3. potatoes, noodles and rice
Supplements are not side dishes within a healthy diet, but are the main components of a warm meal. They consist primarily of carbohydrates in the form of starch. Potatoes are very rich in nutrients and contain vegetable protein, potassium, vitamin C. Freshly cooked potatoes in low-fat preparation are the ideal side dish.
It is best to cook them in their skins and so they retain important nutrients that would otherwise be washed away with the cooking water (such as the water-soluble vitamin C). Rice and noodles are naturally most valuable in the wholemeal variety. In order to accustom children to the taste, they can also be mixed with the conventional variant.
They are the most important suppliers of vitamins and minerals, have a high nutrient density but a low energy density. Besides vitamins and minerals, these foods also contain so-called “secondary plant substances”. These chemical compounds only occur in natural fruit and vegetables – not in food supplements such as vitamin tablets and similar products.
These very different substances (polyphenols, carotenoids, phytosterols, phytoestrogens) are also called bioactive substances and are attributed a variety of health-promoting properties. They positively influence the immune system and are said to reduce the risk of cancer. A healthy diet should include 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
The hand measure is used to determine the portions. In practice, this could mean for a 10-year-old child: a small apple, 1 small banana, 2 small tomatoes, a small zucchini and a small kohlrabi every day. The above-mentioned fruit and vegetable varieties are of course interchangeable according to taste.
Also a glass of natural fruit juice (without added sugar) best freshly pressed or a glass of vegetable juice can be considered a fruit or vegetable portion. When choosing fruit and vegetables, seasonal availability should also be taken into account. Strawberries in January are usually contaminated and also leave a lot to be desired in terms of taste.
Fruit as fresh as possible and vegetables also as raw vegetables are ideal. It does not always have to be a salad but you can also eat carrot sticks, cucumber slices, radishes with bread or as a snack. Fruit and vegetables lose nutrients during storage and preparation.
Therefore always pay attention to freshness or use frozen products. Their nutrient content corresponds largely to that of fresh products because they are frozen quickly after harvesting. Vegetables and fruit from canned goods are not very recommendable.
Their use should be the exception. Tinned fruit usually contains a lot of sugar.For vegetables, ensure low-fat preparation. It is best to cook them in a little water until they are firm to the bite and only add a little high-quality vegetable oil and fresh herbs after the cooking process.
Never cook vegetables too long and mushy. They lose nutrients and taste. Pulses such as lentils, peas and beans are very rich in nutrients and contain valuable protein, many minerals, vitamins and fiber.
Once a week pulses should be on the menu, for example as lentil or pea stew with vegetables. Children who do not like fruit and vegetables must be introduced slowly in small steps and with a lot of patience. Often a fruit salad is eaten rather than a piece of fruit from the fruit basket.
Pureed fruit or a milkshake with fresh fruit is what most children like. Yoghurt or quark dishes with fresh fruit can also be offered and in summer or as dessert a sorbet of pureed fruit. Fruit also tastes delicious as a topping for bread.
For example wholemeal bread with low-fat cream cheese and slices of banana or apple. Vegetables can be “hidden” in sauces in small grated form. For example grated carrots in tomato sauce or soup.
Onions, when cooked soft, make sauces creamy and you don’t need to bind them anymore. Vegetable pieces as raw vegetables with a dip or with bread, salad leaves and cucumber slices on rolls or bread. Radishes and tomatoes as a topping for bread.
Children often prefer to eat vegetables as raw vegetables rather than cooked. In order to achieve the 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, a glass of natural fruit or vegetable juice can also be counted as a portion.
