Nutrition: the right foods to help your child get back in shape

Dince a few days, your little one has been wearing a papier-mâché mine. He crawls around, he is grumpy and cries easily. Rest assured, it’s normal at this time of year! If he has had a chain of illnesses this winter – tonsillitis, colds, flu and other gastric infections – his immune system has had to draw on its own resources to defend itself. vitamin and mineral reserves, in particular iron and vitamin C, two substances that destroy viruses and microbes. But by including these toning nutrients that are lacking, it will quickly be revitalized. Without forgetting to promote a balanced intestinal flora so that his immune system is more efficient. Put fermented foods like yogurt on the menu.

Indispensable iron intake

Iron deficiencyis still very common today : according to the National Health Nutrition Program (PNNS), it affects between 20 and 30% of children up to 3 yearss and, according to Prof. Patrick Tounian, head of the pediatric nutrition and gastroenterology department at Trousseau hospital, in Paris, between 10 and 20% of children between 3 and 10 years old. However, this mineral is a essential constituent of hemoglobin : a deficiency leads to poor oxygenation of the blood and, in turn, causes significant fatigue in children. If you find your little one pale and tired, see his doctor. A thorough examination and, if necessary, a blood test for dose its iron stock (ferritin) will suffice to detect anemia, for which the practitioner may prescribe a iron supplementation for about three months. But most of the time, he will especially recommend to force on foods that contain it.

According to the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES), recommended iron intake are from 7 mg from 1 to 9 yearsAnd then 8 mg from 10 to 12 years old. “From the age of 3, prepare one or two portions each day, adapted to his age and his hunger, of red meat or fish”, recommends Professor Tounian. Choose beef, duck, shrimp or scallops whose so-called “heme” iron is particularly well assimilated by the body. According to the PNNS, the recommended protein portion per day is 50 g up to 6 years, then 100 g between 10 and 12 years.

Some vegetables and legumes also contain iron, but in smaller amounts. This is the case of lentils, Chickpeas, White beans to spinach. A ground beef steak (2,83 mg / 100 g) accompanied by a plate of spinach (2 mg / 7 g) and a serving of lentils (100 mg / 1,59 g) is a meal that will cover your meals. daily needs. Another food to favor : starchy foods. Their asset? Their wealth in complex carbohydrates. The latter gradually diffuse energy in the body, which helps the child to stay in shape for longer.

We bet on vitamin C

Help your child get plenty of vitamins! Also bet on vitamin C, which promotes the absorption of iron by the body, and according to an Italian study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, brings a boost of energy. According to ANSES, a child between 4 and 6 years old needs 75 mg / day of this precious vitamin, 90 mg between 7 and 9 years et 100 mg from 10 to 12 years. His needs will be covered by offering him a portion at noon or in the evening of broccoli (37,3 mg / 100 g) or White cabbage (53,25 mg / 150 g), as well as a orange medium (59 mg vitamin / 150 g) or a Kiwi (59 mg / 100 g). In one month of this diet packed with vitamins, he will regain an Olympic form!

A week of anti-fatigue menus

(1)Traditional uses of medicinal plants in Valves- tino, J. of Ethnopharmacology, janvier 2009.