96% of children under 18 do not eat the recommended fruits and vegetables
The vegetables and fruits are one of the essential elements in the diet of every child and adult. Nutrition specialists recommend a daily intake of five pieces of fruit and vegetables in order to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. But are these precepts fulfilled, do the counsels of the country fulfill these advice?
As warned by Rey Juan Carlos University and Asozumos no. Both entities are celebrating this summer several talks under the theme "Fruit Juice, Serious" where they have put on the table the numbers of fruit consumption and vegetables in Spain. Some data that reflect that 96% of those under 18 do not comply with the recommendations of the specialists.
Squeezed juices
Both entities remember the importance of knowing how to differentiate what is a natural juice from other products that are found in the supermarkets and that present a high amount of added sugars. The origin of these drinks comes directly from the squeezed fruit, which makes these items an important source of vitamins and minerals.
For this reason juice is pointed to as a fairly recommendable to alleviate this lack of fruits in the diet of the smallest of the house. These drinks have 10% of the sugars of the fruit, with the remaining 90% being water, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
Importance of fruits and vegetables
The experts of the URJC took advantage of these courses to remember the important role of fruits, vegetables and vegetables in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. A 4% decrease in cardiovascular mortality has been observed for each additional serving of fruit and vegetables per day. In this way, consume the 3-5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day reduces the risk of stroke by 11%.
"Fruits, vegetables are a source of carbohydrates, are essential foods in our diet because of their nutritional wealth and high content of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.In fact, fruits and fruit juices are one of the main sources dietary phenolic compounds, "recalls Carmen Gómez Candela, head of the Unit of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics of the University Hospital La Paz.
Gómez Candela also recalls that "orange juice is especially rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium and folate, and in fact, WHO data indicate that a glass of fruit juice only contributes 3% of daily calories in a diet of 2,000 kcal recommended for a woman. "A good way to reintroduce fruits into the family diet.
Get them to eat vegetables
Not only juices can help improve the diets of the More smalls. Parents can also do a lot to introduce vegetables into the diet of the little ones by following these tips:
- Do not let it pass. When the child grows and knows what he likes and what is not important, do not always give him what he wants. Although sometimes reject vegetables, they must remain present in their diet and not leave them aside in favor of other meals waiting for the child to accept them later.
- A unique dish. Unless the child has an allergy to some foods, the menu should be the same for everyone. If the rest of the family eats vegetables, he can not eat steaks because he does not want this dish. The child must understand that at the table only one dish is served for everyone and that he must eat it like the rest.
- Lead by example. The child can not be asked to eat vegetables if the parents leave it aside at every meal. From a very young age, the child should see how their references eat these foods and they do it in good taste.
- No punishments. Sometimes the child with whom he or she behaves well is threatened or a meal will be exchanged for vegetables. This is a mistake because indirectly the child is being told that these dishes are a bad thing so someone with bad behavior should pass.
- Imagination in the kitchen. Eating vegetables is not synonymous with salad. These ingredients can be combined in many ways when cooking. Look for fun recipes that attract children, cook them with them and include these foods in your diet in this way.
- A carrot instead of chocolate. Instead of when the child is hungry mid-morning you will be given a snack like chips, you can give him a carrot to soothe this appetite.
Damián Montero
