Good foods for children’s meals in winter

Roots to brave the cold

Among the winter vegetables, there are many roots: potatoes, turnips, carrots, leeks, beets… All these foods packed with glucose, which give them the energy they need to respond to the cold. Serve them as an accompaniment, but also in the form of soups or veloutés.

Green vegetables to stay strong.

Spinach, cabbage and broccoli are green vegetables particularly suited to the harsh winter conditions. The former provide your child with vitamin A and iron. The second is an excellent source of vitamin C and magnesium. Finally, broccoli, also packed with vitamin C, is a powerful immune booster. Put it on the menu as often as possible.

Colorful fruits, full of vitality

To fill up on vitamins and minerals, give him fruits at will. The more colorful they are, the more good things they contain. Starting with vitamins C and B9 (folic acid), which help the body defend itself against infections and loss of form. To be preferred: citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, grapefruits) and kiwis (except in cases of allergy).

Animal proteins to build antibodies

Essential for the formation of antibodies, animal proteins (eggs, meat, fish) help fight infections. Between 0 and 36 months, your children should consume 15 g / day and between 4 and 10 years, 20 to 30 g. Give it at least once a day, favoring those richest in iron (beef, offal, liver, black pudding) in cold weather.

Always attack with dried vegetables

Pulses (lentils, peas, broad beans and beans) are the primary sources of vegetable protein. You can bet on them to give your child a boost: they promote the production of serotonin, the arousal hormone!

Baby’s skin thanks to fatty acids

The winning formula to strengthen immunity: reduce the intake of hydrogenated fat (margarines, fried foods) and favor essential fatty acids, which help the skin to protect itself against the aggressions of winter. These ‘good fats’ are found in certain fish (salmon, herring, tuna) and in vegetable oils from the omega 3 family (nuts, rapeseed, soybeans?).

Slow sugars anti-pumping

In the face of frost, prefer slow sugars, which are complex sugars, to simple sugar, which weakens the immune response. Contained in grains and starches, they provide protection and energy, plus all the benefits of the fibers that accompany them.

Yoghurts and lactic acid bacteria for its intestinal flora

When taking antibiotics, yogurt, a food made from fermented milk, is the ideal food to restore your child’s intestinal flora. Lactic acid bacteria in capsules or liquids are also effective and convenient to consume.

Chocolate against the blues

To chase away the winter blues, there’s nothing like having fun. So let it fall for chocolate (especially dark) a little more often than in summer. Rich in iron and magnesium, it will restore fishing to the most raplapla of toddlers.

Whole foods for nutrients

For maximum performance of your child’s immune system, nothing beats a menu of foods that are as minimally processed as possible: they are richer in nutrients. So prefer a fruit to a concentrated juice, whole seeds to the oils that are extracted from them and products made from whole flour rather than enriched.

Onion and garlic: two natural antibiotics

They help us fight infections by stimulating the immune system. For a small child, they will be easier and more pleasant to eat cooked than raw, cooked in a dish.

Liver and sardines for vitamin

Tuna and sardines (and more generally all fatty sea fish), as well as liver and egg yolk, are excellent sources of vitamin D, or the anti-rickety vitamin. This is precious to compensate for the lack of sun.

From the lawyer against the disaster

Avocado contains monounsaturated fats known to lower cholesterol. It also provides fiber, vitamins B, C and E and potassium. Vitamin B, known to reduce nervous attacks, is a powerful ally in the face of winter blues.

Milk to resist colds and flu

Before bedtime, give them a drink or bottle of warm, sweet milk. Cow’s milk variant: almond milk, tasty and rich in vitamin E, which increases resistance to infections such as colds and flu. Don’t forget to brush your teeth.

Oysters are good for the common cold.

The zinc concentration is highest in seafood, and in particular in oysters. Zinc is a trace element that stimulates the multiplication of white blood cells and reduces the ability of viruses to reproduce. Zinc is also found in red meat, wheat germ or whole grains.