Tips For Feeding Children During School Times, Proper nutrition of a child at school depends on the same principles of nutrition for adults in order to enjoy a healthy life. Everyone needs the same basic nutrients, which include vitamins, minerals, protein, fats, and carbohydrates, but with a different amount that must be obtained at every stage of a child’s life. . Many diseases, including childhood obesity, which has spread widely recently, can be prevented by following proper nutrition systems. However, the quantity and types of food he needs should be known according to each age stage he passes through. Follow this article with us to learn how to feed children during school times.

Proper child feeding at school

At the age of five and six, the child can get many choices of food at school, especially if he gets it from the restaurant or cafeteria. Where healthy foods are often not available such as: potato chips, cakes, candy, and other snacks rich in fats, sugars and sodium, which cause health problems such as weight gain. Therefore, these items should not be consumed, as it is preferable to prepare food at home for the child, or to encourage the child to choose healthy foods. It should also focus on sources of protein because children do not tend to eat meat often. It is possible to resort to circumventing them by providing food or introducing other sources of protein such as: milk, eggs, and legumes.

Some tips for feeding children during school times and maintaining their usual healthy diet

Breakfast is the most important

1. It is necessary to encourage children in general and students in particular to eat breakfast, after a break from food and drink throughout the night. The student needs a balanced breakfast that provides him with energy during the early morning hours.
2. Getting enough sleep and eating a healthy breakfast in the morning help the child stay active and focused during the school day. It also prevents the feeling of hunger for a period of time and thus reduces the intake of sweets and entertainment at school.
3. Some schoolchildren suffer from exhaustion, fatigue, or anemia, because they do not eat healthy food that contains the nutrients that the body needs.
4. It is important to note that the break meal or opportunity is not a meal for breakfast, as many people consider it, and it is not a substitute for it either. Therefore, each of the two meals has its importance and role in giving the student’s body its needs in stages during the day.
5. The ideal breakfast before going to school is a balanced meal that contains complex carbohydrates, proteins and unsaturated vegetable fats.
6. Milk and milk products are important foods for students, as this food group provides a large proportion of protein, vitamin D and calcium, which are essential for growth and bone health. The student needs three daily portions of milk and dairy products.

Break meal or school opportunity

To ensure the quality and quality of food in the school meal, it is recommended to prepare it at home and waive its purchase from the school, for example:

healthy sandwich

A type of bread, preferably made of whole wheat, containing a variety of possibilities such as: low-fat dairy products, hummus, avocado, tuna, man’ouché with a milk product. As mentioned above.

A box of vegetables

Eat vegetables and various vegetable salads of 5 colors during the day because they contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which increase the immune system’s ability to fight diseases and protect the body from infection.

Fruit

Make sure your children eat 2-3 fruits during the day – especially those rich in vitamin C, which is responsible for boosting the functioning of the immune system, such as: citrus fruits, berries and kiwi.

Read Also: Benefits of Black Raisins

A healthy drink or a bottle of water

Refrain from consuming energy drinks, soft drinks and juice that lead to many health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver, and irregular heartbeat.

• It is important to remember to drink plenty of water, especially in the winter, because children do not feel thirsty. It is recommended to consume eight to ten glasses of water per day.
• It is preferable to refrain from providing the child with sweets and salts, which lead to feeling hungry and thirsty after a short period of time and thus limiting his concentration.
• A healthy school meal that does not contain frying and low-quality processed food such as hot dogs, falafel, etc.; Rich in salts and saturated fats that are harmful to the development of the child, causing weight gain.

Physical activity

• During the holidays, our movement decreases, in return, the viewing hours increase, so you have to initiate activities of a more dynamic nature to compensate for the lack of movement during the winter holidays.
• The importance of physical activity for the student lies in helping him maintain agility and an appropriate weight for him. Avoid chronic diseases, build the body and provide it with vitality and energy, in addition to getting rid of stress and school pressures. It is recommended to adhere to physical activity and a moving lifestyle, such as walking, playing ball, swimming, or whatever the child prefers, for about an hour a day.