Recently Scolarest organized the showcooking Easy and healthy cooking to succeed with children in Madrid of which we tell you many details in Peques and More. At the kitchen table we also met the Scolarest chef Miguel Bonilla already Gemma Mengual, to nutritionist Beatriz de Diego (in the image) to which at the end of the talk we invite you to participate in a interview in Peques y Más.
Beatriz by Diego Blanco She has a degree in Food Science and Technology and a Diploma in Dietetics and Human Nutrition from the UPV (University of the Basque Country). She has fourteen years of experience in food for communities and for eight years she has been the National Responsible for Nutrition and Dietetics of Eurest Colectividades (Scolarest). Then we leave you with the interview:
How should adequate food for children be and why do I need to put it into practice?
Proper feeding in the school stage must provide the energy and nutrients necessary to meet the requirements of the stage of growth and development in which children are and, in addition, contribute to a correct state of current and future health. The healthy nutrition responds to the principles of sufficiency (providing adequate energy and nutrients to each age and sex), variety (providing all food groups and food variety of each group, therefore all sources of nutrients) and balance, respecting the proportions of each of the macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and lipids)
An inadequate diet can lead to malnutrition (both by excess and by default) as well as become, if maintained over time, as a risk factor for numerous diseases.
What foods are those that should be part of the children's diet?
The food pyramid is a good guide to select the foods that should be part of the children's diet.
The basis of the diet must be the foods that provide complex carbohydrates (cereals, starches ...), guaranteeing the daily presence of fruits and vegetables and dairy products and opting for protein sources such as lean meats, fish (white and blue) and eggs It is also important to find a balance between proteins of animal origin and those of plant origin (legumes, for example).
Foods that are more fatty and rich in simple sugars should be relegated to occasional use. We must not forget the importance of daily water intake, especially in times of greater physical exertion and / or higher temperatures since Children are very sensitive to dehydration.
What is the percentage of the energy consumption of the day provided by breakfast, lunch and dinner?
An adequate distribution of energy throughout the day helps to maintain a better eating pattern. The ideal would be to distribute the daily intake in five meals, thus achieving an energy distribution of 25% VET (total energy value of the day) at breakfast, 10-15% at mid-morning, 30% at lunch, 10-15% at the snack and the remaining 25% at dinner.
The food pyramid is a good guide to select the best food for children
How much energy should a child consume according to age and for normal physical activity?
Recommended energy intakes vary with age and, starting at age 10, are also conditioned by sex.
For children of 4-5 years we would talk about 1,700Kcla / day, 2,000Kcal / day for children 6-9 years old and between 2,600 Kcal / day for boys and 2,400 Kcal / day for girls from 10 to 12 years old .
As for physical activity, it is important to note that children must maintain an active life away from sedentary lifestyle since this is one of the main factors that contribute to the appearance of overweight and obesity.
How can we complement breakfast with healthy eating for the rest of the day?
He breakfast It is one of the main meals of the day and must provide sufficient energy to face proper physical and intellectual performance throughout the morning. It will consist of cereals, dairy and fruits. He lunch It can be used to complete breakfast and consist of fruit, juice, cookies, smoothies, etc.
The food The noon must be made up of foods rich in carbohydrates (pasta, rice, potatoes, legumes), proteins (meat, fish and eggs), vegetables or vegetables, bread, water and fruit or dairy products. The snack It is the ideal time to balance the energy supply of the day and should be adapted to the type of physical activity that the child will have during the afternoon. You can use snacks with lean meats or cheese when the activity is going to be intense and lighter options like fruits when it is going to be less.
The dinners they will follow a similar scheme to the one of the food but trying simple and not very heavy culinary preparations that help to a correct rest.
For parents to offer a healthy diet to children should be a priority
What do parents have to do to encourage kids to eat healthy? And in the case of the kids who eat at school?
Offering healthy eating to children should be a priority for all since the figures of overweight and obesity of our schoolchildren, close to 26% and 19% respectively, force us to reflect. Education in good eating habits and in healthy lifestyles away from sedentary lifestyle are the pillars of good future health.
In the case of school canteens, the commitment of the school and those responsible for the food service is paramount. For Scolarest, a leading company in this sector, this commitment is a maximum.
We are aligned with the Strategy NAOS (Nutrition, Physical Activity, Obesity and Overweight) Since its creation and with the support of our Nutrition and Dietetics Service formed by Dietitians-Nutritionists, we work daily to feed thousands of children under the pattern of a balanced diet.
The food supply in school canteens is regulated by the Food Security and Nutrition Law and numerous guides of school canteens edited by the authorities with competence in the matter, which are those that mark the dietary and nutritional parameters that the menus must meet.
This regulatory situation allows us to have a frame of reference around which to work in school canteens, work that must be complemented with an adequate food supply in homes.
How can schools contribute to promoting healthy eating among students?
The school can contribute to the implementation of initiatives aimed at promoting healthy eating habits at breakfast and lunch, promoting the training and information of both students and families, healthy lifestyles, etc.
Another of the key points must be to ensure a correct offer of menus in the dining room, relying, for example, on specialized companies that have specialized human teams both in the kitchen and in service and surveillance of the dining room. In our case, this joint objective leads us to establish close ties with our clients that have maintained high levels of satisfaction over many years, creating a dining-school tandem in favor of adequate school feeding.
What activities does Scolarest do to spread healthy habits among Spanish children?
Scolarest we have our Educational Project Eat, Learn, Live. Derived from this, each school year we design a new pedagogical project that meets two fundamental requirements: that is fun and educational. With it we transmit to children habits, attitudes and values, fundamental for their development as people.
One of the activities that we are doing this course in schools is the Art of Feeding You
Is there any specific activity with the schools?
The Scolarest Educational Project is developed in schools through an Activities Program, structured by centers of interest and adapted to the different educational cycles. One of the activities that we are doing this course in schools is the Art of Feeding You. The goal is, through imagination and creativity, to motivate children to eat healthy foods that are usually less attractive to them.
Our monitors conduct cooking workshops, where children make original and fun recipes, such as "garbamagdalenas" (chickpea muffins) or a very particular dessert, "fried egg with potatoes", made with yogurt, peach and apple.
And with the parents?
For Scolarest it is very important that there is an educational coherence around the school. For this reason, we work in constant contact with the Directorates of the Educational Centers and, we promote initiatives to approach families. We participate in Open Doors, Cultural Weeks, etc. And on some occasions, conducting training work sessions on food and good habits with the AMPAS.
Does Scolarest have a special allergic diet: gluten, nuts, cow's milk proteins, etc. and how do you manage it in schools?
The number of diners with allergies and / or food intolerances is increasing. Offering adapted menus with safety guarantees for our guests with allergies and intolerances is a priority for Scolarest. We have strict protocols for the service of special diets that are based on menus designed and customized for each diner by dietitians and criteria for selection of raw materials, preparation, conservation and distribution of diets.
This, together with the extensive training of our kitchen and service staff in food allergies and intolerances, allows us to prepare and serve diets adapted for celiac, allergic, intolerant or for any other pathology that requires a modification of the common food pattern .
And here the interview to Beatriz de Diego from Scolarest, we thank Beatriz and Scolarest for their collaboration with Peques and Más explaining and offering nutritional recommendations for children and favoring the generation of good eating habits among children and their families.
