Do not perceive nutrition as suppressing our hunger or filling our stomachs. Nutrition; It means consuming the nutrients necessary for human growth, development, being healthy and productive, and living a long life.
Healthy nutrition contributes greatly to social, spiritual and physical development. Healthy nutrition is only possible with adequate and balanced nutrition.
Adequate Nutrition in Children
It means consuming as much food as the body needs to live and function.
The body's needs change over time. Since the nutritional needs of children in the age of growth and development are higher than that of an adult, their nutritional needs are also higher. Although the amount of food each child will eat is not very different, it will vary depending on factors such as weight, height and age.
Balanced Nutrition in Children
The child's age, activity, disease status, gender, genetic characteristics, Taking into account physiological factors such as growth and development, taking each of the nutrients in sufficient quantities during the day and using them appropriately in the body. Balanced nutrition is important for mental and physical health. Make sure your child's daily nutritional needs are balanced by considering his/her daily activities, eating habits and tastes.
Nutritional Elements
For your child's adequate and balanced nutrition;
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Adequate intake of vitamins and minerals,
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limiting fat and sugar,
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Fiber and fiber sources
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Including 4 food groups; It should consist of sufficient and balanced foods.
These food groups; meat-egg-legumes group, milk and milk derivatives, bread and grain group, vegetable and fruit group. Let us specify the meal groups and portion sizes that children who do not have any health problems should generally consume.
Meat-egg-legumes group:
Meat, chicken, fish, It contains food groups consisting of legumes such as eggs, lentils, chickpeas, peas and beans. Give your children one egg for daily breakfast, 1 scoop of legumes and 1 meatball size of meat/chicken/fish in other meals. I suggest you quit. In this way, 3-4 portion sizes of this food group are recommended for your child to consume. Since it will be difficult to consume legumes every day, it is also appropriate to consume minced meat, cubed and sautéed meat from the meat group instead. Just be careful to consume fish twice a week.
Milk and milk group:
Milk and foods containing milk such as cheese, yoghurt and ayran. Daily consumption amount is recommended as 3-4 servings. 1 serving size of the foods in this group; 4 tablespoons of yoghurt, 1 glass of milk, 1 matchbox of cheese, 1 glass of buttermilk. Your child, who consumes 1 matchbox of cheese for breakfast, can easily consume milk and ayran between meals.
Bread and Grain group:
The grain group, consisting of bread, pasta, rice, bulgur, noodles and phyllo, is included in a large part of our daily needs. Daily consumption amount is recommended as 6-8 servings. 1 serving size of these foods is; 1 thin slice of bread, half a bowl of noodles, pasta, 5 biscuits, 3 tablespoons of bulgur/rice pilaf, ¼ phyllo dough. I do not recommend whole wheat bread to a child who is growing and developing. They can consume whole grain products. I recommend consuming it with other foods to increase its protein and vitamin content.
Vegetable and fruit group:
Daily consumption amount of the group consisting of all vegetables and fruits is 2 portions of fruit. A total of 5 servings, 3 servings of vegetables, is recommended. 1 serving of fruit; 1 small pear, orange, apple, 2 small tangerines, 3-4 fresh/dried apricots, 2 small dried/fresh figs. Fruits can be consumed in the afternoon, at least half an hour after dinner. Vegetables are also very low in calories. He can consume seasonal salad with his meals, and tomatoes, cucumbers and greens as much as he wants for breakfast. 4 tablespoons of vegetable dishes such as okra and green beans are in the amount of 1 serving.
Apart from these foods we mentioned, let's also talk about fat and sugar.
Fat-sugar:
Olive oil, sunflower oil, butter, jam. It contains foods such as honey, cake, cake and chocolate. The daily consumption amount of these foods is less than other foods. Daily consumption amount is 6 servings of fat, 6 servings of sugar 1-2 servings of this are recommended. 1 serving of oil; 1 teaspoon of oil, butter, 5-6 black olives, 3-4 walnuts, 5-6 hazelnuts/almonds, 1 portion of sugar; 1 teaspoon of honey can be counted as 1 tablespoon of molasses/jam/marmalade.
Water:
Water, which is as important as other nutrients, is of vital importance. has. The fact that seventy percent of the child's body is water shows how much we actually need water. Your children who are active during the day will lose more water by sweating, especially when the weather gets warmer. Water supplements should be made as water is constantly released during the digestion of food, respiratory tract and urine. Therefore, ensure that he consumes 2-2.5 liters of water daily. If he has fever and diarrhea, increase the amount of water more. Because the body will lose more water than normal.
Do not wait for him/her to feel thirsty every time, consume water frequently to make it a habit. Be sure to have a water bottle or bottle next to you.
Fibre:
Foods containing fiber; vegetables, fruits and edibles with their peels (apples, pears, quinces, figs, strawberries, dried apricots, lettuce, celery. Cauliflower, spinach, carrots, potatoes), peas, lentils, chickpeas, dried beans and kidney beans from legumes.
You can have your children consume fruit between meals, as fiber intake keeps them full for a long time. The fiber contained in foods such as apples and pears helps prevent constipation.
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