Bia Kid tips and ideas for feeding our children "Five a Day"
How do you maximise your child's ability to concentrate and have a good flow of energy both mentally and physically, throughout the school day?
Give them foods that allow for a slow release of energy. These include low glycemic (GL) foods such as wholegrains, quality protein (lean, unprocessed meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans & pulses), fruit and vegetables.
Here is a list of the lowest to the highest GL fruits:
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Pears
- Melon
- Watermelon
- Peaches
- Plums
- Apples
- Kiwis
- Pineapple
- Grapes
- Mango
- Banana
- Dried fruits (being the highest)
Some countries recommend up to 13 portions of fruit or vegetables per day. Advice given by Irish Health Authorities is five a day. A portion of fruit is approximately 80 grams, for example ½ an apple.
Soups are a nutritionally dense way to get a host of vegetable into kids in one go. Once the soup is cooked, puree in a liquidizer or food processor as children do not generally like lumps. Bring soup in a flask to school. Or a mug of soup is perfect for children just in the door from school. It will also help to boost concentration for their homework.
Please see my own children's favourite soup recipe - sweet potato. Sweet potato is a low GL vegetable, therefore less disruption to blood sugar levels, therefore better concentration.
Never skip the healthy snacks. Keep your child hydrated, or they can get very sluggish. Thirst is a poor indicator, so if they are really thirsty they are already dehydrated.
Water is the best drink that could go in the lunch box. Try a twist of fresh lemon and orange to create a refreshing change. Freeze this in its plastic bottle the night before and it will be perfectly chilled by lunchtime!
So look at it this way, you will have hit the target if your child had:.
- Grated apple and chopped banana on top of their breakfast cereal
- A piece of watermelon or a few berries for mid morning snack
- Lunch of wholemeal pittas or wrap with some chicken, salmon, egg or ham in it. (Add a few cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks too.)
- Mid-afternoon a mug of soup and some oatcakes
- For dinner some green and brightly coloured vegetables with their main meal
Other ideas include:
- Puree fruits to make compotes and add to yogurt or ice-cream. Make frozen ice pops with the puree too
- Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices ( like carrot and apple)
- Instead of serving plain mashed potato, add vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips
- Make soups and sauces from pureed vegetables
- Why not do a reward chart and at the end of the school week if they have done well on getting five a day into their diet. Use a non-food reward, such as a trip to the cinema
- Some children feel quite upset if there are no treats ever allowed. So try to go for healthier choices such as plain popcorn, oat biscuits, or some pretzels
It is worth noting that for busy parents, Bia Kid, which provides healthy nutritious and convenient meals for children, is also producing a new range of soups. These have all been tried, tested and approved by the children themselves.
The soups were developed in direct response to children's dietary needs and contain no added sugar, salt, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. All Bia Kid home-cooked meals contain one or two portions of vegetables.
And because they are completely fresh, they can be found in the chilled section of all major retail outlets.
Margaret Joyce
Nutritional Therapist
Dip IINH N Th MBANT