There is a clinging belief and a concrete problem about the idea that fat children are healthier. Many children, at an early age, are often fed more caloric intake than is necessary for their age and this fact could explain the incidence of obesity at such young ages.
It is necessary to respect the sensation of hunger or satiety that the child grows up knowing good eating habits from an early age in order to prevent obesity and overweight both as a child and as an adult.
Some recommendations that we can teach them at home are:
- Eat as a family, enjoying the food and avoiding screens.
- Eat fruits and vegetables at least 5 servings a day.
- Daily physical activity, if possible, walking to school, walking and playing outdoors.
- Set an example and eat healthy, always having healthy food such as cut carrots.
- Avoid having chips and pastries at home, avoid sodas and sugary drinks.
If you wish, you can request an online consultation so that we can guide you about infant nutrition according to the age of your child and give you a specific plan for your family.
How should infant nutrition be?
This stage is very important in a person’s life, since eating habits are definitively established. In addition, it is decisive for the physical and intellectual development of the child. Children’s food should be appetizing, nutritious, fun, educational and varied. I explain it to you:
Appetizing and fun: show foods in an appetizing way, with colors and shapes that attract their attention and by combining it with foods that they do not like so much, they can avoid rejection attitudes.
Nutritious and varied: offer foods of all types and with balanced nutrients such as: proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products. Choose low-fat, low-salt, fresh and natural foods, in quantities that match their feeling of satiety.
Educational: menus should be as healthy and nutritious as possible, since it will define their eating habits in the future. This should be promoted both at home and at school, so here are some recommendations and you can also read child nutrition in this section of my website that will give you a clearer vision.
5 healthy foods to include in children’s school lunches
Schools are a fundamental part of children’s life and development. It is the place where they are educated, grow and learn. But above all, what you want is for children to grow up healthy, strong and above all healthy. So, as a specialist in endocrinology and nutrition, I will give you 5 healthy food choices to include in your recess lunch.
- Fruits. They should be fruits that the child has already tried before, to be sure that he/she will like and eat them and that there will not be any allergic reaction. They can be whole or cut into pieces in a tupper.
- Dairy. It can be a small brick of milk, natural yogurt without sugar, which can be accompanied with fruit or a piece of fresh cheese.
- Homemade cookies, which will provide the necessary energy for you to have throughout the day. A healthy option is to prepare them with banana and oatmeal baked in the oven.
- Nuts. You can take a tupper with nuts such as a handful of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, mixed with grapes.
- Sandwich or sandwiches with whole grain bread, which are high in fiber, with a protein food such as turkey ham, tuna, tortilla or cheese.