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A healthy diet for school kids
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| Students spend most of their day seated: in the morning at their school desks; in the car or on a motorbike when getting around; and at home when doing their homework, using the computer or watching TV. In addition to being absolutely crucial for their physical and emotional wellbeing, a proper diet can make a big difference when it comes to learning and memorizing activities. The important thing is to make sure that the kids' daily caloric intake is well balanced in order to keep their weight down and avoid obesity, an increasingly serious problem among school children doing their lower grades. |
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The healthiest way to start off the day is with a hearty breakfast. Eating a complete meal as soon as you get up, even if it means sacrificing a half hour of precious time asleep, is the best way to avoid gnawing pangs of hunger between meals. Early in the morning our bodies need to consume more calories, which are essential for successfully dealing with the challenges of the day. The best foods for breakfast are milk or yogurt with cereals and fruit, excellent sources of calcium and mineral salts - so essential for a child's growth.
A snack halfway through the morning should not be seen as a substitute for a good breakfast nor should it be excessively caloric; ideally, it should be mostly carbohydrates. Fruit, yogurt or a small ham or jelly sandwich provides the necessary charge of energy for maintaining an alert mind and a good mood until lunchtime. Water is the ideal beverage for all meals. And always remember that it's essential for kids to chew their food slowly in order to feel satisfied and fully enjoy the pleasure provided by the flavors of the food.
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The diet of young children and teenagers who go to school has to be at least as well balanced as that of adults. 55% of their daily energy should be provided by carbohydrates (only 10% by sugars, the rest by starches, such as pasta and bread), 30% should be provided by fats and 10 to 15% by proteins. In addition, it's essential that kids get plenty of calcium (found in dairy products, including ice-cream) and iron (found in meat, legumes and fish). The daily food intake of school-age children should be broken down into at least four separate occasions, five if possible (three regular meals and two snacks). Fruit, cereals and vegetables should be featured in all the meals, whereas cheese and prepared delicatessen meat products should be limited to three times a week. The quantity of foods varies according to the age, weight and the amount of physical activity engaged in. For students who don't engage in any sports, here's a suggested ideal diet: as a breakfast for youngsters from 6 to 12 years of age, dietologists recommend plenty of milk (or yogurt) with cereals, or with toast (or rusks) and jam, concluding the meal with fruit or fruit juice. At snack time, some fruit with yogurt or ice-cream. For lunch, a serving of pasta followed by a second course of meat, fish or an egg dish, with a vegetable side dish and some fruit at the end of the meal. Dinner should be less hearty, and can once again feature a pasta dish, including versions served in meat stock with legumes and vegetables, followed by a salad and fruit.
Teenagers, on the other hand, need a greater number of calories and the amount is different for boys and girls. The calories required on a daily basis by young women between 13 and 19 is somewhere between 1,800 and 2,300 Kcal, whereas the boys need more, from 2,100 to 2,900 Kcal. As far as the recommended foods go, they're the same as for the younger children, with the main course consisting of a pasta dish and with the highest protein foods being consumed at lunchtime.
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Forming healthy eating habits can definitely help with the sort of mental concentration that is necessary for anyone trying to study. First and foremost, you have to avoid large, heavy meals. Gorging only causes more blood to be channeled to the stomach to help with the digestion process, inducing a state of torpor and drowsiness, a real problem for anyone pouring over books for an extended period of time. The best advice in this case is to eat smaller, more frequent meals, for example, three main meals and two snacks. The diet should strike a balance between the carbohydrates contained in pasta and the protein found in such things as eggs, milk and meat. Fish is always recommended because its such an excellent source of iodine, calcium and phosphorous.
If, however, you need an immediate shot of energy to recharge the brain, you can resort to items rich in glucose. Especially under stressful situation, like just before a major oral or written examination, sweets provide a guaranteed supply of energy immediately available for concentration. Even Philostratus, a wise philosopher who lived in the third century AD, used to recommend them to his students and, today, dieticians unanimously agree with his sage, time-honored counsel. Students should have absolutely no qualms about treating themselves to an ice-cream break every afternoon, especially if they take advantage of the time to also enjoy a relaxing stroll and get their minds off their studies. Another very good remedy against drowsiness is a bit of chocolate; around 20 grams will do nicely. But if you don't want to run the risk of gaining weight, 400 grams of watermelon, cut into little cubes and eaten slowly while studying will do the trick just as well and with only 60 calories. When you really have to study hard, you should keep within reach plenty of water, fruit juice, sweet drinks, crackers, cookies or, better yet, fruit in order to maintain otherwise depleted levels of glucose and mineral salt. Be careful, however, not to go overboard; you must avoid introducing more sugars into your system than have been burned unless you want to run the risk of gaining weight.
When it comes to the category of stimulating beverages, coffee can be of assistance, but always drink it in moderation; one or two cups a day is enough to combat that sense of drowsiness and enhance your ability to concentrate.
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