One in three children is overweight by the time they graduate from elementary school.
Most Ukrainian schoolchildren spend more than six hours a day at school and, thus, consume more than half of the daily caloric intake during the educational process. Therefore, school meals are designed to model and form the life skills of a healthy diet for children and adolescents.
Today, the number of overweight and obese children and adolescents is a nationwide problem. Sad to say, one in three children has a weight problem by the time they graduate from elementary school.
This was reported by nutritionist Elena Plahotniuc.
«This is primarily caused by the consumption of large amounts of simple carbohydrates, namely: sugar and white flour products. Therefore, reducing the amount of sugar and bread can be seen as a step aimed at solving or preventing obesity», says the doctor.
Being overweight or obese at a young age increases the risk of obesity and related diseases in adulthood .
In addition, children are being diagnosed with diseases that were previously considered adults, including hypertension and high cholesterol.
According to Elena Plahotniuc, increasing the amount of fruits and, in general, nutrient-rich plant products will expand the diet of schoolchildren .
What should be in the first place in the daily diet of children
First of all, the child should eat low-calorie foods with enough fiber, which help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.
Fiber actively stimulates the intestines and cleanses the body.
Maximum content  ;soluble fiber, which slows down the movement of food in the body and promotes healing of the intestinal mucosa, and also removes toxins, is contained in the pulp of products. There is a lot of it in citrus fruits, vegetables (broccoli, pumpkin), berries and legumes.
insoluble fiber is also important.When it enters the body, it swells like a sponge and absorbs all harmful substances. It helps to reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Also, regular consumption of insoluble fiber is an excellent prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It is found in vegetables, fruit peels, dried fruits and berries.
What about milk? Is it really useful?
«With regard to milk and dairy products as sources of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A and D, school meals can help children fill these nutritional niches. But here another problem arises: what kind of dairy products should be preferred? In my opinion, it should be sour-milk products of medium fat content. Whole milk, unfortunately, is not recommended for many students, given the problems of intolerance, weak immunity and allergic reactions», the doctor says.
As for meat, the specialist recommends that students increase their consumption of poultry meat, because it associated with a reduction in the development of overweight, obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
In addition, white meat is considered neutral in terms of the risk of cancer. Poultry meat consumption is suitable for those who need calories and protein.
However, if we talk specifically about school meals, such positive changes can only be achieved when supplying organic or free-range poultry meat to establishments, which, to unfortunately, little is controlled at the state level, says the nutritionist.