Today, within our Special on Infant Feeding in Babies and more, it is time to continue with our selection of menus for children, this time it is a weekly menu for children from two to three years.
At this age children already eat everything, except maybe nuts. The introduction of a dried fruit always has to be in small quantity and followed by observation, since these foods constitute one of the greatest risks of allergy.
The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) recommends that they not be offered nuts up to three years of the child to avoid possible allergic reactions. For its part, the AEP notes that before the age of five children should not be given whole nuts (because of the risk of choking).
Apart from these considerations, and others such as those of do not abuse proteins In the daily diet, children's menus can accommodate almost everything, as we see in the table.
In addition, any of the main meals (or dinners in smaller quantities) can be substituted for some of the recipes we gave you for children from two to three years of age, some of which do include nuts, so we must check before these foods They don't give children allergy. Even recipes for somewhat older children would also be appropriate for this age.
A healthy menu for the whole family
At these ages children can eat what the whole family eats, but for this we will have to modify our probable unhealthy habits and take into account certain considerations.
The ideal would be cook with little oil (and that is olive) and little salt. We should use olive oil as the main fat, using as little fat as possible from animal origin. Decrease the intake of fried foods (we do not include any in this menu) and, if used, fry them in olive oil.
We must also monitor and reduce salt intake and, whenever possible, use iodized salt in small quantities to season foods.
We must also promote water consumption, of great importance in infant feeding, instead of sugary and / or fizzy drinks, with a high glycemic index. We have also reduced the consumption of refined sugars, sweets, pastries and snacks.
It is good that the bread is integral and / or rich in cereals. Breakfast or muesli cereals should not be too sugary or contain chocolate. The best thing is that they are basic or we make a mixture with several cereals, muesli type. The cookies must not be chocolate either. The best thing is that they are homemade, of the "Maria" or "Digestive" type, rich in fiber and low in fat.
Nutritional needs and foods included in the children's menu
If we summarize the quantities, the Daily nutritional needs of children between two and three years old They are:
Calories ... 1,300-1,400 Kcal / day
Proteins… 30-40 grs / day
Carbohydrates ... 130-180 grs / day
Fat ... 45-55 grs / day
This weekly menu includes the intake of two eggs a week, a serving and a half of legumes (the average, of the cooked chickpeas or a salad ...), another of pasta and another of rice, as well as meat or fish daily . We have the meat five times a week, and we include chicken, turkey, veal and pork (it can also be rabbit), without fatty parts.
Fish It is taken three times a week, alternating blue fish and white fish (sole, hake, whiting, rooster, fresh cod ...).
Regarding blue fish, remember that before three years should avoid large ones, so we will not include in the meals the emperor, tuna, pike or shark. On the other hand, they can be anchovy, mackerel, sardine or salmon.
Both meat and fish we should not think of large portions but in minimum quantities, less than 100 grams, to get an idea, calculating the approximate size of half a hamburger (or one if it is thin) or the size of three hake sticks (amount of fish that would be equivalent to a portion of hake loin in the size that usually sold), etc.
In what refers to rice with seafood, this can incorporate prawns, prawns (they will not eat the head), sepia, squid, clams, monkfish ...
We include five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, usually one at each meal, although the amounts are not the same as for an adult. Therefore, if, for example, a child eats an apple or a large pear for a snack or dessert, two rations could be considered and another piece removed from the menu of the day.
Regarding milk, a daily milk consumption of 500 milliliters per day, so we include a minimum of two dairy products on the menu, at breakfast and snack or dinner. The glass of milk (about 200 ml.) Can be replaced by a yogurt (naturally unsweetened), and other dairy products other than yogurt provide the necessary calcium throughout the day, such as fresh cheese.
Other drinks included in the menu are natural juices, and exclude sweetened juices and soft drinks. Oranges are the most used fruits to make juices at home, and if we opt for packaged juices, remember that the healthiest are those of 100% squeezed fruit, which are usually sold orange, pineapple and pomegranate. Avoid nectars and other varieties of worse quality.
The sandwiches or toast for lunch or snack are small, equivalent to a slice of bread (but better to make it with a loaf of bread, without salt).
The daily order in which these foods are offered can obviously vary, as long as we keep the amounts, that the breakfast is complete and balanced and does not overdo it, as it could interfere in the good rest of the children.
The food consumption of the child will be increasingly influenced by family habits and the people around him, so we will have to take care of this point and eat in a healthy way, as well as ensuring healthy menus in school canteens. Eating with your family whenever you can will make us share other good times with the children.
In short, this weekly menu for children from two to three years It is designed for you to enjoy with your children a healthy meal, although each family adapts it to their customs and needs.
