You've probably seen the food pyramid many times; you may even have studied it in school. The food pyramid is simply a representation of how a diet should be structured to be healthy . In recent months, the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition has made some modifications. This was long overdue, as it hadn't been updated since 2001.
The need for these changes stems from our eating habits. It's also because lifestyles have changed significantly in recent years. This is due to jobs requiring less physical exertion and a generally more sedentary lifestyle. As a result, people's nutritional needs are not the same as they were a few years ago.
Changes in the food pyramid
One of the main changes implemented is based on the need for physical exercise . The old chart made no mention of this, and it was necessary to modify it. Therefore, the pyramid now includes the recommendation to engage in physical activity for at least one hour daily or to walk 10.000 steps each day.
Some references to emotional issues have also been added. Many people eat emotionally, depending on their mood, compulsively, or simply to achieve an unattainable ideal. Eating disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent. Therefore, it was essential that the pyramid outlining the steps to healthy nutrition address this topic.
One of the new additions to the food pyramid is hydration; the previous version didn't mention the recommended amount of water , which was a significant oversight. Along with other fluids, water is essential for the body to function properly.
All these changes are so important that they have been included at the base of the food pyramid , thus receiving a privileged place.
How should child nutrition be according to the new food pyramid
The foundation of good nutrition is balance ; that is, the recommendations of the food pyramid should be adopted as a healthy lifestyle habit. By adapting to this way of eating, based on the Mediterranean diet, you will be providing your children with good nutrition.
The steps are the following:
- The base of the pyramid. In addition to other fluids, children should drink at least 4 glasses of water a day. Regarding the emotional concept, for children it refers for example, that they should not eat with the company of television.
- Perform physical activityto. Children should also get at least one hour of physical activity daily. This can also help you to comply with that part of the healthy habits yourself, exercising as a family will also help strengthen the family bond.
- 5 servings of fruit and vegetables. The fruit must be present in the children's diet, both in the snack and in the mid-morning snack. At breakfast you can add it to a smoothie that includes milk, since many children are not friends with eating in the morning. Vegetables should be part of the main dishes, at lunch and at dinner.
- 2 or 3 dairy products. Children should drink whole milk, in the same way yogurts should be whole and low in sugar.
- Meat. From 1 to 3 times a week, varying the origin of the meat.
- Fish. Like meat, it should be present in the diet 1 to 3 times a week, alternating with meat and varying between different types of fish.
- Eggs and nuts. From 1 to 3 servings per week, taking into account that children under 4 years old should not eat nuts.
What foods should be reduced?
At the bottom of the pyramid are the foods that should be consumed in reduced quantities :
- Red meat and the sausages
- The sweets and the Industrial bakery, they should hardly appear in the children's diet
Regarding cereals:
The new pyramid includes them on the second level of the chart because they are important for obtaining energy. For this reason, they come with an additional recommendation: cereals should be consumed according to the level of activity . Since we are talking about children, they should be present in their daily diet.