How to compose healthy, tasty and balanced menus for children and the whole family? Here are lots of tips to get there.
- Dairy products important for calcium
Dairy products are the main source of calcium, which is necessary for a child’s growth and for the quality and strength of their bones. This bone capital is built up in childhood. Dairy products are also rich in vitamin D which allows the proper absorption and fixation of calcium in the bones. For less from 3 years, the calcium requirements are 400 to 500 mg / day and will be ensured by the consumption of follow-on milk. “But when the consumption of follow-on milk decreases, it is necessary to provide enough dairy products while ensuring the right intake of calcium, warns Émilie Fumet.
One serving of dairy product provides about 200 mg of calcium, which corresponds to an average glass of milk, plain yogurt, 20 g of hard cheese (e.g. Emmental), 50 g of typical soft cheese. Camembert (1 / 5th)… Calcium needs are 700 mg per day from 4 to 6 years old and 900 mg per day from 7-9 years old. Thus, 3 or 4 dairy products per day are recommended to cover these needs. “
- Vegetables, allies for good transit
The introduction of vegetables between the 4th and 6th month of the baby helps develop the intestinal flora thanks to their high fiber content. Another advantage of vegetables: they regulate transit and prevent constipation. They are also an important source of vitamins (C, provitamin A, B9…), minerals (calcium, magnesium…) and antioxidants. These nutrients are necessary for the proper functioning of the muscles, for the transmission of nerve and neuronal impulses, to strengthen its bones and teeth, and for the proper functioning of its immune system.
Almost all vegetables can be offered from the start of diversification, but avoid those with a strong taste or difficult to digest (peppers, salsify, leafy cabbage, etc.). At first, it’s a few spoonfuls of mashed vegetables mixed with 1 tbsp. to c. butter or oil. “The interest here is not nutritional, but to develop curiosity and taste,” explains Émilie Fumet. Its nutritional contributions are mainly ensured at this age by breastfeeding or first age milk. When the child eats two real meals, around 1 year old, the vegetables must be present for lunch and dinner. “
In video: My child refuses vegetables, Emilie Fumet, dietician, gives us the solutions to help him accept them
- Starchy foods, a source of energy
Among the starchy foods, we find cereals (rice, semolina, wheat), potatoes and pulses (chickpeas, lentils, etc.). “They provide complex carbohydrates (slow sugars) which will deliver energy continuously throughout the day. Results: we avoid bar ups and cravings and therefore snacking, ”says Émilie Fumet. They are also a good source of vegetable protein, fiber, minerals and group B vitamins.
Starchy foods are introduced between 4 and 6 months in the form of potatoes or infant cereals. After 7 months, we can offer small pasta (alphabets…), fine wheat semolina, tapioca… (15 to 20 g per day, 3 or 4 tablespoons). Pulses are recommended around 12-18 months, because they are more difficult to digest. They are offered in soup, then in mash (coral lentils which have a very mild taste mix very well). As the child grows up, starchy foods must be present at every meal according to the child’s hunger and accompanied by vegetables.
- Fruits to fill up on vitamins
Fruits (like vegetables) participate in the development of flora and transit thanks to their richness in fiber and water. As they can be eaten raw, they make it easier to provide vitamins, especially C and those of group B. They are also very rich in minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium). They are a source of simple carbohydrates, a source of energy for all intellectual and physical exercise.
First cooked and mixed, then very quickly we can give pieces of very ripe fruit. We recommend one or two servings of fruit per day. If our child shuns them a little while growing up … we offer him seasonal fruit salads, cottage cheese with a few pieces of fruit and a cracker crumbled on it for afternoon tea, fruit skewers in a chocolate fountain, a yogurt cake with pear pieces, a puff pastry or an apple pie …
What organic foods for children?
Especially fruits, the most likely to be contaminated by pesticides. Namely, apples, pears and peaches, most vegetables, dairy products, and eggs. This limits the risk of exposure to pesticides by around 80%, as well as the risk of exposure to nanoparticles, GMOs, antibiotic residues, etc. We can go further, by consuming cereals (bread, rice, etc.), AB meat and fish.
- Meats, useful for a good iron intake
Meats provide good quality protein. Which is super interesting because the children are growing and they have great needs. FYI, “Protein is the building block for the development of lean mass, blood volume, bone tissue and organs. In addition, animal proteins are better absorbed by the body, ”explains Émilie Fumet. Meat also provides iron, which boosts the immune system. And it is the main source of vitamin B12, essential for the production of red blood cells and the proper functioning of the nervous system.
We start the diversification with chicken, turkey, beef, veal and ham. They are well cooked, especially ground meat, to prevent the transmission of bacteria or parasites. Quantities ? At the beginning, each day, about 1 tsp. of mixed meat to reach 2 tbsp. coffee (10 g) around 7 months, 20 g (4 teaspoons) around 12 months, 30 g (6 teaspoons) from 2 years, 50 g around 5-6 years and 100 g around 12 years.
- Fish, rich in omega 3 for brain development
Fish contain high quality protein. In addition, they also provide the famous omega 3, essential for the development and proper functioning of the nervous system. They are also sources of minerals (phosphorus, etc.), trace elements (iodine, zinc, copper, selenium, etc.) and vitamins A, D, E.
Fish is introduced like meat and in the same proportions. It is recommended to consume, for both children and adults, fish two or three times a week, including fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc.). If the kids are a little reluctant, “we can prepare salmon-spinach lasagna, homemade breaded fish, a broccoli-cod pie, a shepherd’s pie made with fish,” advises Émilie Fumet.
- Eggs, a mine of benefits for children
Like meat and fish, eggs are rich in quality protein and are also a source of vitamins D, B9 and B12. “Today, we find eggs enriched with omega 3, that is to say produced by adding flax seeds to the diet of chickens. And it’s also better to choose organic eggs from free-range hens, ”she adds.
The egg is introduced alternately with the meat or fish, at the rate of 1/4 hard-boiled egg crushed in a mash to increase to 1/3 around 9 months and 1/2 egg at 2 years. There is no limitation in the number of eggs per week, of course, the diet should be as varied as possible. The recipes ? Flat, boiled, hard, used as a binder for a flan, a pie, a cake, the uses are numerous!