Schoolchildren Nutrition - Everything about Healthy Nutrition

The basic principles of the organization of rational nutrition retain their relevance for people of all ages. Let's call them again:

1. Adequate energy value of the diet, corresponding to the energy consumption of the child.
2. The balance of the diet for all interchangeable and irreplaceable nutritional factors.
3. The maximum variety of the diet, which is the main condition for ensuring its balance.
4. The optimal diet.
5. Adequate technological and culinary processing of products and dishes, ensuring their high taste qualities and preservation of the original nutritional value.
6. Taking into account the individual characteristics of children.
7. Ensuring food safety, including compliance with all sanitary requirements for the state of the food processing unit, food supplied, their transportation, storage, preparation and distribution of food.

However, catering teenagers, schoolchildren of 10-17 years old has its own characteristics, which consist in taking into account all the changes that occur in the children's body at this age. During this period, special attention should be paid to the following points:

• There is an intensive growth of the whole organism, comparable to the rate of human development in the first year of life.
• All major systems develop: the musculoskeletal (especially the skeleton), there is an increase in muscle mass (taking into account sexual characteristics), cardiovascular and nervous systems, and there is also a radical hormonal restructuring of the body associated with puberty of a teenager.
• Against the background of all physical adjustment, the stress on the psycho-emotional sphere is increasing.
• Not only the school load increases, but also the tension caused by the social adaptation of the teenager.

Proper organization of nutrition of schoolchildren can help in solving very many problems that arise in adolescence. Now it is especially important to provide the body with all the resources, not only for growth and development, but also for increasing loads at school and puberty.

It was during these years - in fact, starting from 10 years old - the child becomes an adult. And this applies to his physical development, and psycho-emotional, and intellectual. The child develops new rules for adulthood. He learns responsibility and independence, learns to build his relations with people in a new way.

It is also important that it is during this period of growing up that the child learns to independently follow the diet, eat rationally, regardless of adult supervision. Firstly, to help your body in difficult work now, and secondly, to develop a habit that will be useful in independent living. After all, our health depends on how we eat.

In drawing up the ration for schoolchildren of 10–17 years old, changes in physiological needs for nutrients and energy are taken into account depending on the age and sex of the child.

Average daily norms of physiological needs for nutrients and energy for children and adolescents of school age

Mineral substances mg

Vitamins

The approximate weight of the daily diet (net) of adolescents 14-17 years old is about 2.5 kg.

Based on these data, it is possible to form the average daily set of products required for schoolchildren.

The diet of the student is directly related to the schedule of his day. Most of the time teenagers spend at school. In this regard, the alternation of mental loads and rest periods should be taken into account. During a period of significant mental stress, nutrition must be fractional and easily digestible. A dense part of the diet, a hearty lunch, supplying proteins and fats and requiring long digestion should be postponed for a period of more or less long rest.

Typical dietary regimes for schoolchildren when training in the first and second shifts.

First shift

• 7.30 - 8.00 Breakfast at home
• 10.00 - 11.00 Hot breakfast at school
• 12.00 - 13.00 Lunch at home or at school
• 19.00 - 19.30 Dinner at home

Second shift

• 8.00 - 8.30 Breakfast at home
• 12.30 - 13.00 Lunch at home (before going to school)
• 16.00 - 16.30 Hot meals at school
• 19.30 - 20.00 Dinner at home

When catering in schools, the basic biomedical requirements should be kept in mind:

1. School ration should consist of breakfast and lunch and provide 25% and 35% daily needs  accordingly, and according to the content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral salts and microelements, breakfast and lunch in total should provide 55-60% of the recommended daily physiological requirements.
2. Rations should be distributed according to their energy value, protein content, fat, etc. depending on age.
3. Dietary compliance is necessary - breakfast before going to school, second lunch at school (10-11 hours), necessary to fill up energy costs and food supplies, intensively spent in the learning process; lunch (at home or at school) and dinner (no later than 2 hours before bedtime).
4. School meals should be sparing as a cooking method (limiting fried foods), and in its chemical composition (restriction of synthetic food additives, salt, spices, etc.).

Unfortunately, it is not necessary to wait for the fulfillment of all requirements by the modern school. In addition, it is not at all possible to take into account the individual characteristics of each teenager. Therefore, children and their parents should do a lot in this direction themselves.

Breakfast at home

Often children do not have a good breakfast before school or refuse to eat at all. This can badly affect their health. On the other hand, in this difficult age it is impossible to solve the problem by force, and it is not worth it. How does a child get the nutrition that he just needs?

Adults should observe the taste preferences of the teenager and try to offer the student for breakfast something useful and tasty. Explain to him why it is so important to eat before school.

Food for breakfast should not be "heavy", supersaturated fats. It could be a fish boiled egg  or scrambled eggs, chops, cottage cheese, porridge. And certainly - some vegetables. You can supplement the menu with tea, cocoa with milk or juice.

Breakfast with you

With a school you can give a sandwich with boiled meat or cheese. You can offer the child to take yogurt, bagels, pies, buns. If possible, you can make cheesecakes and casseroles for your child. Autumn is especially good apples, pears, cucumber or carrots. A schoolboy can take juice, fruit juice or tea with a thoroughly washed flask or bottle.

It is very important to bear in mind that some products can deteriorate quickly at room temperature. Meat products deteriorate especially quickly. Stale cooked sausage only hurts the stomach. Especially this topic is relevant for the cold season, when the schools include heating, and products deteriorate faster.

Hot lunch

"School sandwich" can not replace full lunch. Therefore, it is important to explain to the child, especially if he stays after the lessons on the “extension”, which is very important and useful to eat the “hot”. If the child is in class until an hour or two, and then goes home, adults should make sure that there is a full meal waiting for him.

Home packaging

Of great importance is how the school breakfast is packed, and in what conditions the child will eat it. You can use plastic sudochki or food wrap. In sudochkah food will not lose its primary form, does not stain textbooks. But breakfast, packaged in film, in terms of food hygiene is safer and more convenient. After all, it is no secret that schoolchildren do not always wash their hands before eating. In this package, you can bite a sandwich and not touch it, holding only the film. True, this does not mean that the child does not need to worry about clean hands. Parents should tell the student about the importance of personal hygiene for their health.

Diet

Many adolescents in connection with the restructuring of the whole organism often have problems with metabolism and, as a result, problems with excess weight and skin condition. Sometimes these troubles seem to adults to be insignificant, but for the teenager they are very painful. It is important not to leave the child alone with these problems, especially since many of them are corrected with the help of a properly chosen diet.

In this case, in no case can not form this diet on their own, without the help of a nutritionist. Because in any case, the child should receive all the necessary substances and trace elements. Any fasting, fasting days, diets with a strict calorie restriction, heavy even for an adult organism are categorically excluded.

All of these problems are usually temporary and are eliminated due to a balanced diet, day regimen and exercise. However, if the violations are more serious, then treatment issues should be resolved by specialists.

The child goes to the first class - for his body is the stress caused by the change of lifestyle. A new regime, a serious load - in such moments it is necessary to support a first-grader not only morally, but also financially, in particular, with well-chosen nutrition. Today we will tell you how to provide the student with enough nutrients so that he can successfully engage.

Principles of nutrition for schoolchildren in grades 1–4

The main rule - the caloric content of food should correspond to the level of load. The recommended ratio between proteins and carbohydrates is 1: 4. The amount of fat should correspond to the amount of protein consumed. Often parents do not pay enough attention to school meals. If before entering the school it was partially compensated by the diet in a preschool educational institution, now almost everything depends only on the parents.

Frequent nutritional errors in primary school children:

• Acute shortage of fruits with vegetables - many children get only half the norm, because of the lack of vitamins and carbohydrates, the kids are not able to cope with the load successfully, their intellectual ability is reduced, they cannot concentrate.
• The decrease in the share of dairy products - as a result, children lose less important for them calcium.
• Most adults pay attention to the fact that the diet of the child every day was meat, while forgetting about such an important product, like fish. It contains phosphorus, which is important for the productive activity of the brain.
• Parents release the kids to school without breakfast, hoping that they will be fed during one of the breaks. The first two lessons the child sits in the classroom, focusing on the painful feeling of hunger - he is not up to the new letters, and certainly he doesn’t understand what the teacher says.
• Parents buy a lot of sweets, which increases the likelihood of obesity.
• Fast food is another scourge of our time, contributing to metabolic disorders and the development of gastritis.
• Three meals a day is a disaster! In primary classes, optimal 4–5 meals a day.

Kids are in the unenviable position. If we, adults, periodically take a coffee break, kids have no such opportunity. For this reason, it is so important to pay attention to the nutrition of the child, to ensure that he is full of strength and energy and can fully concentrate on the lessons.

What do primary school students need

It is very important to ensure sufficient flow proteins. They contribute to the full development of muscle tissue and internal organs, improving immunity. Proteins are needed for the formation of vital enzymes and hormones.

Calcium  - participates in the formation of the skeletal system. It is present in milk, cottage cheese and lactic acid products. For the full absorption of Ca, it is necessary to ensure adequate intake of B vitamins.

Amino Acids  - contained in protein products, important for the full formation of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, are involved in the construction of muscle cells. Without them, physical development is inhibited, the child's reaction worsens. They enter the body from meat and fish dishes, cottage cheese and eggs, as well as some other products.

Fat. Their source - fatty foods, they are also formed as a result of the conversion of carbohydrates and proteins. Needed for the full formation of the central nervous system, increase the absorption of vitamins.

Carbohydrates  - It is the main source of energy of strategic importance. Children should get them from fruits and carbohydrates, but not from sweets or chocolate. Main sources:

• potatoes, the minimum amount is 200 g;
• vegetables - up to 300 g daily, mostly in the form of salads, some part - along with the first and second courses;
• fruits are fresh or in the form of juices, they contain potassium, the efficiency of the activity of the heart muscle depends on it, and they also provide vitamins.

Important!  Fresh fruit contains fiber, which affects intestinal motility. With their regular use, the likelihood of constipation is minimal. Problems can be caused by an increased amount of carbohydrates in the child’s diet - this is fraught with constipation, they often transform into fats, which, over time, contributes to the obesity of the student.

Diet

It is important that the baby eats every day at the same time. Binding meals should be on the schedule of the student. Make sure he has breakfast just before going to class. In 2-3 hours - second breakfast, already in the school cafeteria. Lunch - about 3-4 hours after returning home. After another couple of hours - an easy afternoon snack. At about 18–19 pm - dinner with family.

On average, the intervals between main meals should be 4 hours. In the intervals between meals, you can offer your child an apple or, for example, a mandarin as a snack. The main thing is to avoid sandwiches, constant “runs” to the fridge or sweets. Schedule option:

• Breakfast - from 07:30 to 07:45. Focus on the beginning of classes and the amount of time it takes to get to school. Do not allow the child to eat in a hurry, it is better to wake him up sooner than to allow him to swallow food without chewing.
• The second breakfast - it usually takes place at school, approximately in the period from 11:00 to 12:00.
• Lunch - 14: 00–14: 30. Do not rush to feed the child immediately after school, if he is not hungry, let him come to his senses after school.
• A mid-morning snack - 16: 30–17: 00.
• Dinner - 18: 30–19: 00.

Try to have the whole family gather at the common table at least once a day. During dinner, followed by tea drinking, family members can chat with each other in a relaxed atmosphere. Schedule may vary if your child goes to 2 shifts. In this case, it is necessary to feed him lunch before class, and give him snack in one of the changes. Dinner is at home. Indiscriminate nutrition - the main cause of violations of the digestive system. Chronic gastritis, earned in childhood, will annoy the child for a lifetime.

At the age of 6–10 years old, children can eat almost all dishes, with the exception of excessively fatty and spicy foods, but this does not mean that they should serve the same things that adults eat. So, it is better not to accustom the child to smoked meat or dried fish, fast food remains prohibited. It is advisable to offer him tasty and healthy food. So, it is preferable to stew, and not fried, meatballs - steam (although not all children love them), vegetables - stewed or boiled.

Other tips:

• Lunch is leading in terms of food volume - up to 40% of the daily ration, dinner - about a quarter, both breakfasts in aggregate - within 20–25%. Consider that before leaving the house, it is more convenient for many children to eat something light, such as an omelette or casserole, milk porridge or cereals, steamed with milk, drink - hot, for example, cocoa or tea.
• On the day of primary school students need about 2400 kcal.
• The daily intake of protein at the age of 7–10 years is 80 g, carbohydrates - 325 g.
• Lunch should be complex, as in adults: snack, soup or borsch, garnish with meat or fish dish, dessert - in its quality you can offer fruit pudding, jelly, fresh fruit or dried fruit compote.
• The optimal dinner time is no later than 2 hours before bedtime.

Remember, the physical and intellectual development of the baby depends on proper and balanced nutrition. Try to plan your diet in such a way that every day the child gets all the necessary substances, and the dishes are constantly alternated - then he will not lose his appetite. Every day, students need: milk, meat, a couple of times a week - fish, cereals, bread and fruit with vegetables. Periodically give the child juices - fruit and vegetable.

Prohibited:

• Carbonated drinks - including mineral water, it is better to give the usual, without gas.
• Rusks, salted nuts, chips and other delicacies, which are irritating to the mucosa of the esophagus and stomach.
• All kinds of dishes fast food  - noodles, soups and other. Semi-finished products - junk food, which is designed for adults and in any case not for use at home, when there is available normal food.
• Sausage products - it can be offered only occasionally and only if you are confident in its quality. Often under the "doctor's" masked soybean, mixed with waste meat production.
• Fatty meats are mostly pork. Prefer chicken, turkey, rabbit and veal.

We hope that our advice will help you to create a weekly menu for your child, taking into account his taste preferences. Try to compromise, never force your child to eat dishes that you like, but your daughter or son absolutely will not accept them.

The question of the proper diet of school-age children worries all parents who care about the health of their offspring. Pocket money issued for "minor expenses" is most often spent on harmful goodies, which means you need not only to pick up the menu in the school canteen, but also to create a diet in which all the needs of the growing organism are fully satisfied.

The diet of the student should be adequate energy consumption of the child. Modern school programs are very rich and require considerable effort and a great waste of time not only at school, but also at home. The sea of ​​information (more often, unfortunately, unnecessary) that falls on the heads of children literally from everywhere, creates a greater burden on the nervous system. Our children are atomic, their physical and sexual development goes an order of magnitude faster. Add to this the incredible mental burdens associated with social adaptation, and the enraged hormones - and get a pretty sad picture. How to preserve the health of the child, to help him cope with all the loads?

Remember the ancient expression - "You are what you eat"? Strangely enough it does not sound, but the nutrition of schoolchildren plays a very important role. Proper nutrition of schoolchildren is the key to their health, academic performance and normal development. According to nutritionists, a child who attends school should eat at least 4 times a day, and breakfasts, lunches and dinners must include hot meals. Schoolchildren spend half a day outside the house, and some - and all day, staying in the extended school. Our task is to feed the baby with the right breakfast and dinner and to bring with us not only delicious, but also useful “tormozek”.

When making a diet for a student, keep in mind the balance of important nutrients and vitamins. But first, let's remember what these substances are for and where they are.

Vitamin A  - ensures the normal state of the mucous membranes and skin, improves the body resistance, is responsible for the normal state of vision. Vitamin A is found in fish and seafood, liver, apricots, carrots.

Vitamin B1  - improves digestion, strengthens the nervous system and memory. This vitamin is found in vegetables, rice, poultry meat.

Vitamin B2  - strengthens nails and hair and positively affects the condition of the nerves. Vitamin B2 is found in eggs, milk, broccoli.

Vitamin B6  - is responsible for the normal functioning of the liver, improves blood formation, and has a beneficial effect on the function of the nervous system. This vitamin is found in egg yolk, brewer's yeast, legumes and whole grains.

Vitamin B12  - stimulates growth, promotes blood formation, improves the condition of the central and peripheral nervous system. Contained in meat, cheese, seafood.

Vitamin PP  - regulates cholesterol levels and improves blood circulation. Vitamin PP is found in fish, meat, nuts, vegetables, whole-grain bread.

Pantothenic acid - has a beneficial effect on the function of the nervous system and the motor function of the intestine. Contained in egg yolk, meat, beans, cauliflower.

Folic acid  - necessary for growth and normal blood formation. This is a "green" vitamin, a lot of folic acid in spinach, green peas, savoy cabbage, etc.

  Biotin  - is responsible for the condition of the skin, nails and hair, regulates blood sugar levels. Biotin is found in egg yolk, brown rice, soybeans, and tomatoes.

Vitamin C  - useful for the immune system, connective tissue and bones, accelerates wound healing. There is a lot of vitamin C in wild rose, sea buckthorn, sweet pepper, black currant, lemon.

Vitamin D  - strengthens teeth and bones. Vitamin D is found in the liver, caviar, eggs, and milk.

Vitamin E  - fights against the damaging effects of free radicals, affects the function of the endocrine and gonads, slows down aging. Contained in nuts and vegetable oils.

Vitamin K  - is responsible for the normal blood clotting. This vitamin is found in spinach, zucchini, lettuce and white cabbage.

The well-known trio of basic nutrients - proteins, fats, carbohydrates - is contained in all types of products in different proportions, but the quality of these substances directly depends on the type and quality of the product.

Squirrels  - It is a building material for the cells of the body. For a growing body, proteins are particularly important, so you should consciously approach this issue. Most parents are piously convinced that meat is the best supplier of protein in the body, and children are intensively stuffed with meatballs, fried chicken legs and dumplings. But, according to nutritionists, children are best served with fish, eggs and dairy products - it is their proteins that are best absorbed. Do not forget about vegetable proteins - they are contained in legumes. Beans, beans, chickpeas, mash, soybeans (not the ones in the sausage, but real soybeans) - all this variety should appear on the table at least 2-3 times a week. And meat, so beloved by many - only a couple of times, and then cooked, stewed or baked, and certainly not fried. Separately, you need to say about sausage, sausages and wieners. In baby food, these "delicacies" should not appear at all! Together with the beneficial protein, your child will receive a lot of completely unhealthy ingredients like coloring agents, flavors, identical natural, preservatives and other “joys”. Do not buy into names like “Children's Sausage” or “Children's Sausages”, except for the name, they do not differ from the usual ones (and sometimes they are even worse!). If your family loves sandwiches, make homemade sausage or a simplified version of it.

Fat  are the main supplier of energy in our body, provide absorption of fat-soluble vitamins in the intestine, are involved in many vital processes of the body cells, and fat reserves in the body are necessary to maintain and absorb internal organs and to insulate. So without fat anywhere. Even if your child is obese, this is not a reason to put him on a low-fat diet. All types of fat are useful and necessary in their own way. Give preference vegetable oils  (preferably unrefined) and don't forget about butterOnly choose quality, without various additives. A sufficient amount of fat is found in cream, sour cream, soft cheeses, pork, turkey meat and duck. But at the same time, do not forget about the norm!

Carbohydrates  are an integral component of cells and tissues of all living organisms. They serve as a source of energy, and also act as reserve nutrients. Carbohydrates are fast and slow. Fast (or simple) carbohydrates are quickly absorbed by the body and just as quickly spent. Fast carbohydrates are divided into monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose) and disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose). Simple carbohydrates are found in sweet fruits, vegetables, berries, dairy products, beer. Slow (or complex) carbohydrates (starch, glycogen, fiber, insulin, pectin) slowly release sugar into the blood than maintain a constant level of energy and help maintain a sense of saturation longer. Slow carbohydrates are found in potatoes, grains and legumes, yeast, seafood, fruits. Despite the fact that excessive intake of fast carbohydrates can lead to obesity and diabetes, quite you can not refuse them. Only instead of sweet buns and sweets, buy fruits, berries, honey and dried fruits for children, it is much more useful. As for slow carbohydrates, then they need to pay special attention, preparing the baby breakfast and dinner. Breakfast consisting of cereal or muesli with yogurt or juice is the best option. More about proper breakfast  and a balanced diet in general, you can read in the section Healthy Food on our site.

Be sure to take into account the child's need for calories. Children of 7-11 years old should receive about 2300 kcal per day, 11-14 years - 2500 kcal, 14-18 years - up to 3000 kcal. If your child attends the sports section, you need to increase the caloric content of food by about 300 kcal, just as you need to increase the caloric content, if the child attends a specialized school with in-depth study of a particular subject.

The school meal depends on the time of study. For children involved in the first shift, the following mode will be optimal:

1 breakfast - 7-00 - 7-30
  2 breakfast - 10-30 - 11-00
  Lunch - 14-00 - 15-00
  Dinner - 19-00 - 20-00

For children studying in the second shift:

Breakfast - 8-00
  Lunch - 12-30
  Safe, 15-00
  Dinner - 20-00 - 20-30

The intervals between meals should not exceed 4-5 hours, as in this case provides better digestion and assimilation of food.

Pay attention to how the school meals are organized in the school itself. The menu should not be dishes like pasta in a naval manner with minced meat, scrambled eggs, cold soups, dairy products with the addition of flavors. In the school canteen, the requirements of SanPiN 2.5.2409-08 strictly prohibit the sale of pastries with cream, caramel, chips, popcorn, chewing gum, canned food, raw smoked meat products, sausages, mushrooms and dishes made from them, pies and pancakes with cottage cheese and minced meat, sauces, deep-fried dishes, dairy products and ice cream based on vegetable fats, apricot kernels and peanuts, by-products (except for liver, heart and tongue) and sugary carbonated drinks. If the school has violations of these rules, you should contact the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection.

At home, try to inculcate in your child a food culture and a desire to use healthy foods. When cooking for a family, remember that not all dishes are equally good for both adults and children. Do not feed the children with not fully roasted meat with blood (as, indeed, fried), sushi and raw eggs. The exceptions are quail eggs, they are not infected with salmonellosis, just do not forget to wash the shell before breaking it. Try to limit the use of products with artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and stabilizers as much as possible. Of course, it is difficult to keep the child from the temptation to eat something tasty and harmful, but you need to try to keep the amount of all this nasty stuff to a minimum.

The basic principles of healthy eating are the same for the whole family. Prepare salads from fresh vegetables with greens more often, let the children get charged with vitamins. Teach your child to use a blender and give him the opportunity to cook healthy smoothies from fresh juices, fruits or berries with greens or wheat sprouts on his own. Prefer steaming - it is fast, convenient and much more useful than, say, cooking or frying. To garnish, try to cook non-traditional pasta or fried potatoes, but vegetable dishes, steamed, steamed or baked in the oven. In ordinary pancakes for breakfast, add sliced ​​apples, grated carrots or cabbage, chopped as small as possible - it is tasty and healthy. In the dough for home baking  generously add bran - fiber is vital for absolutely everyone, and even children who spend half a day at their desks, especially. Bran can be added to cottage cheese casserole. Do not forget about legumes, as a source of vegetable protein. Besides pea soupYou can make a lot of legumes. delicious dishesjust have to want it. Bean cutlets, chickpea falafel, Indian dhal, rice pilaf and masha - on our website you can find almost any recipe!

Proper nutrition of schoolchildren provides the body of children with all the resources not only for growth and development, but also for increasing loads at school and puberty. And your contribution as parents is especially important.

  Eat varied and correct and be healthy!

Larisa Shuftaykina

"And who will go to the mind

on the stomach to sing hungry! "

(IA Krylov “Dragonfly and the Ant”)

Mastering school programs requires high mental activity from children. A small person who joins in knowledge not only performs hard work, but at the same time he grows, develops, and for all this he must receive adequate nutrition.

A modern schoolchild should eat at least four times a day, and for breakfast, lunch and dinner there should certainly be a hot meal.

Milk, cottage cheese, cheese and dairy products - sources of calcium and protein. Calcium and phosphorus deficiency will also help to fill fish dishes. As a garnish, it is better not to use potatoes or pasta, but stewed or boiled vegetables (cabbage, beets, onions, carrots, legumes, garlic and cabbage). During the day, students should drink at least two liters of liquid, but not soda, and fruit or vegetable juices. Nutrition student should be balanced. The schoolchildren’s menu must include products containing not only proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but also essential amino acids, vitamins, some fatty acids, minerals and trace elements. These components are not independently synthesized in the body, but are necessary for the full development of the child's body. The ratio between proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be 1: 1: 4.

Once the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates gave mankind advice:

"There is to live, not live, to eat."

No one has yet challenged Socrates, but few follow his credo.

After all, food is a delight: after a good meal, the brain produces endorphins - special substances that bring a sense of peace and enhance mood. On guard of health, so that the pursuit of endorphins does not harm, there is a diet. Diet should be followed by all: both adults and children. This is especially important for a growing children's body.

Every child should receive hot meals. Reasonable mode provides a well-coordinated, without interruptions and overloads, the work of the gastrointestinal tract, good digestion of food and the normal course of metabolism, and as a result of excellent well-being. A growing body needs four meals a day.

Dear parents! Be attentive to the health of your children.

"School food is a guarantee of the health of the younger generation."

Hot meals for children while in school is one of the important conditions for maintaining their health and ability to learn effectively. Good organization of school meals leads to an improvement in the indicators of the level of public health, especially children, given that they spend most of their time at school. Therefore, nutrition is one of the important factors determining the health of the younger generation. A full and balanced diet contributes to the prevention of diseases, increasing efficiency and academic performance, physical and mental development of children and adolescents, creates conditions for their adaptation to modern life. Rational nutrition of students is one of the conditions for creating a health-saving environment in a general education institution, reducing the negative effects and consequences of the functioning of the educational system.

Insufficient intake of nutrients in childhood affects the indicators of physical development, morbidity, progress, contributes to the manifestation of metabolic disorders and chronic pathology. The Law of the Russian Federation “On Education” retains the obligation of an educational institution to organize meals for students, to provide room for children's meals, to provide for a break of sufficient duration. The school is a vital environment, using which you can influence the process of proper nutrition and form the right skills and stereotypes for students on this issue.

At school there are effective opportunities for carrying out work on health protection and healthy nutrition. It is the school age that is the period when the child’s main development takes place and a way of life is formed, including the type of food. Organized by school meals  governed by sanitary rules and regulations, and therefore largely satisfies the principles of good nutrition. Many students have little understanding of nutrition  as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The main problems of schoolchildren nutrition are related to eating out of school, abuse of chips, fast food, crackers, candy, chocolate bars, etc. This is usually due to lack of awareness and / or parental connivance.

Healthy (rational) nutrition is one of the main components of a healthy lifestyle, one of the main factors prolonging the period of active life of the body.

Currently, there is a significant change in the attitudes of people

first of all, the socially active segments of the population, to their own health: the old ideas that health is worth nothing disappear, the cost of it does not give any return and can be neglected.

It is becoming increasingly clear that it is health that is the most valuable property of a person, since it determines his working capacity in modern society and, accordingly, the standard of living and well-being.

The nutrition of a modern person is becoming a major risk factor for the development of many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system and oncological processes.

In the human body there is no organ or system, on the nature of the diet which would not depend on its normal functioning and performance.

Proper nutrition plays a huge role at every stage of development of the body. The physiological meaning of nutrition: the greater the choice of nutritious and vitamin dishes, the more complete the provision of the body with essential nutrients. Despite the fact that the issue of “nutrition” applies to each person several times a day and has a systematic impact on the state of health, this topic has not yet received adequate attention. The school program and the educational standard of secondary education do not mention the principles of healthy eating. The topic of “catering” is not taught in pedagogical educational institutions.

Promoting healthy eating is important not only to attract parental funds for food, but also because the eating habits that a person acquired in childhood are preserved by a person until old age. These habits are formed in the family and the system of organized baby food. Directly affecting family life is almost impossible, so school canteen is the main place where a growing person learns how to eat healthy.

Providing students with high-grade hot meals is directly related to the preservation of public health. According to the definition of the World Health Organization, “Health is not only the absence of diseases and physical defects, but a state of complete physical, spiritual and social well-being”. Children, especially of school age, turned out to be one of the most vulnerable groups of the population amid the ongoing socio-economic transformations in the country.

For students attending an after-school group, 2 meals a day should be organized: breakfast and lunch, and in some cases lunch and afternoon tea. Children who attend an after-school group should receive at least 50 percent of the daily diet at school. To cover the increased daily energy expenditure, it is necessary that the diet for children of primary school age contain 2200-2700 kcal per day.

Schooling causes a lot of difficulties in the nutrition of children. Often in the morning they eat little and reluctantly, hardly able to persuade the child to drink at least

a glass of milk. Often it is necessary to make efforts so that he can eat calmly, without haste. A child who has no appetite because of tiredness after school will need rest before lunch.

Long-term interruptions in food intake are completely unacceptable. For example,

if a student has a break between lunch and dinner for 6-7 hours, then in a few weeks he will start to get dizzy, lethargy, weakness will appear, it will become harder for him to learn. In addition, after a long break, the child, very hungry and eagerly lashing out on food, chews it badly. A large amount of food swallowed hastily, is poorly digested and will not be helpful. There may be severe pain in the abdomen, nausea and even vomiting, and subsequently diseases of the digestive system.

It should, however, be remembered that even organized food  at school it will not give a good result if the family does not pay attention to the child’s food.