Balanced Diet For School Children

By Suparna Chakaraborthy

Saturday, February 26, 2011, 11:39

These days school going children at are much more pressure than what it was five years back. With rising demands of career and increasing competition, schools have also become a place for rat race, where everyone is fighting for the first place. One cannot help but be a part of it. School children in the bargain are loosing out on their health. Balanced diet for school children is the only way to keep them healthy ans also to enhance their power to achieve the aim.

Talking of balanced diet for school children we need to remember that their metabolism rate and digestive system is much more active than in a grown up individual. Thus, excluding fat, carbs etc is a wrong practice. They can result in fat accumulation in a person who is older and not active but for the child it will be his source of activity.

Balanced Diet For School Children -

1. Carbohydrates – Good Carbohydrates is a source of energy. It is found in bread, cereals, rice, pasta etc. All of these make the balanced diet for school children. Regular intake of these things is a must as they are good sources of energy. Daily dose of 7 oz is a must for school children.

2. Fruits – Fruits apart from being a good source of vitan C is also rich in fiber which helps the digestive system, dental health and the cleaning process of the body. It is a great source of vitamins and minerals. 2-3 cups of fruits should be eaten by children everyday.

3. Vegetables – Vegetables meet the basic requirement of a childs body i.e energy. Vegetables are low on calories, is a dietary fiber and helps to keep the body hydrated. It has excessive water content which controls the appetite of the person and also helps in promoting intestinal health. 2-3 cups of vegetables should be included in the meal.

4. Dairy – Milk and other dairy products like cheese, butter, yogurt are main source of energy, protein and calcim. It also promotes muscle health and development of the body. Protein also helps in building muscles, calcium is needed for bone strength. A childs diet should always include 2-3 servings of dairy products. After the age of five milk consumption should be loswerd down to one glass a day as research has proved that excessive milk consumption along with other food leads to kidney stone in future.

5. Poulty – Poultry which includes meat, fish, chicken etc are good sources of iron, protein, zinc, vitamins and minerals. It provides energy, cognitive developement, memory, enhanced eye sight and blood. Six oz of poultry everyday can be included in the diet of school children.

Balanced diet for school children not only demands inclution of all of these but also demands right food timings. Intake of food on time is very important for proper functioning of the body.