(Lifestyle) Challenges in school feeding

[Askor lml]

It is important to take into account that for adequate nutrition, the total energy requirement of a child can be divided into the different meal times.

The face-to-face return to classes is very close and after two years under a virtual education scheme due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it certainly ensures several challenges for parents, teachers and the students themselves, in various aspects.

On this occasion we will talk about school feeding, based on the main objective that feeding school-age children is to ensure optimal growth and development.

Adequate food and nutrition at this stage allows children to grow up healthy, teaching good eating habits should be paramount for parents and teachers, as poor nutrition, both due to deficit (malnutrition) or excess (overweight and obesity) , can have undesirable results in the short and long term. 

It is important to take into account that for adequate nutrition, the total energy requirement of a child can be divided into the different meal times. According to the food guidelines of the FAO and adopted by the Ministry of Health, the suggested proportion is as follows:

Breakfast: Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and should cover at least 20% to 25% of nutritional needs. Nutritious foods such as dairy, fruit, and whole grain breads should be served.

Snack: It must cover at least 10% to 15% of the nutritional needs. It is a meal time between breakfast and lunch or between lunch and dinner.

Lunch: It is the time of day when the most consistent meal is eaten and should provide at least 25% – 35% of the daily nutritional needs.

Dinner: It should cover 25% to 30% of the nutritional needs. It should be consumed not too late to prevent the proximity to bedtime from preventing children from resting properly.

Nutritious and healthy lunch box
"When preparing the lunch box, it is important to select balanced foods, insist that all foods are necessary and avoid junk food and highly processed foods," says Francisco Herrera Morales, nutritionist at Productos Nevada.

In this regard, the Ministry of Education (Meduca) and the Ministry of Health (Minsa) have since 2018 prepared a Basic Guide for the Offer of Healthy Food in kiosks and cafeterias of educational centers, as a measure to improve the nutrition of the school po[CENSORED]tion, a a guide that parents are even suggested to take into account when preparing a healthy lunch box. Some of the recommendations are: cereals, nectars, yogurt, water, milk, natural juices, creams, sandwiches, whole grain breads and fruits.

Reduced-sugar flavored nectars and milks are a healthy option to give to school children, they are nutritious foods, with a lot of flavor and very practical to put in the lunch box. 

News brought by https://www.vidayexito.net/estilo-de-vida/salud/desafios-en-la-alimentacion-escolar/