Have you ever caught yourself saying: "The child already ate at school" or "The child already ate at kindergarten"?
But the child doesn't only eat there. The child eats all day and nutrition is also all-day.
Therefore, the question of what the child should eat at home is not crucial. Much more important is the question of how the home meal complements what the child has already eaten during the day.
Guidelines as a Framework for Home Nutrition
In today's fast-paced world, parents often look for simple yet reliable ways to ensure healthy nutrition for children. The Slovenian guidelines for nutrition in educational institutions (VIZ)[1] offer an excellent framework for the home environment as well. They are based on the concept of all-day nutrition, which includes five meals: breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner. They are intended for children from 1 to 18 years of age and encourage dietary diversity, balanced energy intake, and limitation of sugar, salt, and saturated fats.
Let's look at how these professional guidelines, which apply in schools and kindergartens, can be simply transferred to the home environment and thereby support healthy eating habits of children and the entire family.
Steps to Balanced Nutrition at Home
1. Choosing Foods for Home Storage
Minimally processed foods should predominate in home storage, preferably seasonal and locally produced. Such foods generally have higher nutritional value, while also supporting a more sustainable way of eating.
Give preference to fresh foods such as:
• vegetables and fruit
• whole grains
• lean meats (chicken, turkey)
• fish (e.g., mackerel, sardines, sea bream, sea bass, salmon)
• legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
Among dairy products, choose primarily unsweetened products such as plain yogurt and cottage cheese, as well as cheeses with lower fat content (up to 26 g milk fat/100 g).
Avoid storing highly processed foods such as sweet drinks, instant products, and snacks. If they're not in home storage, we eat them much less frequently.
2. Composition of a Balanced Meal
When composing a meal, we can use the simple plate rule, as shown in the picture. We divide the plate into three parts: half should be vegetables and/or fruit, a quarter starchy foods (e.g., potatoes, rice, pasta, or bread – at least half of grain products should be whole grain), and a quarter protein foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, or legumes.
We always adjust the portion size to the person eating the meal. If we're preparing a meal for a child, we orient ourselves by the size of the child's palm or fist when estimating quantity, as portions naturally adapt to the age and needs of the individual.
We complement the meal with a small amount of quality fats, for example with olive oil, which can be the basic oil in the kitchen. Occasionally we can also supplement it with flaxseed, rapeseed, or walnut oil, which contribute omega-3 fatty acids.
The meal should be accompanied by water or unsweetened tea.
3. Number of Daily Meals
An important part of healthy children's nutrition is also the rhythm of meals throughout the day. Recommendations are based on a simple 3 + 2 model:
• 3 main meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• 2 smaller meals: morning and afternoon snack
Meals should be spaced approximately 2.5 to 4 hours apart (optimally 3 hours) and should not be combined.
An example of a daily rhythm could be: breakfast at 7:00, morning snack at 10:00, lunch at 13:00, afternoon snack at 16:00, and dinner at 19:00. We then adjust the rhythm to the kindergarten or school schedule and other daily obligations.
Regular meals help prevent constant snacking, excessive hunger, and overeating, which often occurs when we skip meals. It makes sense to maintain such a rhythm on weekends as well, as it helps children develop stable eating habits.
4. Frequency of Including Individual Foods
When planning meals, it's useful to consider the recommended frequency of including individual food groups:
• vegetables and/or fruit – included in every meal
• grains and starchy foods – included in every meal, half should be whole grain
• milk and dairy products – every day, at least 2 servings
• legumes – 1-2 times per week (e.g., beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas)
• fish – 1-2 times per week
• white meat – up to 2 times per week
• red meat – up to 2 times per week
• nuts and seeds – every day in small amounts (ground or finely chopped for younger children)
It's also recommended that the family has at least one meat-free day per week, during which we replace meat with legumes or other plant-based protein sources.
5. Food Preparation for Preserving Nutrients
The method of food preparation significantly affects the nutritional value of a meal. Recommended methods are primarily those that preserve nutrients:
• boiling (also steaming)
• braising
• baking with a small amount of oil
We generally avoid frying, but if we cannot avoid it, it should be limited to a maximum of twice per month. We also avoid overcooked or dark brown parts of food, as acrylamide can form during such preparation, a compound associated with increased cancer risk.
To improve flavor, instead of adding more salt, we can use herbs, spices, or aromatic vegetables such as garlic and onion. Salt should be iodized and used moderately.
6. Nutrition Changes with Growth
Nutritional needs of children also change with growth, so it's important to adapt nutrition to each developmental period.
Toddlers (1–3 years) - Characterized by rapid growth, so they need relatively more energy relative to body mass. Food should be soft or cut into small pieces (to reduce choking risk), dairy products should be full-fat (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese), and portions smaller but meals regular. Many toddlers reject different food textures, so persist calmly and without force.
Preschool children (3–6 years) - This is a key period for learning tastes. Children often don't accept new foods immediately – sometimes 10–15 offers are needed before they accept them. Offer without pressure and in different forms (raw, cooked, in soups or one-pot dishes).
Elementary school children (6–12 years) – energy and nutrient needs are still high, especially in physically active children. Regular meals and diverse nutrition from all food groups are important. Children can be increasingly involved in simple kitchen tasks, as this develops independence and a positive relationship with food.
Teenagers (12–18 years) – During the period of intense growth and physical development, energy and nutrient needs increase. Adequate intake of protein, iron, calcium, and quality fats is especially important. Since they are already more independent in food choices, it's important to encourage regular meals and healthy choices, as teenagers often skip meals or reach for fast food.
The home environment plays a key role in shaping children's eating habits. Although a large part of children's daily nutrition takes place in kindergartens and schools, it's the home meals that long-term shape the relationship with food, family eating culture, and a healthy lifestyle.
Reference:
- ZRSŠ, Guidelines for Nutrition in Educational Institutions. 2024: Ljubljana.