How will children improve their eating habits, what is recommended for them to eat every day at least for breakfast? Theofanis Georgopoulos, professor of Applications at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Thessaly, answers this question, providing useful advice, also on the occasion of the beginning of the new school year.
Parents, as well as children themselves, he emphasizes to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, are concerned about what foods they should consume during the day. It is important that they are not deprived of the nutrients necessary for their development. According to him, children’s eating habits should follow the model of the Mediterranean diet to prevent childhood obesity. Children’s diet should include foods rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements, dietary fiber, such as vegetables, potatoes, legumes, whole grain products, milk and dairy products, cured meats and fish. In addition, foods that are high in sugar, white flour, saturated fats and, at the same time, poor in nutrients should be avoided.
Although the importance of breakfast for metabolism and mental clarity at school has been emphasized, it is evident that most children (and parents) leave home without having breakfast.
As a guideline, it is recommended to consume at least once a day for breakfast:
*1 glass of fresh whole milk
* Semi-skimmed milk with breakfast cereals (without added chocolate)
* Toast (with low-fat cheese, without butter, margarine and cold cuts)
* Toast with honey and 1 glass of fresh whole milk
*A seasonal fruit
* Thessaloniki Sandwich (from the neighborhood bakery)
As for the tithe meal during school holidays, the following foods should generally be avoided:
* various snacks with a lot of salt (e.g. chips, shrimp, etc.)
*sugary drinks (soft drinks, juices).
* puff pastry because it contains a lot of saturated fat (cheesecake, spinach pie, sausage pie, pizza, etc.)
*very fatty sweets (e.g. biscuits, cakes, etc.)
For weekends we recommend:
* Toast (with cheese and turkey or just low fat cheese) and 1 fruit
* Small sandwich or baguette with cheese, turkey, lettuce (without mayonnaise)
*Pita bread or tortilla with cheese, turkey and various vegetables (e.g. grated carrot, lettuce, tomato)
* Wholemeal breadcrumbs or Thessaloniki bread
* Baked omelette with 1 slice of wholemeal or rye bread
* Whole wheat bread with tahini or peanut butter
* Toast with avocado and cream cheese (e.g. cottage)
* Yogurt with almonds or walnuts or cereals and 1 fruit
* Whole wheat crackers with cheese triangles and vegetable sticks (cucumber, carrot, etc.)
*Fruit salad (with various fruit and grated nuts or yogurt)
Finally, in case the child has health problems (e.g. diabetes mellitus, obesity, hyperlipidemia, food allergies), parents should follow the personalized advice of the nutritionist, concludes Theofanis Georgopoulos, Professor of Applications at the Department of Food and Nutrition Sciences of the University of Thessaly, I wish you a good school year!