San José, Costa Rica. March, 2015.

A bad diet during the school stage may generate loss or poor absorption of nutrients, which leads to diseases due to the deficiency of nutrients, as well as affecting growth and physical development.

According to Silvia Acuña Vargas, nutritionist of the Clínica Bíblica Hospital, “during this stage, the child is growing and obtains nutrients and vitamins more easily and makes the best use of these. The recommendation is food consumption every 2 or 3 hours in order to create a habit to continue through adulthood, so it is recommended not to skip meal times."

It is necessary to make sure that snacks are nutritious, but that they are also attractive, so that one must use imagination and creativity using different types of foods, colors, textures and shapes. This way, as well, the children may get involved in preparing their snacks and so, learn the importance of healthy eating and family bonds.

Breakfast should always include all the macro-nutrients, that is: carbohydrates, proteins and fat. For lunch, you can have a mixture of starches, legumes, vegetables, green salads and one protein, everything in suitable portions.

With regard to snacks, the morning one should be made up of fruits and dairy products, especially yogurt, or some whole-grain starch. In the afternoon, one can have a starch with protein or some fruit in a juice or natural beverage, for example a ham sandwich with apple juice or cheese and crackers and orange juice.

The nutritionist mentioned the following recommendations to be careful with your school-age children´s diet:

• Keep a regular eating schedule
• Involve the children in the selection and preparation of foods
• Offer them all kinds of foods and motivate their consumption, especially fruits and vegetables
• As parents, be an example of good eating habits
• Offer suitable rations/portions for their age
• Motivate daily physical activity
• Stimulate the regular consumption of water

For further information or for requesting medical attention, please call the number 2522-1000, or write to the email citas@clinicabiblica.com or contact us via chat at the website: www.clinicabiblica.com.