Little vademecum for nutrition. Dr nutritionist Barbara Bertini

Transcription

1 Little vademecum for nutrition Dr nutritionist Barbara Bertini

2 Every day we can "eat" some health Medicine, as well as cure, should prevent as much as possible the factors that influence the establishment of a pathology; One of the cardinal factors is ABSOLUTELY FOOD. Getting used from an early age, a balanced diet greatly affects the adult's eating habits. Our child's health depends a lot on the daily intake of all the necessary nutrients, from maintaining a weight that is appropriate to his height and from the daily exercise of movement or physical activity. The teaching of the rules for proper nutrition is largely the task of parents, but unfortunately even the most demanding parents often do not consider feeding an integral part of a good education. Children learn from their parents, so if parents do not know the basic principles of proper nutrition, or adopt non-nutritionally correct eating styles, the children, imitating them, will grow up making the same mistakes. We also remember that children are able (more than we imagine) to use food as an instrument of daily "blackmail", from which parents often do not know how to escape. "We are and" the children will be, what we eat " The food we eat is transformed or metabolized into nutrients that the cells of our body "feed" and use in different ways. To satisfy the energy needs, you must follow a varied, complete and balanced diet, remembering that the calories introduced must be proportionally balanced with those spent, and the diet will be correct and balanced if you maintain a correct intake of macronutrients and micronutrients. MACRONUTTERS For Macronutrients we mean proteins, carbohydrates (sugars) and fats (lipids).

3 Proteins are the "bricks" that make our children's muscles and tissues grow, and they stand out in: - Proteins of animal origin, contained in fish, meat, eggs, milk and derivatives, defined as high biological value because they are complete with all the essential amino acids that our body is unable to produce and therefore must be taken with Foods. - Proteins of vegetable origin, supplied by legumes and cereals, are proteins of low biological value, because they do not contain all the essential amino acids. Carbohydrates are divided into complex and simple; The complexes are those containing starch or all the derivatives of cereals (bread, pasta, spelled rice) and tubers such as potatoes or manioc. Biscuits and baked goods contain a mix of complex carbohydrates with the addition of simple sugars. Simple carbohydrates are those made from cooking sugar, fruit, vegetables, milk and from industrial products such as glucose or fructose syrup. Simple carbohydrates are rapidly absorbed, complex ones slower during the day. Prefer complex carbohydrates to simple ones... Pasta, rice, bread must be present every day in the baby's entertainment. Vary the type of cereals (wheat, barley, oats, spelled, corn, etc.) also consuming the integral equivalents Limit the consumption of sugar, and use in a controlled quantity the sweet spreads (jam, honey, creams, etc.). FATS Fats provide our body with a lot of energy which, if not used, accumulates leading to weight gain. Fats are distinguished in: - Fats of vegetable origin, contained in olive oil, corn, rotisserie, margarine.

4 - Fats of animal origin, contained in meat, sausages, seasoned meats, cheeses, eggs, fish, seafood, and in condiments such as butter, cream, lard, lard. For proper nutrition of children it is better to favor extra virgin olive oil (both for seasoning and cooking) and to moderate the use of animal fats (butter, lard, cream), avoid margarines and industrial preparations containing hydrogenated fats. In seed oils, I prefer the monoseme ones like sunflower, peanut, soy. Use low-fat cooking techniques: baked, steamed, carton. Avoid frying food. LIMIT THE SALT Educate the child from the age of consumption of low-salted foods. Reduce the use of salt both in the kitchen and at the table. Prefer the iodine-enriched salt (iodized salt) as a replacement and not in addition to the common one. Flavor foods with aromatic herbs, avoiding the use of stock cubes, ketchup, soy sauce, etc.. MICRO They are minerals and vitamins that do not bring calories, but perform many functions for our entire body. Some of them, like vitamins A, E, C, zinc, selenium, have multiple functions and are powerful anti-oxidants with protective functions of cells. The B vitamins have important metabolic functions, in particular B12, which is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Minerals like calcium, essential for the growth and health of bones and teeth, together with phosphorus and vitamin D. It is one of the essential minerals to be introduced with food. Iron, another very important mineral, contained in meat, legumes, spinach and dried fruit. Iron deficiency predisposes to anemia. Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron contained in vegetables, so it is good to add lemon or orange juice to vegetables.

5 HOW MUCH MUST BE A BIG PORTION? The portion depends essentially on weight, age, and energy balance; A simple rule to avoid the risk of making mistakes is to remember that our son's stomach is more or less the size of his fist, so larger portions risk being "excess". One of the main problems that regularly presents itself on our tables is the fact that the children, if left free to act, will always tend to consume mainly and in greater quantities, the food they prefer, arriving then sated at the time of vegetables or fruit; or worse, complaining little or no appetite, because they have stewed everything and more up to 10 minutes before the main meal. A good food education, is also in not giving food on request shortly after lunch or dinner, if these are not consumed meals properly. Give the alternative to an unwanted food, or make up with a biscuit because the child has not had lunch, establish a mechanism from which it is very difficult to detach... better a good dose of patience and tenacity every day during the meal, claiming that we consume at least half of the dish that we have prepared, (trust then yield) rather than having to fight until adolescence with the non-consumption of fruit and vegetables, or perennial consumption of a monopoly, or worse yet to boys who at 16 years they still claim the pureed vegetables...

6 WEEKLY DISTRIBUTION OF FOODS Fruits and vegetables - every day In particular 2-3 portions of vegetables and 2 of fruit a day, trying to vary the colors and choose seasonal products. Cereals - pasta and bread - every day Get used to alternating during the week the various types (corn, wheat, spelled, barley, rice) also introducing the full version Milk and yogurt - every day In particular, milk contains large amounts of high biological value proteins, vitamins such as A and D and minerals, especially calcium, which is highly bioavailable (ie easily assimilated by the body). Fish - at least 3 times a week Prefer small fish; crustaceans and molluscs can not replace fish and are not suitable for early childhood. Meat times a week White meat 3 times a week and red meat 1-2 times a week. Legumes - 2 times a week (chickpea peas lentil beans fava beans) Excellent as a single dish, if associated with cereals. Followed by a side dish of vegetables, they constitute a healthy meal. Cheese - 2 times a week They are a second course. Seasoned: Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Pecorino, Gruyere, etc. Fresh: stracchino, mozzarella of cow, cheese without polyphosphates. Cold cuts times a week Prefer raw and fat-reduced ham, or bresaola. Eggs two a week They are an excellent source of high biological value proteins, vitamins and minerals.

7 FOOD DAY - REPAIR OF ENERGY REQUIREMENT BREAKFAST (15% of total daily calories) To start the day well it is important for the child to make an adequate, nutritious and varied breakfast. It is a food moment too often neglected, especially in school age. It has been shown that skipping breakfast, in addition to causing hypoglycemia secondary to fasting, reduced mental concentration, correlates positively with obesity. In fact, an absent and poor breakfast induces some vicious circles that bring nutritional imbalances in the child's daily diet. A proper breakfast allows the child to arrive at lunch, eating only a light snack at mid-morning. MID- MORNING SNACK (5% of total daily calories) The mid-morning snack should be nutritious and light so as not to compromise your appetite at lunch. They should be avoided: sweet and savory snacks, crisps, focaccia, sandwiches with cold cuts, sugary drinks because they are rich in fats and / or sugars LUNCH (40% of total daily calories) It represents the most important meal of the day, so care must be taken when planning meals to the foods that the child has taken with lunch to properly supplement the dinner. Bring on your table different foods, a portion of carbohydrates (pasta, rice, barley or bread spelled) at lunch should never be missing, plus a side dish of vegetables and a fruit. Initial strategy for inserting vegetables, season the first course with shaved vegetable cubes. For dinner always better to leave proteins (meat fish eggs, legume and sliced cheeses) with a side dish of vegetables preferably cooked (more digestible) and a small dose of bread. AFTERNOON SNACK (10% of total daily calories) The afternoon snack should be nourishing and balanced, also in relation to the physical activity performed by the child. They are not recommended, sandwiches with cold cuts, pizzas, focaccia, fries, snacks, snacks, desserts made with creams, packaged ice creams.

8 DINNER (30% of total daily calories) The evening meal is a moment of rebalancing of the child's food day, therefore it must be made of different foods from those consumed for lunch. If at lunch the child has taken a dry first course, in the evening it is advisable to propose a soup with cereals (past vegetables with pasta or rice or spelled or barley or vegetable soup with pasta). If the child has had meat at lunch, at dinner we must alternate the protein sources (fish, eggs, vegetables, cheese).

9 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH In the majority of cases of child overweight, the cause is due to overeating and to a lack of physical activity and much more rarely to a genetic predisposition or to specific pathologies. Let s remember the definition of Energy Balance As many calories you take in, the same amount of calories your body has to burn A parent or who take care of the kid during the day, should tackle as much as possible its sedentary lifestyle. Encouraging the kid to play motion games and not letting him in front of a tv or a videogame set more than 2 hours a day, and especially when it s possible, by setting a good example (a walk in a park on Saturday or Sunday, a spin around running errands, parking the car a bit far from the place you have to go, doing some jogging, hand in hand with your kid etc ) And finally, a summary of the main nutritional errors Excess caloric compared to total daily energy expenditure 2. Breakfast absent or inadequate 3. Incorrect caloric distribution in the day, with deficiencies in the morning and excesses in the evening 4. Consumption of foods too rich in energy and of reduced nutritional value in the school snack and as an afternoon snack 5. Excess: - protids and lipids of animal origin (cheese, meat) - high glycemic index carbohydrates (chips, fruit juices, snacks) 6. Low contribution of: - plant fibers and proteins (fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes) - fish 7. Frequency of fast-food, with consumption even outside the main meals of high energy preparations, saturated fats, salt, simple sugars, and poor in fiber and vitamins. 8. Eating meals in front of the TV: difficulty in controlling food intake that favors the onset of overweight. 9. Sedentary lifestyle: work commitments of parents and school children (full time), reduce the possibility of practicing physical activity (sports and / or recreational), especially open air

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