Winter has arrived, and with virtual classes, many parents wonder how to organize their children’s feeding in order to avoid colds, what to offer them and at what times, since they may seek to eat more than necessary, without respecting adequate intervals for healthy eating. To help us resolve this dilemma, Lic. Karyn Reyna, a nutritionist at our clinic, gives us some recommendations to strengthen your defenses through food prepared and eaten at home.

What fruits and vegetables should we prioritize?

Fruits to consider are: orange, tangerine, kiwi, sweet cucumber, banana, and passion fruit. With regard to vegetables, offer at least 3 colors of fresh vegetables such as: lettuce, tomato, spinach, arugula, white onion, carrot and avocado.

What kinds of drinks are the most recommended?

The best drink to accompany meals will always be natural water. However, we can also ingest natural soft drinks (not packaged) such as: lemonade, orangeade, chicha morada, carambola, apple and emollient ( warm drink) , even more after the child has consumed beans, as it favors the absorption of iron. Choose warm to hot drinks.

How to organize meal times taking into account the class hours?

Consider that the first meal is breakfast, one of the most important, and should be eaten at most 1 hour after the child has woken up. A small meal 3 hours later can be 1 fruit, carrot sticks, nuts, diced fresh cheese, Greek yogurt, or fruit salad with granola. Lunch should be a meal that everyone eats at home and always prioritizing the main dish before the soup. In the afternoon, a small meal accompanied by water. Dinner should be consumed, preferably, before 7:00 p.m.

Here is an example:

Breakfast 7:00 a.m.  Oatmeal with fruits + 3 quail eggs

Mid-morning 10:00 a.m. Rice crackers with avocado cream + lemonade

Lunch 1:00 p.m. Lentils with tenderloin in juice + passion fruit

Mid-afternoon 4:00 p.m. Greek yogurt with granola

Dinner 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. same as lunch, but in small amount

Remember, each meal should be served in a quiet environment without seeing any type of electronic device, to achieve conscious eating.

Lic. Karyn Reyna
Nutritionist at Clínica Ricardo Palma