, just fried in oil.

Meat cutlets with potatoes

Many children are much more willing to eat even the most ordinary cutlets and mashed potatoes if they are served in an interesting way. And if you add a little sour cream and cheese to the puree, but first, as soon as the potatoes become soft, grind them with butter and only then pour in warm milk - the child will probably ask for more!

Dinner (19:00)

Meatballs with rice

It is better to prepare minced meat for meatballs using lean pork mixed with beef. Be sure to make gravy - sometimes children eat it first, as the most delicious part of the dish. And by adding vegetables (carrots, onions, peppers), you will make the gravy healthier.

Breakfast (07:00 - 08:00)

Omelet and green tea

For an omelette, take eggs and medium-fat milk, add grated cheese a minute before readiness - this will add density to the airy texture. Add a slice of lemon and a spoonful of honey to the tea. There are a million options for designing an omelet, but it’s better to come up with your own. Take as a basis the images of the characters of the books your child has just read, draw their faces or silhouettes with ketchup - at the same time there will be something to discuss at the table.

Lunch (10:00 - 11:00)

Bananas, nuts, fruits, bread, sliced ​​boiled chicken and cheese - simple and nutritious. By the way, if you haven’t noticed yet, the food that the child takes with him must be cut into small pieces so that it is convenient to eat. On Tuesday, lunch can become a prediction if you decorate it in the style of the cartoon that you next watch with your child.

Lunch (13:00 - 14:00)

Vegetable puree soup

Vitamin salad

Cabbage, carrot, apple salad dressed with olive oil is one of the children's favorites. It is better to mash the cabbage with your hands so that it becomes softer and releases juice, and add a drop of lemon juice to the salad.

Vegetable puree soup

There are heroic mothers who cook new recipes every day, but for a child to eat the same soup for two days in a row is the norm. Chop green onions or season with herbs for variety!

Meat goulash with potatoes

The fastest way to do it is in a slow cooker - fry carrots and onions, add beef cut into small cubes, keep in the “Fry” mode for another 15 minutes, then put potatoes in a bowl and pour boiled water. Continue in the “Stew” mode: after 40 minutes, add a spoonful of tomato paste, half a glass of milk and leave for another 20 minutes. The result will truly be a dish like one from our childhood.

Dinner (19:00)

Cottage cheese and carrot-apple salad

Low-fat cottage cheese mousse can be prepared sweet or salty: many children like the combination of cottage cheese, feta cheese and herbs. Pair with a salad of green leaves and lightly fried chicken, and closer to bed you can drink a glass of kefir..

Breakfast (07:00 - 08:00)

Curd smoothie with fruits

Many children categorically do not accept natural yogurt - they consider it too sour. But many people like a cottage cheese smoothie: fruits, 9% cottage cheese, 15% sour cream or cream are mixed in a blender.

This is a nutritious dish, but if you doubt that the child is full, make him toast and pour cocoa. It must be with small marshmallows, otherwise the magic of the morning will be lost!

Lunch (10:00 - 11:00)

Make a grain bread sandwich with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and cheese in the middle. In addition to it, slices of carrots and cucumbers, nuts and berries are suitable. The middle of the week is an excellent opportunity to support a student’s motivation. Leave a small note with encouraging words and tell them how proud you are of your child's success.

Lunch (13:00 - 14:00)

Pasta with bolognese sauce

Potato salad

Offer your child a salad of boiled potatoes and carrots, finely chopped onions, pickles and season it with oil - you get a fresh, nutritious start to lunch.

Borsch

In addition to veal at the base of the broth and the traditional set of vegetables, add red beans and celery to the borscht. This soup will be very filling, so don’t force your child to eat the second one if he doesn’t want to.

Pasta with bolognese pasta

Do not add a lot of spices to the sauce; for a children's dish, it is enough to simmer the meat with tomatoes and a spoon of tomato paste. Replace spaghetti with small shells or wheels - they are easier to eat.

Dinner (19:00)

Carrot-curd casserole

Cook it in the oven in separate serving cups and decorate with funny faces made from vegetables. In separate plates, the casserole will not dry out on the sides and will look much more appetizing.

Breakfast (07:00 - 08:00)

Pasta and paints

You will not believe. but many children happily eat pasta in the morning. And if you buy colored ones or cook regular ones in water tinted with food coloring and serve with colorful vegetables, there will be no limit to your delight!

Lunch (10:00 - 11:00)

Baking dishes are perfect for creating creative sandwiches with boiled chicken, cheese and cucumber slices. Add some nuts, vegetables, diced cheese to your diet, supporting this variety with notes with stories from your childhood.

Lunch (13:00 - 14:00)

Cucumber boats with crab salad

Salad in cucumber boats

Cut the cucumber into two parts, peel the middle and put crab, potato or any vegetable salad in it. Use a toothpick and a cucumber slice to create a boat and serve.

Borsch

Within a day, the borscht will infuse and become even tastier, believe me.

Potato casserole

A hearty, nutritious meal will replenish your energy after class and help you start your homework with enthusiasm. Add vegetables to the minced meat: carrots, peas, onions, tomatoes, zucchini - and the tasty food will become healthy.

Dinner (19:00)

Steamed fish with vegetables

Present this hot dish as a salad. Boil everything, cut into small cubes, mix and season with olive oil, salt and herbs.

Chicken cutlet with pasta

Sliced ​​fresh vegetables

All children love vegetables, simply cut into strips. My grandmother made a hut out of it, and put a cup of sour cream and cheese inside.

Soup, as we remember, is not held in high esteem by children, but if you cut out figures from vegetables using metal cutters, children eat it much more willingly.

Chicken cutlets with pasta

Add zucchini to traditional chicken fillet cutlets: you’ll get a more delicate taste, and your least favorite vegetable will go unnoticed. As a result, the juicy, delicious balls go off with a bang.

Dinner (19:00)

Steamed meat soufflé and vinaigrette

A light salad combined with a soft, tender veal or beef soufflé will satisfy your hunger without leaving you feeling heavy. After such a dinner, the child will feel at ease and, perhaps, the process of going to bed will become a little easier.

Contents [Show]

What is this for

Proper nutrition of children is a determining factor in their full development, good health, high mental and physical abilities. is to follow the rules of a healthy diet, increasing mental activity, physical activity and reducing fatigue.

Many parents are often faced with the problem of creating the correct diet for a schoolchild, not knowing which foods will bring maximum benefit to their child.

Principles of proper nutrition for schoolchildren:

1. School-age children need to be provided with a balanced diet. Children's health mainly depends on the ratio of nutrients. The child should receive not only proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but also vitamins, amino acids, minerals and trace elements.

2. Nutrition should be optimal. When choosing a menu for a child, you need to take into account the needs of his body.

3. Products consumed by the child must be natural and healthy.

4. The student’s menu should include hot meals that have a beneficial effect on the organs of the digestive system.

It is not recommended to overfeed a schoolchild, since the child’s body also has the ability to convert unconsumed calories into fat deposits. And excess weight in childhood can cause many diseases.

Schoolchild's diet

The proper nutrition regimen for a schoolchild is closely related to the student’s daily routine. During particularly intense classes and mental stress at school, the child’s meals should be fractional and easily digestible. It is better to move a hearty lunch with proteins and fats that require long-term digestion to a period of rest from classes.

Based on the fact that the feeling of hunger appears after 4 hours after eating, it is important to adhere to these intervals between meals. Typically a student should eat 5 times a day. For weak children, this number of meals can be increased.

Proper nutrition menu for schoolchildren

A schoolchild's diet should consist of products necessary for their active activity and well-being. The child should consume the following products:

1. Milk and dairy products. Proteins are essential substances in the structure of a child’s body. School-age children should eat milk, butter and sour cream every day.

2. Meat. Lamb, beef, poultry, lean pork should be eaten at least once a week.

3. Fats. Fatty acids and vitamins are an essential source of energy and calories.

4. Fish. Calcium and phosphorus present in fish take part in the development of the child's bones.

6. Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and fiber help produce energy and improve the digestive process.

7. Porridge, potatoes and pasta with their complex carbohydrates contribute to the proper development of the growing body.

A school-age child needs to drink up to 2 liters of fluid per day.

Proper nutrition for schoolchildren, based on compliance with the basic principles and rules of food hygiene, will allow the child to grow up healthy and well developed.

The arrival of autumn marks the return of school routines, rainy autumn weather and mental stress. That is why nutritionists advise paying attention to the proper nutrition of schoolchildren during this difficult period of their life. In addition to school, many children attend additional classes in dancing, drawing, and go to sports clubs.

The importance of proper and healthy nutrition for a schoolchild cannot be overestimated. A growing body needs to receive a maximum of useful microelements and minerals for its normal development. So what is important to include in a teenager’s diet? We study the advice of nutritionists and create the right menu.

Useful and harmful

Only parents can make a schoolchild’s diet nutritious. Healthy foods activate brain activity and give strength and energy, while junk food will create abdominal discomfort and problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Nutritionists advise introducing the following nutritional components into the correct menu for a schoolchild:

• dairy products, as they help strengthen and grow bones;
• vegetable fats that have a beneficial effect on nails and hair;
• vegetables and fruits, because they contain a whole storehouse of vitamins;
• protein foods that will help restore energy after a hard day at school.

It is also important for the child to maintain a drinking regime, because water activates metabolic processes. Those parents whose child is involved in active sports should especially heed the recommendation.

Nutritionists have compiled a list of harmful foods that harm the body and cause the development of gastric diseases. Therefore, if you want to provide a healthy diet for a schoolchild, exclude this category from the diet:

• sausages, sausages and other soy protein products;
• store-bought crackers with various additives;
• chips;
• sweet soda;
• fast food and various spicy foods;
• sausages;
• coffee and caffeinated products;
• various sauces, mayonnaise, ketchup.

It is not necessary to introduce a ban on sweets if they do not replace, but complement the main dishes. The ideal way to cook food for schoolchildren is by steaming or baking in the oven.

These are the basic nutritional rules parents of teenagers should follow.

Food schedule

Meal times are greatly influenced by changes in a child's education. If a student attends classes during the first shift, then the best option for meals would be the following hours:

• breakfast 7:00 - 8:00;
• lunch 10:00 - 11:00;
• lunch 13:00 - 14:00;
• dinner 18:00 - 19:00.

For those who go to school during the second shift, you need to eat at the following times:

• breakfast 8:00 - 9:00;
• lunch 12:00 - 13:00;
• afternoon tea 16:00 - 17:00;
• dinner 19:00 - 20:00.

Do not forget about the basic rules of dietetics; lunch and breakfast together account for about 60% of the total daily calorie intake. Evening meals are taken no later than two hours before bedtime.

Making a menu

A schoolchild's weekly menu should consist of nutritious and energy-dense dishes. Such proper food will provide the child with energy and increase brain activity. So, what is recommended to include in your weekly diet?

Breakfast

One of the main meals that will energize you for the whole day.

• oatmeal with apple or berries, green tea;
• buckwheat porridge cooked with milk, chicory;
• omelette with cheese, sweet tea;
• cheesecakes, cocoa;
• rice porridge with pumpkin pieces, tea;
• pancakes, cocoa;
• cottage cheese with berries or honey, sweet tea.

Dinner

Lunch is the most energetically valuable element of nutrition for a schoolchild. The lunch meal must include first liquid dishes to ensure normal bowel function. For the second meal, it is advisable to eat a meat or fish dish that will saturate the body with protein.

• red borscht, mashed chicken cutlet, vegetable salad;
• pickle, beet salad, beef stroganoff with stewed vegetables;
• chicken noodle soup, fish cake with rice, vegetable salad;
• potato soup, liver with rice, eggplant caviar;
• beetroot soup, beef patty, carrot salad;
• vegetable soup, baked fish with pasta, cauliflower;
• seafood cream soup, chicken chop with vegetables.

Don't forget to supplement your student's lunch with drinks. Compotes, jelly, herbal decoctions and natural juices are suitable for nutrition.

Afternoon snack

This meal can be considered a pre-dinner snack. A child can have an afternoon snack both at home and at school. Options:

• oatmeal cookies, apple, kefir;
• cottage cheese bun, pear, milk;
• bun with raisins, orange, yogurt;
• biscuits, apple, fermented baked milk;
• biscuit, orange, tea;
• cottage cheese cookies, pear, kefir.

Dinner

A schoolchild's evening meal should be as light as possible and taken no later than 2 hours before bedtime. Do not give your child meat, otherwise the stomach will feel heaviness, which will make it difficult to sleep. For dinner you need to prepare the main course and drinks.

• potato zrazy, cranberry juice;
• omelette with green peas, tea;
• pancakes with curd filling, cocoa;
• rice pudding, fermented baked milk;
• omelette with tomatoes, milk;
• cottage cheese with candied fruits, cocoa;
• cauliflower casserole, green tea.

This correct menu allows the student to eat rationally every day, without harming the body and ensuring that it receives the maximum amount of nutrients. Using this diet mode, you can create a suitable menu yourself. Remember that for breakfast and lunch you need to serve dishes with higher calorie content.

Cooking food for school

Nutrition for schoolchildren during school hours is no less important than at home. What can you prepare for your child if the establishment does not have a canteen or you do not trust the local catering?

First, ask your child what he would like to see in his lunch box for lunch. Perhaps it will be breakfast cereals made from dried fruits and nuts, or perhaps he will want a casserole. There is no need to put a teenager’s least favorite dish in a box, because there is a high probability that he will not want to eat it.

Based on the opinion of nutritionists, the correct lunch (or afternoon snack) for a schoolchild may consist of:

• pieces of fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruits - this is a dry bulk breakfast;
• yogurt, curds, cheese mass;
• healthy sandwiches based on cereal bread, butter, fresh vegetables, and sliced ​​meats;
• nutritious rolls made from pita bread, fresh herbs and meat;
• eggs, slices of cheese, vegetables;
• cottage cheese or berry casseroles;
• Japanese snack.

The latter nutrition option is optimal for a growing body, since a bento lunch or dry snack contains various dishes that are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. As you can see, preparing lunches for school does not take much time. You just need to find your recipe and follow your child’s wishes.

It is very important to package food for your schoolchild beautifully so that he wants to eat it. Lunch boxes will help you with this. The color palette of the products is very bright, and the child can decorate it himself with stickers or drawings.

How much to eat

Nutritionists have calculated the optimal amount of food consumed for a schoolchild:

A 200 ml drink is added to all meals. It can be teas, jelly, berry fruit drinks, cocoa. Avoid giving your teen coffee, as the drink has a high caffeine content.

Proper nutrition of schoolchildren depends entirely on parents. You can teach your child to eat healthy food only by example. Eliminate all foods with artificial additives and dyes from your diet, diversify your menu with meat and fish dishes, and add vegetables. Healthy eating is the key to success in school.

• Minerals, mg
• Vitamins
• Breakfast at home
• Breakfast to go
• Hot lunch
• Home packaging
• Diet

The basic principles of organizing a balanced diet remain relevant for people of all ages. Let's call them again:

1. Adequate energy value of the diet, corresponding to the energy expenditure of the child.
2. Balanced diet for all replaceable and essential nutritional factors.
3. Maximum variety of diet, which is the main condition for ensuring its balance.
4. Optimal diet.
5. Adequate technological and culinary processing of products and dishes, ensuring their high taste and preservation of the original nutritional value.
6. Taking into account the individual characteristics of children.
7. Ensuring food safety, including compliance with all sanitary requirements for the state of the catering unit, supplied food products, their transportation, storage, preparation and distribution of dishes.

However, catering teenagers, schoolchildren aged 10-17 years old has its own characteristics, which consist in taking into account all the changes that occur in the child’s body at this age. During this period, you should pay special attention to the following points:

• There is an intensive growth of the whole organism, comparable to the rate of development of a person in the first year of life.
• All major systems develop: the musculoskeletal system (especially the skeleton), muscle mass increases (taking into account gender characteristics), the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and there is also a radical hormonal change in the body associated with puberty of a teenager.
• Against the background of all the physical restructuring, the load on the psycho-emotional sphere increases.
• Not only school workloads increase, but also the stress caused by the teenager’s social adaptation.

Proper organization of schoolchildren's nutrition can help solve many problems that arise during adolescence. Now it is especially important to provide the body with all the resources not only for growth and development, but also for the ever-increasing stress at school and puberty.

It is during these years - in fact, starting from the age of 10 - that the child becomes an adult. And this applies to his physical development, psycho-emotional, and intellectual. The child learns new rules of adult life. He learns responsibility and independence, learns to build his relationships with people in a new way.

It is also important that it is during this period of growing up that the child learns to independently follow a diet and eat rationally, regardless of adult supervision. Firstly, to help your body with difficult work now, and secondly, to develop a habit that will be useful in independent life. After all, our health depends on how we eat.

When compiling a diet for schoolchildren aged 10-17 years, changes in physiological needs for nutrients and energy are taken into account depending on the age and gender of the child.

Average daily norms of physiological needs for nutrients and energy for school-age children and adolescents

Minerals, mg

Vitamins

Substances	7-10 years	11-13, boys	11-13, girls	14-17, boys	14-17, girls
C, mg	60	70	70	70	70
A, µg	700	1000	800	1000	800
E, mg	10	12	10	15	12
D, µg	2,5	2,5	2,5	2,5	2,5
B1, mg	1,2	1,4	1,3	1,5	1,3
B2, mg	1,4	1,7	1,5	1,8	1,5
B6, mg	1,6	1,8	1,6	2	1,6
PP, mg	15	18	17	20	17
Folate, mcg	200	200	200	200	200
B12, mcg	2	3	3	3	3

The approximate weight of the daily diet (net) for adolescents 14-17 years old is about 2.5 kg.

Based on these data, it is possible to create an average daily set of products needed for schoolchildren.

Products	Student age
	7-10 years	11-13 years old	14-17 years old Boys	14-17 years old Girls
Wheat bread	150	200	250	200
Rye bread	70	100	150	100
Wheat flour	25	30	35	30
Cereals, legumes, pasta	45	50	60	50
Potato	200	250	300	250
Various vegetables	275	300	350	320
Fresh fruits	150-300	150-300	150-300	150-300
Dry fruits	15	20	25	20
Sugar	60	65	80	65
Confectionery	10	15	20	15
Butter	25	30	40	30
Vegetable oil	10	15	20	15
Egg, pcs.	1	1	1	1
Milk, KMPr	500	500	600	500
Cottage cheese	40	45	60	60
Sour cream	10	10	20	15
Cheese	10	10	20	15
Meat, poultry, sausages	140	170	220	200
Fish	40	50	70	60

A student’s diet is directly related to his daily routine. Teenagers spend most of their time at school. In this regard, alternation of mental stress and periods of rest should be taken into account. During periods of significant mental stress, meals should be fractional and easily digestible. The dense part of the diet, a hearty lunch that supplies proteins and fats and requires long digestion, should be postponed to a period of more or less prolonged rest.

Typical nutritional regimens for schoolchildren during training in the first and second shifts.

First shift

• 7.30 - 8.00 Breakfast at home
• 10.00 - 11.00 Hot breakfast at school
• 12.00 - 13.00 Lunch at home or at school
• 19.00 - 19.30 Dinner at home

Second shift

• 8.00 - 8.30 Breakfast at home
• 12.30 - 13.00 Lunch at home (before leaving for school)
• 16.00 - 16.30 Hot meals at school
• 19.30 - 20.00 Dinner at home

When organizing meals in schools, you should keep in mind the basic medical and biological requirements:

1. The school diet should consist of breakfast and lunch and provide 25% and 35% of the daily requirement, respectively, and in terms of the content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral salts and microelements, breakfast and lunch in total should provide 55-60% of the recommended daily physiological requirements .
2. Diets should be distributed according to their energy value, protein, fat content, etc. depending on age.
3. It is necessary to adhere to the diet - breakfast before leaving for school, second breakfast at school (10-11 o'clock), necessary to replenish energy costs and reserves of nutrients intensively consumed during the learning process; lunch (at home or at school) and dinner (no later than 2 hours before bedtime).
4. School meals should be gentle both in the method of preparation (limiting fried foods) and in their chemical composition (limiting synthetic food additives, salt, spices, etc.).

Unfortunately, modern schools cannot be expected to fulfill all requirements. In addition, it is absolutely impossible to take into account the individual characteristics of each teenager. Therefore, children and their parents must do a lot in this direction themselves.

Breakfast at home

Often children have a poor breakfast before school or refuse to eat at all. This could be bad for their health. On the other hand, at this difficult age it is impossible to forcefully solve the problem, and it is not worth it. How can a child get the nutrition he needs?

Adults should observe the teenager’s taste preferences and try to offer the schoolchild something healthy and tasty for breakfast. Explain to him why it is so important to eat before school.

Breakfast food should not be “heavy”, oversaturated with fats. It could be fish, a boiled egg or an omelet, a cutlet, cottage cheese, or porridge. And of course - some vegetables. You can supplement the menu with tea, cocoa with milk or juice.

Breakfast to go

You can take a sandwich with boiled meat or cheese to school. You can invite your child to take yogurt, bagels, pies, buns. If possible, you can prepare cheesecakes and casseroles for your child. In autumn, apples, pears, cucumbers or carrots are especially good. The student can take juice, compote or tea with him in a thoroughly washed flask or bottle.

It is very important to keep in mind that some foods can spoil quickly at room temperature. Meat products spoil especially quickly. Stale boiled sausage will only harm your stomach. This topic is especially relevant during the cold season, when schools turn on the heating and food spoils faster.

Hot lunch

A “school sandwich” cannot replace a full lunch. Therefore, it is important to explain to the child, especially if he stays after school for an “after-school program,” that it is very important and healthy to eat “hot” food. If a child is in class for up to an hour or two and then goes home, adults should make sure that a full lunch is waiting for him there.

Home packaging

Of great importance is how the school breakfast is packaged and under what conditions the child will eat it. You can use plastic bowls or cling film. In the containers, food will not lose its original form and will not stain textbooks. But breakfast packed in film is safer and more convenient from a food hygiene point of view. It's no secret that schoolchildren do not always wash their hands before eating. In such a bag you can bite a sandwich without touching it, holding only the film. True, this does not mean that the child does not need to take care of the cleanliness of his hands. Parents should tell the student about the importance of personal hygiene for his health.

Diet

Many teenagers, due to the restructuring of the entire body, often have problems with metabolism and, as a result, problems with excess weight and skin condition. Sometimes these troubles seem insignificant to adults, but for the teenager himself they are very painful. It is important not to leave the child alone with these problems, especially since many of them can be corrected with the help of a properly selected diet.

However, under no circumstances should you create this diet yourself, without the help of a nutritionist. Because in any case, the child must receive all the necessary substances and microelements. Any fasting, “fasting days”, diets with strict calorie restrictions, which are difficult even for an adult body, are strictly excluded.

All of these problems are usually temporary and can be eliminated through a balanced diet, daily routine and exercise. However, if the violations are more serious, then treatment issues should be resolved by specialists.

Article courtesy of the Danone Institute

Discussion

As a specialist related to the health of schoolchildren, a valeologist, as well as a psychophysiologist, I can note that the value of this article is very high both in terms of information content and in terms of accessibility and clarity of the content of the text.

10/31/2007 17:34:25, Olga

Comment on the article “Nutrition for schoolchildren”

Healthy eating is important at any age. But in childhood and adolescence this is especially important.
During this period, the child’s growth is very active, almost the same as in the first years of life: the skeleton is actively formed, muscle mass increases, all systems and organs intensively develop, and intensive hormonal changes in the body occur.

It is very important that there are at least 4 meals. The last time is no later than 2 hours before going to bed.

In the morning, a full breakfast is recommended. But not every child can eat food so early. Therefore, the wishes of the child must also be taken into account.
Breakfast shouldn't be too heavy. Boiled egg, omelet, cottage cheese, porridge. It is better to prepare porridge from whole grains, rather than flakes or instant porridges that have undergone numerous heat treatments. Add a little butter (not vegetable oil) to the porridge. Drinks include tea or cocoa with milk.

Since quite a lot of time will pass from breakfast to lunch, you need to give your child something as a snack. Sandwich with cheese or boiled meat, cheesecake or casserole.
Vegetables or fruits are also suitable. And also nuts and cookies. Fast carbohydrates will make up for the lack of energy. You should not give perishable foods, such as boiled sausage. If possible, pack the second breakfast in cling film and place it in a plastic container. Mineral water and juice are suitable drinks.

At lunch, the child should receive hot food. At home or in the school canteen, lunch should consist of soup, meat or fish. Garnish with boiled or stewed vegetables, cabbage, potatoes, and occasionally pasta or legumes.

Dinner should also be hot. It could be poultry or fish with vegetables or rice. Drinks milk, kefir. A child needs milk protein; the norm for a schoolchild is 500 ml of milk per day.

Calorie content of a schoolchild's diet
A child 7 - 10 years old should consume 2400 calories per day;
14 - 17 teenager - 2600 - 3000 kcal. If a student plays sports, then the calorie intake needs to be increased by another 500 calories.

If a child is concerned about being overweight, you should not choose a diet on your own, it is better to consult a nutritionist or endocrinologist. And lose weight according to doctors' recommendations.

A student's diet should be well balanced. The body must get all the nutrients it needs from all major food groups.

• Bread, pasta;
• fruits and vegetables (berries);
• Poultry, fish, nuts, legumes;
• eggs, 4 dairy products;
• cheese, 5 butter, fats, sweets

The body builds new cells from proteins, fats give the body energy, some fat-soluble vitamins and minerals are absorbed only with fatty foods. Carbohydrates also provide energy, and dietary fiber helps with better digestion of food.

It has been proven that the most intensive growth of the human body occurs between the ages of 7 and 18 years. It is accompanied by increased mental and physical stress; schoolwork takes a lot of energy from children. How should a schoolchild eat properly in order to study successfully and maintain his health? This is what our “Good Advice” is about today.

Vladimir FURTSEV, nutritionist, associate professor of Krasnoyarsk State Medical University:

Of course, schoolchildren should not use any fast food as snacks or lunches. But if the choice is between hunger and fast food, it is better to choose the second option. But under no circumstances should you turn it into a permanent dish on the child’s menu.

In general, parents of schoolchildren should familiarize themselves in advance with the assortment that is offered to children in the school canteen and buffet. I would like to note that today most school canteens have a competent menu.

A good snack option is milk, which is given to schoolchildren in Krasnoyarsk. Under no circumstances should you snack on chips, store-bought crackers, or sweets. It’s better to put some fruit in your child’s briefcase: an apple, a banana, an orange. Sometimes you can snack on chocolate, but it should be a natural product, and not a mixture of vegetable oils and sugar.

As for soup, schoolchildren do not have to eat it every day. I'll explain why. Firstly, it is not common practice in all families to cook soups using recycled broth. And the primordial broth contains many toxic substances. Secondly, soup is not a panacea for all diseases. Its calorie content is low. It is better to give preference to second courses - porridge, meat, fish, cottage cheese.

Don't forget to drink!

Experts from the Institute of Age-Related Physiology of the Russian Academy of Education remind: a complete, balanced diet is the most important condition for the normal functioning of the human body, especially during the period of growth and development.

The organization of nutrition for schoolchildren of different ages has its own characteristics, since it is necessary to take into account the changes that occur in the child’s body at each stage of growing up. Experts conditionally divide the school period into three age groups: 7-11 years, 11-14 years, 14-18 years.

From 7 to 11

Insufficient or unbalanced nutrition at primary school age leads to a lag in physical and mental development, which, according to experts, is almost impossible to correct in the future.

One of the most important components of food for schoolchildren is protein. Its deficiency, and even more so protein starvation, leads to stunted growth, impairment of not only physical but also mental development, decreased resistance to disease, academic performance and ability to work. Excess protein leads to metabolic disorders and decreased appetite.

During the period of growth, the need for fluid is especially great, thanks to which there is better absorption of nutrients, as well as the removal of decay products from the body. A schoolchild should drink about two liters of fluid per day. Its deficiency can lead to disruption of thermoregulation and the digestion process, causing poor health, which in children often manifests itself in the form of disinhibition and inability to concentrate. Constant fluid deficiency can lead to kidney and liver diseases.

From 11 to 14

The nutrition of teenage children has its own characteristics. Puberty begins in middle school and is preceded by a prepubertal growth spurt. Of particular importance is a sufficient supply of proteins necessary for the formation of new structural components of the body. That is why the lack or even complete exclusion of protein foods from the diet (which happens when teenagers use various diets) affects not only their well-being, but can lead to disruption of the natural course of development.

Also, the diet of adolescents must contain sources of calcium necessary for normal growth and development of bone tissue. Lack of calcium leads to diseases of the musculoskeletal system: scoliosis and poor posture. Natural sources of calcium are milk and fermented milk products.

Due to an increase in blood volume and muscle mass, the adolescent body's need for iron increases significantly (iron-containing foods - meat, buckwheat, pomegranates, etc.). Malnutrition during this period can cause chronic diseases and developmental delays.

From 14 to 18

Nutrition for high school students should be organized taking into account the significant increase in the body’s energy needs associated with increased intellectual, emotional and physical stress. It is important to note that energy expenditure per day is higher for boys and girls than for adult men and women (the difference is about 15 percent).

According to recent studies, every sixth person on the planet is overweight. It has already been proven that excess weight appears primarily due to lifestyle, that is, it depends not so much on genes, but on the ability to implement the laid down program. Girls should not get carried away with diets, and boys should not use anabolic steroids to unnaturally increase muscle mass. Remember that supplying the body with the necessary substances is possible only with a varied diet; the basis of the diet should be familiar foods.

Term

Nutrition-dependent diseases are diseases that depend on human nutrition. These include anemia, diseases of the digestive system, gall bladder and biliary tract, pancreas, endocrine system (thyrotoxicosis (hypothyroidism)), metabolic disorders (obesity).

What are the benefits of vitamins?

Vitamin A - ensures the normal condition of the mucous membranes and skin, improves the body's resistance, and is responsible for the normal condition of vision. It is found in fish and seafood, liver, apricots, and carrots.

Vitamin B1 - improves digestion, strengthens the nervous system and memory. This vitamin is found in vegetables, rice, and poultry.

Vitamin B2 - strengthens nails and hair and has a positive effect on the condition of nerves. Vitamin B2 is found in eggs, milk, and broccoli.

Vitamin B6 - is responsible for normal liver function, improves hematopoiesis, and has a beneficial effect on the functions of the nervous system. This vitamin is found in egg yolks, brewer's yeast, legumes and whole grains.

Vitamin B12 - stimulates growth, promotes hematopoiesis, improves the condition of the central and peripheral nervous system. Contained in meat, cheese, seafood.

Vitamin PP - regulates cholesterol levels and improves blood circulation. Vitamin PP is found in fish, meat, nuts, vegetables, and wholemeal bread.

Pantothenic acid - has a beneficial effect on the functions of the nervous system and intestinal motor function. Contained in egg yolk, meat, beans, cauliflower.

Folic acid is necessary for growth and normal hematopoiesis. This is a “green” vitamin; there is a lot of folic acid in spinach, green peas, savoy cabbage, etc.

Biotin - responsible for the condition of skin, nails and hair, regulates blood sugar levels. Biotin is found in egg yolk, brown rice, soybeans, and tomatoes.

Vitamin C - beneficial for the immune system, connective tissue and bones, accelerates wound healing. There is a lot of vitamin C in rosehip, sea buckthorn, sweet pepper, black currant, and lemon.

Vitamin D - strengthens teeth and bones. Vitamin D is found in liver, caviar, eggs, and milk.

Vitamin E - fights the destructive effects of free radicals, affects the functions of the endocrine and sex glands, and slows down aging. Contained in nuts and vegetable oils.

Keep track of time

Regular meals (about every 4-5 hours) are also an essential component of proper nutrition, as they promote better absorption of food. Typical nutritional regimens may vary depending on the child’s lifestyle, the organization of his educational, sports and other activities. But in any case, it is important to strive to ensure that the child develops the habit of eating at strictly defined hours.

Breakfast and dinner (1st and 5th meals) should make up 25 percent of the daily calorie intake. If a child is studying in the first shift, then at 11.30-12.00 hours, during a long break, he should receive a full second breakfast (15 percent of the daily calorie content), and lunch at home at 15.30-16.00 hours (35 percent of the daily calorie content). If a child studies in the second shift, then he receives lunch at home at 12.30-13.00 hours, and at 16.00 hours he receives an afternoon snack at school.

Soup, main course and compote

A student’s breakfast at school, according to the “Sanitary and Epidemiological Requirements for the Organization of Nutrition for Students in General Education Institutions, Primary and Secondary Vocational Education Institutions,” should consist of a snack, a hot dish and a hot drink. It is also recommended to include vegetables and fruits in the morning menu.

A schoolchild's lunch should include an appetizer, first, second (main hot dish of meat, fish or poultry) and sweet dishes. As a snack, you should use a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh or sauerkraut, carrots, beets, etc., with the addition of fresh herbs. To improve the taste, you can add fresh or dry fruits to the salad: apples, prunes, raisins and nuts.

Dinner should consist of a vegetable (curd) dish or porridge; main second course (meat, fish or poultry), drink (tea, juice, jelly).

Nuance

Every tenth schoolchild eats two meals a day, although they are supposed to have four. 15 percent of students do not eat breakfast at all. About 80 percent of schoolchildren eat vegetables and fruits, mainly only on holidays.

Norms of physiological needs for energy and nutrients for children and adolescents of different ages

Product Name	Number of products depending on age in g, ml, net
Rye bread (rye-wheat)
Wheat bread
Wheat flour
Cereals, legumes
Pasta
Potato
Fresh vegetables, herbs
Fresh fruits
Dry fruits, including rose hips
Fruit and vegetable juices, fortified drinks
Fish fillet
Sausages
Milk (2.5% and 3.2% fat)
Fermented milk products (2.5% and 3.2% fat content)
Cottage cheese (no more than 9% fat)
Sour cream (no more than 15% fat)
Butter
Vegetable oil
Confectionery

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Hello dear readers and guests of the healthy lifestyle blog! Today I ask you to pay more attention to this article, especially those parents whose children have gone to school! After all, with the beginning of the school year, all mothers and fathers of schoolchildren have a lot of troubles. The following questions arise: how to maintain the health of the child? What should a schoolchild eat properly so that his immunity does not decrease?

Photos of schoolchildren

What food should be given to a schoolchild to give him strength to study? This problem, unfortunately, is very relevant today! Therefore, I will try to give comprehensive answers to all the questions asked. But first, as I promised in the past, I am attaching our photographs of children from the first school class, especially since my youngest son went to first grade this year.

This year all our children went to a new school, since the nearest school was closed due to the small number of students. To compare the number of children in different schools last year, you can look at the photos from the article. The new school is located in the village of Bulanikha, about 9 km from our village, where we live.

In general, the kids liked the school, the classes are large, everyone is mainly divided into “A” and “B”. I hope they will also study with great interest and desire.

And here is my son:

Well, now let's get down to our main topic.

How to keep your child healthy?

First of all, children encounter many infections at school. In the summer, they do not communicate with such a large circle of peers, and their body resistance decreases. And there are hundreds of children at school. It is important that the immune system does not fail. Weakened children sometimes take a long time to get involved in the educational process and get sick.

It has been noticed that children who vacationed at sea or in camps in the summer have fewer colds and flu. But if the summer has passed in our latitudes, then there is no need to despair. Parents can harden the child themselves, accustom him to cool showers and dousing with cold water. Just don't overdo it.

A classic mistake many parents make is they immediately start with “drastic” measures. Immediately place the baby under a cold shower or a bucket of ice water. You can not do it this way. It's not far from a runny nose or a cold. Start by rubbing yourself with a wet towel, airing the room before bed and in the morning. I have already written in more detail and step by step earlier.

After school, before starting homework, the child should be at least a little distracted, take a walk, play sports in the fresh air. Go for a walk, even if it’s raining outside – it strengthens you, just dress for the season. Do not organize a “study marathon” - this will only tire you out, but will not lead to an increase in academic performance.

Be sure to take breaks during your studies. If at school lessons last 40-45 minutes, then at home you need to arrange a rest every 20 minutes. This will achieve a good effect in mastering the material. There is no need to alternate lessons with snacks and tea parties if the child is not really hungry or it is not time for an afternoon snack or dinner.

As for the daily routine, many children find it difficult to adapt to waking up early. In order not to fall asleep later in the first lessons, you need to go to bed on time in the evening. If getting up is scheduled for 7 am, then you should go to bed at 8.30, in extreme cases - at 9 pm. And parents should not distract the child. It is clear that if you are watching TV in the evening, and there is an interesting film, then the baby wants to join you, just for the sake of communication. But it will harm him later. Adults tolerate lack of sleep more easily, but children's bodies are very fragile.

Meals for schoolchildren

The daily routine of schoolchildren should be quite rich and dynamic. They are constantly learning something, reading, drawing, playing sports, and so on. And schoolchildren have such classes every day, five days in a row.

To maintain the excellent well-being of their children, parents can provide them with nutritious nutrition. Earlier in the article we already looked at what proper healthy should be. But now let’s take a closer look at what a schoolchild’s menu should be.

Menu for schoolchildren

Between the ages of seven and seventeen, children actively develop both mentally and physically. Therefore, they must eat well in order for the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and nervous systems to develop normally. Children should receive sufficient quantities of all vitamins and microelements, with the help of which children's health is formed.

What's for breakfast?

Firstly, it should be rich in vitamins, and secondly, it should be easily digestible. No fried or smoked foods, or keep them to a minimum. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After all, it charges the body with the necessary energy for the whole day, stimulates mental activity and brain activity. Breakfast should include nourishing foods, but not heavy and without excess fat.

For breakfast, a schoolchild can be offered:

1. Whole grain products that contain vitamins A, D and group B. These vitamins help the child to be more efficient and resistant to nervous overload. Porridges contain starch, which breaks down slowly. Therefore, the child receives a boost of energy gradually, which has a good effect on his alertness throughout the day.
2. Calcium is very important for a growing body. It is found in dairy products. Therefore, if a child drinks a little kefir or milk in the morning, eats a few spoons of cottage cheese with honey, natural yogurt or hard cheese, he will be charged with calcium for the whole day. But remember that it is absorbed only with vitamins A, C and D.
3. To get the required amount of fiber, a child must eat baked goods. It promotes better digestion and blood circulation. Let your child take a bagel with him to school, which can be eaten during recess after the first or second period as a second breakfast.

Lunch for a schoolchild

For lunch, the student must eat high-calorie foods. After all, while learning and thinking, children lose a lot of energy. For lunch you can offer schoolchildren:

1. Hot liquid meals that stimulate gastric juice and thus help the body better digest and absorb food. For example, a schoolchild can have lunch with milk soup or meat broth.
2. For high physical and mental performance, children should eat fish and meat. You can make delicious cutlets from these products. You can also cook boiled fish or chicken and serve it with stewed or fresh vegetables.
3. The berries contain a lot of glucose and vitamin C. You can make jelly, compote or a delicious decoction from the berries.

What will the schoolchild have for dinner?

School-age children should have dinner no later than two hours before going to bed. At the same time, dishes for dinner should be prepared lightly. Before going to bed, you should drink a herbal decoction or a glass of kefir, or eat sour cream with sugar. Some children do not like kefir or sour cream; they can be replaced with baked milk.

The reason is also that kefir or sour cream is taken out of the refrigerator, and they are unpleasant due to their temperature. Children do not realize this, but they feel uncomfortable and develop dislike. Try keeping kefir in a saucepan with warm water. Perhaps after this he will drink with greater desire.

Fresh juices, fruits and vegetables should be your helpers in the process of fortifying the child’s body. Just be sure to ensure the purity of the fruit. Today you can find special devices on sale - fruit washers, which clean fruits, vegetables and berries not only with water, but also with ozone. After all, at night the body also rests and secretes less gastric juice. And even with a full stomach, sleep will be uneasy. Therefore, vegetables and fruits are great for dinner.

Vegetables contain vitamin A, which is responsible for vision, and folic acid, which is responsible for favorable growth and excellent digestion. Vegetables can be offered to schoolchildren in the form of vegetable stew or vegetable salads.

Fruits contain many different vitamins and fiber, which help strengthen the immune system. You can make a casserole from fruits. In addition to this, let the child eat fresh fruit; bananas, apples or pears are suitable.

This is what proper nutrition for a schoolchild should be like, where we have compiled a sample menu. If we follow these tips, then our children will develop well and grow up to the joy of everyone. This is where I end the article and invite all parents to listen to additional advice from experts on creating proper nutrition for schoolchildren of any age:

What to feed the child in the morning and what food to put in the backpack are questions that almost every mother puzzles over. Not all schools have canteens with impeccable menus. And replacing lunch with crackers or chocolate bars is not very healthy. In this case, there is only one thing left to do - think about a full home-made breakfast and take-out food.

Homemade breakfast

The school year has just begun, the child has not moved away from the summer holidays and simply cannot wake up early. Result: barely dressed, not in the mood and doesn’t want to have breakfast. There is no need to be angry with him.

If the stomach does not wake up, you need to wake it up. First, let the child drink, and then choose what he likes. Surely he has preferences among healthy foods.

In the morning you can offer porridge, muesli, yogurt, sweet cheese mixture with pieces of fruit, pudding or a beautifully decorated cheese sandwich. If your child prefers meat dishes, you can prepare meatballs or meatloaf.

Let him eat as much as he can. There is no need to turn breakfast into torture.

Important to remember

The most important thing in children's nutrition is the established regime, which depends not on the whim of the child or his parents, but on the educational process and workload. In schools with a mathematical, foreign or physical focus, the total caloric content of the diet should be 10% more than the age norm. Regular educational institutions adhere to the following standards:

• the first breakfast and dinner must be 25% of the daily caloric intake;
• second breakfast (from 11:30 to 12:00) - 15%;
• O lunch and afternoon snack (from 15:30 to 16:00) - 35% of the daily calorie content.

Each child's meal at school must include:

• protein foods (fish, meat);
• cereals (porridge, flakes);
• dairy or fermented milk products;
• fruits or vegetables;
• drink (water, juice, compote, milk drinks).

Nutrition control and correction

Nutrition control is easy to achieve. It is enough to ask the child what he ate at school. And given this menu, try not to repeat it.

You can never go wrong with making some vegetables or fruits at home. Moreover, fortified food in schools was canceled due to surges in food allergies.

It is worth explaining to your child which foods are harmful and why, developing a food culture, becoming an example for your children, and, if necessary, limiting your pocket money.

Food to go

The interval between meals should not be more than 3-4 hours. Between hot breakfast and lunch, the child is provided with lunch. It is most convenient to prepare it yourself: this will give you confidence in the freshness and usefulness of the products. Sandwiches, fruits, and vegetables are suitable for lunch.

• Fruits - apples, pears, grapes, tangerines - are rich in vitamins and healthy fiber.
• Dried fruits (dried apricots, apple slices, raisins) are a healthy alternative to fresh fruit. You can add nuts to the assortment.
• Bread is carbohydrates that will help a child last most of the day without feeling hungry. You can make sandwiches. Protein products (tuna, ham, chicken or cheese) are suitable as fillings. Sandwiches are best stored in cling film or foil.
• Place vegetables in your lunch container. If your child doesn't like greens, add them to salads or toppings.
• Beverages. You can give your child water, tea, compote or natural juice with you. The ideal option is a milk drink or yogurt. This will add a dose of calcium to your child's diet. Under no circumstances should carbonated drinks be allowed.

Do not give chocolate or candy as a snack. These products will provide the daily amount of calories, but the body will not receive the necessary nutrients.

Finally, proper packaging is very important. Some foods (especially meat) can spoil quickly at room temperature. So, everyone’s favorite boiled sausage will spoil in a bag in a few hours and can cause intestinal upset in a child.

To keep your lunch fresh and healthy for at least a few hours, try to place all meat, dairy, fish and egg products separately. Explain to your child the importance of washing hands before eating. And just in case, pack some antiseptic wipes in your lunch bag.

Let's take an example from the Japanese

Children do not like food that is healthy from the point of view of adults. Place a small surprise in the container with homemade food: any souvenir or toy. Interest in lunch will increase many times over.

And the Japanese came up with a special lunch for children - bento. Japanese adults collected the most common products for bento - boiled rice, omelette, vegetables, fruits, sausages. Figures of animals and cartoon characters are cut out of the products. Rice is colored with harmless dyes. All this is beautifully placed in a special box and decorated.

It may be a little tedious to make a bento every morning, but it works.

And every parent dreams that his schoolchild has enough energy and desire to master new material and get good grades, while attending other sections and clubs, paying attention to reading the right books, watching the right programs and communicating with friends and family.

Proper nutrition in childhood creates healthy eating habits and ensures the absence of stomach problems in adulthood.

Where can a student get the energy for all this and how can he maintain good health throughout the school year? Proper nutrition under heavy mental and physical stress is the key to excellent health and high academic performance. Our 10 tips will help you avoid mistakes in the question of how and what to eat as a schoolchild.

How should a schoolchild eat?

1. A schoolchild must have breakfast! Charging your body with the right amount of calories in the morning will have a beneficial effect on its condition throughout the day.
2. It is better to provide a schoolchild with 5 meals a day: with mandatory breakfast, lunch and dinner, there should be snacks between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner. The snack may be small, but it should be there.
3. Monitor the water balance of the student’s body, because a lack of fluid leads to headaches and premature fatigue. The child should get used to drinking at least 1 liter of clean still water per day.
4. A schoolchild's diet should include a sufficient amount of protein, because its deficiency leads to stunted growth, decreased resistance to disease, academic failure and loss of ability to work. Therefore, if you are raising a vegetarian, then introduce more protein plant foods into his diet.
5. Schoolchildren, especially younger ones, should eat at least 3 servings of dairy products daily: milk, natural yoghurts without sugar, hard cheese.
6. Try to completely exclude from the student’s diet everything fried, fatty and smoked, as well as sausage, frankfurters and other factory-processed meat products. Steam, boil or stew natural meat, fish and poultry.
7. The calorie intake of a schoolchild from 7 to 10 years old should be at least 2400 kcal, from 10 to 14 years old - 2400-2600 kcal, and from 14 to 17 years old - 2600-3000 kcal per day. If your child plays sports, then the calorie content of his menu should increase by 300-500 kcal.
8. Sweets provide a significant amount of calories, but have absolutely no vitamins and spoil teeth. Therefore, never replace sweets with a nutritious diet. Give sweets in limited quantities and only as dessert.
9. Try to find time to go to the school canteen and try what they feed the children there. You might be lucky and your school lunch will replace your home lunch. Or vice versa - the child will have to be given more sandwiches and prohibited from eating school food.
10. Healthy, adequate sleep is no less important than nutrition. Do not give children caffeine-containing drinks (coffee, cocoa, strong tea, chocolate) in the afternoon; try to ensure that the child goes to bed no later than 10 pm and sleeps at least 8-9 hours a day.

Now let’s talk about the menu itself for a schoolchild, which will fill him with energy and essential vitamins without overloading his stomach.

Breakfast

Breakfast has always been considered the most important meal of the day. In order for your child to eat normally in the morning, you need to wake him up an hour before leaving the house. It would be good to teach him not only to wash his face and brush his teeth, but also to do a little exercise and douse himself with cold water. Morning activity will immediately chase away sleep and awaken your appetite. You need to have a high-calorie breakfast so that you have enough energy for 3-4 hours.

This can be a variety of porridges with milk or water, with butter or with fruit, mashed potatoes or pasta, large scrambled eggs or a steam omelet. You can drink anything in the morning - coffee, cocoa, juice, tea, milk.

Second breakfast (“big break”)

If the school canteen provides good food, then the question of a second breakfast disappears by itself. But if the food there is disgusting, then you should think about an additional bag of sandwiches.

First, replace white wheat bread with any whole grain or dark flour. Flour products made from white flour are extremely unhealthy for a young, growing organism.

Secondly, replace the sausage with chicken or turkey meat. And instead of the butter that you are used to smearing on a sandwich, put a lettuce leaf, fresh cucumber or tomato.

You can also drink whatever you choose. It would not be a mistake to stick to simple clean water.

Dinner

At lunch, the child must eat something liquid and hot (soup or borscht) and carbohydrate-protein (meat or fish with vegetables). Dessert can be sweet.

It is better to cook the first dishes for a schoolchild not with broths, but with water. Prepare small pots of soup or borscht, enough for 2-3 days. The child must have fresh food. It is better to stew, boil or bake meat, fish or poultry for main courses rather than fry. Completely exclude instant soups, cereals, mashed potatoes and other “meal substitutes” that contain a bunch of preservatives, dyes, emulsifiers and other inedible “E-sheks” from the student’s diet.

Sweet dessert should be in moderation and not immediately after eating, but at least half an hour later.

Afternoon snack

A light snack will help the student wait until dinner without getting hungry, and help him avoid overeating during dinner. Therefore, 2 hours after lunch you can drink weak tea, milk, compote or juice with cookies. Or natural yogurt with fruit. Or just eat fresh fruit.

Dinner

Dinner should be light and no later than 2 hours before bedtime. For dinner, the student can be offered an omelet, cottage cheese, stewed or baked fish, stewed vegetables or porridge (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal). It is best to drink herbal tea, milk or compote.

Prohibited Products

There are foods that are so harmful to a growing body that it is better to completely exclude them from a student’s diet. Apart from harm, they do nothing, especially since they are all produced in a factory, and, as we said above, factory processing of products is harmful to the child’s body.
This:

And lastly, I would like to appeal to the parents of schoolchildren: you don’t want your child to be sick, unsuccessful and retarded? Then don’t buy him all the “goodies” listed. After all, his future, his career, his personal life depend on the health of your child, the foundation of which is laid by you, today!

A 6-7 year old child experiences a turning point in his life when he goes to school. During this period, the baby’s routine changes, and colossal physical and mental stress appears. During the educational process, students spend a lot of energy, and the body continues to grow rapidly.

Therefore, parents need to organize the correct diet for the student. It is important to know which foods are healthiest for children at this age, how to properly create a menu, and which recipes to choose.

⚙ Basic principles

If you teach your child healthy food from early childhood, then even at school age he will adhere to the basic principles of healthy eating. What are they? The following rules of proper nutrition for preschoolers can be distinguished:

• the diet should be varied and balanced, with plenty of vitamins and nutrients;
• it is compiled taking into account the individual characteristics of each child’s body;
• calorie content of food depends on the energy expenditure of boys and girls;
• at least 65% of the protein consumed must be of animal origin;
• It is better to minimize animal fats and focus on plant analogues;
• proper nutrition for schoolchildren involves a ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the ratio 4:1:1;
• fast carbohydrates (sweets, sugary drinks) are allocated only 9-12% of the menu;
• food should be supplied to the body in small portions, so it is important to clearly think through the food consumption regimen and clearly determine the time of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks;
• flour products lead to obesity, so it is better to replace buns from the school canteen with homemade baked goods made from wholemeal flour;
• 1-2 times a week, fish must be present in the dishes;
• It’s good if the baby eats a lot of vegetables and fruits per day;
• It’s better to forget about frying; vegetables can be baked, stewed or boiled;
• a growing body simply needs dairy products, so they should be on the menu every day;
• If your child attends sports clubs or spends too much time after school, it is important to monitor his water balance.

The principles of healthy eating for schoolchildren are quite simple; both children 7 years old and teenagers over 15 can adhere to them.

⚙ Useful and harmful

What foods must be included in a student’s diet? ☺ Below is a list of the most useful:

• various dairy products (sour cream, butter, cottage cheese, hard cheese, kefir, yogurt, cream, milk);
• meat and fish (different varieties);
• eggs (at least one per day);
• legumes, pasta;
• a variety of cereals (cooked in both water and milk);
• all kinds of vegetables, fruits and berries (fresh and processed);
• vegetable and butter;
• bread and bakery products made from wholemeal flour;
• sweets (no more than 100 g per day).

Recipes for proper nutrition for schoolchildren should not contain useless and often very harmful products.

☹️ These include:

• margarine;
• sugar in large quantities;
• sweet soda;
• sausages and sausages;
• semi-finished products;
• fast food;
• ketchup, mayonnaise and other store-bought sauces;
• mushrooms;
• smoked meats;
• packaged juices;
• any products that contain dyes, preservatives, flavor enhancers and other dangerous “chemicals”.

⚙ Regime moments

The most important task of adults is to ensure that the entire range of healthy products enters the child’s body in fractions. A well-chosen regime will help you avoid starvation and overeating. Proper nutrition for younger schoolchildren is slightly different from the diet of a teenager, but the times for lunch, breakfast, dinner and snacks can be scheduled approximately the same.

☄ For children who go to school for the first shift, it is better to offer the following scheme:

1. Breakfast at home or at school from 7.00 to 8.00.

2. First snack at school from 10.00 to 11.00.

3. Lunch at school or at home from 13.00 to 14.00.

4. Second snack at home at approximately 16.00.

5. Dinner at home from 18.00 to 19.00.

☄ If a child studies in the second shift, then a different, slightly adjusted nutritional plan will suit him. It could be like this:

1. Breakfast at home from 8.00 to 9.00.

2. Lunch at home (half an hour before going to school) from 11.00 to 12.00.

3. Snack at school around 15.00.

4. Dinner at school or at home from 17.00 to 18.00.

5. Light snack before bed at 20.00.

Adults should know some rules of healthy eating for schoolchildren. Lunch and breakfast are the main meals that contain the maximum number of calories. Dinner and the last snack are allowed no later than 2 hours before bedtime. For snacks, fresh fruits and berries, dairy drinks, and homemade baked goods are used.

⚙ Product value

When creating a menu for a child, you need to remember the balance of vitamins and all necessary nutrients. Products that help primary schoolchildren and adolescents develop must contain vitamins and minerals. What are they needed for?

— Vitamin A is responsible for vision and skin condition.

— B1 improves digestion.

— B2 has a positive effect on the nervous system.

— B6 improves blood circulation.

— B12 stimulates growth.

— PP controls cholesterol levels in the blood.

— C is needed by the immune system (increases immunity).

— D strengthens bones and tooth enamel.

— E is necessary for the endocrine and reproductive systems.

— Vitamin K helps blood clotting.

— Calcium is the most common element that forms the basis of the bone skeleton.

— Phosphorus is part of many enzymes in the body that are involved in fat metabolism.

— Magnesium takes an active part in metabolic processes.

— Iron is part of the hemoglobin of red blood cells; the circulatory system needs this substance.

— Zinc is needed for normal blood formation.

— Iodine is the basis of thyroid hormones.

⚙ Healthy food menu

In order not to throw away stale food or not to run to the store five times a day, you should make purchases for the whole week according to a pre-compiled menu.

☀ Example of a healthy food menu for schoolchildren:

Breakfast. You can cook muesli, various casseroles, porridge (including milk), pasta, and cheesecakes. Usually children are served a drink in the form of tea, cocoa or chicory. It is also preferable to eat sandwiches with butter in the morning.

Dinner. Must contain a first course (soup, cabbage soup, borscht, fish soup) and a second course. Hearty dishes consist of meat and fish, served with a side dish of vegetables. As for drinks, you should give preference to jelly or compote.

Dinner. This meal should not be too heavy. It is best to prepare a cottage cheese dish, porridge, fish balls, stewed potatoes or an omelet.

Proper nutrition for a schoolchild also includes bread, both rye and wheat, on the menu. For one meal, 100-150 grams is enough.

Snacks. They can be 2-3 times a day. As a snack for a child, a vegetable or fruit salad, a handful of nuts and seeds are perfect. A good choice would be a glass of milk, kefir, or fruit drink combined with cookies or homemade cakes.

If the baby does not go to school yet, then his diet may be slightly different.

☀ Here is the healthy food menu for the day for a preschooler:

• In the morning, the child should be offered rice milk porridge with raisins, a glass of warm tea and a sandwich.
• A pre-dinner snack consists of an orange.
• For lunch, it is better to serve borscht with a slice of bread, rabbit cutlets with a side dish of boiled cauliflower, and freshly squeezed apple juice.
• For the second snack, he can drink kefir or eat an apple pie.
• Potato zrazy with meat and tea with milk are suitable for dinner.

If the child does not fall asleep, declaring that he wants to eat, then you can “drive away” the feeling of hunger with a glass of milk with honey and a few pieces of oatmeal cookies.

Caring parents should download the e-book “Healthy Eating for Schoolchildren” from the Internet. Recipes” and use it to prepare different dishes for a growing child’s body. This way, neither the products nor the methods of preparing them will be repeated on the menu for the week.

⚙ Possible power problems

After 7 years, children already form clear food preferences, so a sudden change in diet affects their psychological state and behavior. For example, a child flatly refuses boiled vegetables, and instead asks for fried potatoes at night. There is no need to shout at him, insist and force him, otherwise the situation will worsen. The student will generally refuse healthy food. In such a situation, it is better to cheat a little - serve a very tasty sauce with boiled vegetables or stew the vegetables in the oven.

Sometimes, due to heavy academic workloads, students suffer from stress, which in turn negatively affects their appetite. Parents need to be attentive and respond instantly to such situations. A child can be captivated by some interesting activity or hobby, after which an excellent appetite usually appears. The kid literally sweeps away the offered food.

⚙ Proper nutrition for schoolchildren video

School-age children need a balanced diet, high in vitamins and microelements, which will help their body develop and remain healthy. Below you will find information about what healthy nutrition for schoolchildren is based on.

Regular meals

Children need regular meals and snacks in between. This is especially important when we are talking about healthy eating for younger schoolchildren. If instead the child gets used to “catching” something on the go, there can, of course, be no talk of a balanced diet.

It's good for children to start their day with a nutritious breakfast, such as milk and cereal, to cope with the morning school load. Then one piece of toast, 1-2 pieces of fruit or a piece of muffin will give them extra energy to feel energetic until lunch. It is advisable to make the lunch itself as varied as possible.

The basic rules for healthy eating for schoolchildren are recommended to parents as follows:

• It is advisable for a child to eat fish 1-2 times a week;
• Once a week - red meat (such as beef);
• 1-2 times a week the child should eat legumes or dishes such as stuffed vegetables;
• on other days, the child can be given white meat (for example, chicken) or dishes made from pasta.

Please note that healthy eating can be taught to schoolchildren through dinners and weekend lunches where the whole family gathers around the table.

Products from all food groups

Speaking about healthy eating for students, it should be noted that children need to eat foods from all food groups in order to satisfy their body’s need for nutrients. Let's look at this in more detail.

Bread, other cereals and potatoes. It is good that schoolchildren's nutrition is based on this group of products. When preparing food, give preference to wholemeal flour; a healthy diet assumes that 2/3 of the schoolchildren’s diet will consist of products made from this kind of flour.

Fruits and vegetables. For a healthy, nutritious diet, schoolchildren should be given 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.

• 1 medium-sized fruit - for example, banana, apple, orange;
• 2 small fruits (such as plums), 10-15 grapes, cherries, berries;
• 1 small portion of fresh vegetable salad;
• 3 heaping tablespoons of cooked vegetables, such as green peas;
• 3 heaping tablespoons of cooked legumes, such as beans (if your child eats more, it still counts as one serving);
• 1 tablespoon of dry fruits - such as raisins or dried apricots;
• 1 small glass of natural juice (if the child drinks more, it still counts as one serving).

Milk and dairy products. Give children at least 3 servings of dairy products per day. This could be 1 package of yogurt, 1 glass of milk or 1 matchbox-sized piece of cheese. This is especially important for the healthy nutrition of younger schoolchildren. Low-fat dairy products usually contain the same amount of calcium and the same list of vitamins that we find in normal-fat products. However, it is not advisable for children to consume completely low-fat dairy products.

Meat, fish and alternative products. Meat (especially red meat) and fish are the best sources of iron. However, legumes (lentils, beans), green leafy vegetables and fortified grains can also provide enough iron to a student's body.

Fatty 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 child’s nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems. The rules of healthy eating not only for schoolchildren, but also for children in general, say that children need to eat 2 servings of fatty fish per week. However, avoid giving swordfish to your child as it contains high levels of mercury.

Fatty or sugary foods. Foods high in fat or high in sugar - such as cakes, cookies, chocolate waffles, crisps - give schoolchildren a lot of energy, but contain almost no vitamins. Children can consume sweets in small quantities, however, only as a component of a balanced diet, and not as a replacement for basic, healthy and nutritious food.

Healthy drinks. Healthy Nutrition suggests milk and water as the most suitable drinks for schoolchildren - since they do not damage their teeth. Juices are highly acidic and contain a high percentage of sugar (even in natural juices we find natural sugars). Therefore, it is better to give juices to children with food - otherwise, it is advisable to dilute them with water.

The total amount of fluid a schoolchild needs during the day depends on the weather, the child's physical activity and the foods he eats. It's 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 hot weather and periods of increased physical activity.

A healthy diet for younger schoolchildren generally does not allow the consumption of carbonated drinks such as Coca-Cola that contain caffeine. For older schoolchildren, avoid giving them caffeinated sodas with meals, as caffeine interferes with the body's ability to absorb iron.