A few days ago we were talking about the decalogue of infant feeding of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, and an interesting question arose in the comments that we now address in depth. Specifically, it is about the recommendation to take five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
Is it really so difficult to reach those five daily rations? This is assured by many families (and statistics confirm that we do not arrive), but today we are going to propose some ideas to easily reach that amount, without weighing.
The first thing to keep in mind is that we talk about portions, not pieces. It is not that a one-year-old baby eats a whole apple, or a four-year-old child a melon. On the other hand, we are not worth a grape, a cherry tomato or a cherry as a ration.
The portions must be adapted to the child's age, taking into account that their diet must be varied and include all food groups. That is, if at the time of eating the small child eats a cucumber and an apple, or drinks a natural juice of 33 centiliters for breakfast, little space will be left for cereals, meat or fish ...
A baby who has already started supplementary feeding will take smaller portions, but should take them. Remember that eating habits that have been acquired since childhood They will continue throughout life.
If a two-year-old is not used to eating fruit and vegetables, it will be more complicated to start doing so. And let's not say if we talk about somewhat older children ... I always remember a Super Nanny program in which there was a child who only ate cooked ham and bread of certain brands. How long had the little one been eating just that?
Servings distributed in the five daily meals
Yes the child makes the five daily meals (as also recommended in the Decalogue of food) it is not complicated to introduce fruit and vegetables every day. We usually distribute the portions in three fruits and two vegetables.
Remember that homemade natural juices can be equivalent to one of the rations, although they should not do so frequently, since they have less fiber content. Then, one of these homemade juices (without added sugar) made at the time can be one of the portions at breakfast or snack time ...
Of course, we will try not to introduce five oranges or half a melon in a single juice, because we will be making more than one ration and take away space to other necessary foods.
We only need two servings of fruit, which can be dessert at lunch and dinner. If we do not make juice, the three fruits have to be distributed in three of the meals: breakfast, lunch, lunch, snack or dinner.
As for the two servings of vegetables that we lack, there are many possible combinations: cucumber, carrot or tomatoes for lunch or snack, accompanying or as part of the sandwich (vegetables are very healthy snaks), salad accompanying lunch or dinner, cream of vegetables or steamed vegetables as garnish at lunch or dinner ...
Whenever possible we will take raw vegetables, but these foods, cooked, also constitute an important accompaniment to many dishes such as rice, pasta, legumes ... to which peas, potatoes, green beans, carrots, zucchini ...
In a meal that includes vegetable rice, salad and fruit as a dessert, almost (rice vegetables probably do not reach a full ration) we have covered three of the daily rations, in one sitting.
Variety of fruits and vegetables, more fun for children
But let's not just think of "simple" pieces of fruits and vegetables. One of the keys so that they are not heavy (we) eat this type of food is the variety. We do not always have time for "flourishes", but it is not so complicated either look for variety in our day to day. If I imagine the five servings of fruit and vegetables as two pears, a banana, a cucumber and a tomato (and so several days), anyone wants to take away ...
There are many types of fruits, and next to the variety of fruit (remember that the seasonal ones are the richest and are usually cheaper) we have to look variety of presentations. Juice, as we have seen, is an option.
So would be the homemade smoothies, the Macedonians, the fruit in the salad, the fruit sliced at home to add to the yogurt, the fun presentations on the plate forming curious drawings, or on fruit skewers, the fruit cut with shapes ...
Also in the case of vegetables we have to look for the variety and from the simple sticks of cucumber or carrot to the skewers of grilled or grilled vegetables, vegetarian burgers ... there are multiple options so that the vegetables are not boring.
Raw when possible, in salads (with surprising mixtures), on skewers, with shapes ... or cooked (steamed is the best option to preserve their properties), you have to put imagination and that vegetables and vegetables are varied.
You will tell me if these “tricks” work for you, at home we always try to reach the five portions, although I recognize that there are days when we stay in four. But if I have improved my way of eating after having been a mother, it is in this, because before it would rarely reach the three portions ...
In short, it is a matter of quantity, but also of variety and a little imagination. It is not difficult to reach five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, the health of our children (and ours) will thank us.
Photos | Flickr - Bruce Tuten and amboo who? on Flickr On Babies and more | Most frequent errors in infant feeding, Decalogue of fruits and vegetables, Five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, do we arrive?
