Nutrients
 


Fibre

Fibre is something many of us are lacking in, which is why so many people suffer from constipation (also down to lack of fluid) and obesity – it’s the fibre-rich foods that make meals feel satisfying for a long time. Technically, fibre is needed to help keep our digestive system working efficiently, our hearts healthy, and it also helps balance blood sugar levels – fibre slows down the digestion and absorption of food, which impacts on energy levels, ability to concentrate and learn and reduces the chances of developing conditions such as diabetes.

Fibre is found in two main forms in our diets, soluble and insoluble, and we need both. Soluble fibre is found mainly in fruits and vegetables and grains such as oats. Insoluble fibre is found in the husks of grains such as wheat, spelt and rye, so wholemeal rye bread, wholemeal bagels, etc. are rich in insoluble fibre, which tends to keep the gut moving well – soluble fibres can help with the gut, but they’re more efficient at looking after the heart through their positive effects on cholesterol and other fats in the blood. To maximize the amount of fibre in your diet, it's best to keep the peel on fruits such as apples and pears and to include some wholegrain products, such as porridge for breakfast or wholemeal bread in sandwiches. We should get our fibre naturally from food rather than adding it in the form of bran or supplements (unless prescribed by your doctor) – and although some adults can tolerate a little bran sprinkled in cereals etc raw bran should not be used for children as it inhibits the absorption of essential growth minerals such as iron and calcium.

Fruits and vegetables are also classified as complex carbohydrates and they’re great for children and adults alike. I’m often asked how much fibre children should be eating - I generally think that by the time children get to the age of three they should be having about 3-4 portions of fruit and veg a day, so that they get plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre, especially plant chemicals aka phytonutrients – all of which are great for their hearts, guts and immune systems. Every cell in the body will benefit from the nutrients contained in fruits and vegetables.

A portion of fruit is roughly equivalent to:

• about 40g (a handful) of dried fruits, such as apricots, prunes, dates, figs, sultanas, raisins, peaches, pears and mangoes
• 100g (about a cupful) of small fruits like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries, cherries, lychees and kumquats
• 2 medium-sized fruits – plums, greengages, peaches, apricots, nectarines, kiwi fruits and passion fruits, for instance
• 1 orange, apple, banana, pear, grapefruit or apple
• 100g (a large slice) of melon, mango, papaya, guava or pineapple
• 100ml of freshly squeezed fruit juice

And here are some examples of what constitutes a portion of vegetables:

• 70g of tiny vegetables, such as peas and sweetcorn
• 80g (cooked weight) of root vegetables, such as carrots and turnips
• 80g (cooked weight) of pulses, such as chickpeas and baked beans
• 80g of a cooked vegetable dish, like a vegetable casserole or ratatouille
• 90g (cooked weight) of green vegetables, such as spinach and cabbage
• 100g (raw weight) or 80g (cooked weight) of vegetables such as peppers, squashes, tomatoes and onions
• a large bowl of salad vegetables
• 100ml of vegetable juice

It’s good to vary the vegetables as much as possible because some are particularly rich in certain minerals and vitamins (dark green cabbage in iron and carrots and beetroots in beta-carotene, for example) and having a variety will increase the range of health-giving nutrients the body receives. While exotic fruits like mango are great things for children to experience, there's nothing wrong with a common and garden apple, pear, orange or banana – every fruit, like every vegetable, has a place, and when you’re not sure they’ll even eat all of it, cutting a mango can be a costly exercise at this age, unless you’re sharing it too. I know it's not easy to get kids to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables, but keep persevering.

What about tinned and frozen?
Tinned, frozen, cooked and dried fruits and vegetables can surprisingly be as nutritious as fresh ones. If they’ve been heat-treated, tinned fruits and vegetables contain a little less vitamin C, but some manufacturers compensate for this by adding vitamin C to their products in supplement form. Opt for tinned fruits in natural fruit juice, not sugary syrup. Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen soon after they have been picked, which means they are just as healthy as fresh. (I find frozen berries a particularly useful standby, and defrost them as and when I need them to use in cereals, cakes, crumbles and compôtes.) Fresh, raw fruits and vegetables usually contain more vitamins and minerals than cooked ones, but they can sometimes play havoc with your digestive system( especially if you suffer from Irritable bowel syndrome IBS, or with young children when you first start giving them vegetables and fruits in which case cooked fruits, such as a little apple puree, simmered and pureed pears or baked apples or peaches, and puréed vegetables, may suit you better.

Proteins

Proteins are essential for the normal growth and development of the body. Including protein foods in the diet provides amino acids, which are the building blocks of body cells and hormones. There are a total of twenty-two amino acids, eight of which are called essential because we can’t make them in our body and must therefore get them from our food.
Proteins are divided into two groups: animal-based and plant-based. Animal proteins are sometimes referred to as primary proteins, as they contain good amounts of the eight essential amino acids, and are considered to be the most important ones for growth and for maintaining a strong immune system and healthy hair etc (but you can also be healthy being vegetarian) In our western society the animal proteins are usually chicken, seafood, fish, red meat, white meat, eggs, milk, yoghurt and cheese. Plant proteins are referred to as incomplete proteins because they don’t contain enough of the essential amino acids, so you need to eat a combination of the plant protein foods, such as nuts, seeds and grains in order that they compliment each other and you receive all you need. Soya protein is the exception to this rule and can be considered a primary protein food. Plant foods rich in proteins are pulses, legumes, lentils, tofu and other soya products, and you can get some protein from cereal grains such as quinoa and from buckwheat

Fats

We all need some fat in our diet-especially children. We need fats for brain function, to help us learn, behave, concentrate, to provide some insulation under our skin so we don’t lose too much body heat, and to produce essential hormones to ensure healthy growth and development. Some fat is also needed to ensure good absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. However, many parents and women in particular have become frightened of the fat issue, especially since low-fat products have infiltrated and dominated the supermarket shelves, and think low-fat products must be better than normal ones. Of course children shouldn't have too much fat because they could become overweight, or risk getting clogged arteries, but you should be eating enough good fat and not tucking into low-fat foods, which can sometimes be high in sugar.

It’s all about knowing which are the better fats for us to eat. The omega-3 rich fatty foods such as mackerel, sardines, herrings, salmon, fresh tuna are goodies – ideally all we should all have a couple of portions (a portion being 140g) each week. Girls and women of child bearing age should stick to two portions (because of concerns over the build-up of toxins in the body which could harm babies born to them in the future), but everyone else can have up to four portions a week. Howevere, since there are some concerns over the mercury levels in tuna, I wouldn’t go above a couple of portions of tuna a week for either boys or girls. The omega-3 oils are good for brain function, for hearts, joints, and virtually every part of the body. Don’t worry that to begin with your child isn’t probably not going to be tucking into sardines every week, but gradually try to get them to eat a little oily fish-maybe try some fish pate made with smoked mackerel and cream cheese. Actually there isn’t any reason why children won’t like oily fish from an early age-a good friend’s 8 month-old devoured roll mop herrings by the shoal!
If you are a non fish eater, you can glean omegas from oils such as hemp and flax (linseed), walnuts and their oil, and seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin (which are best ground up to aid absorption). I grind the seeds up and use them in porridge, in smoothies or sprinkled on breakfast cereal. I also like to use nut butters too, as they’re rich in monounsaturated fats, which are one of the healthiest fats for us to eat. Check out cashew nut, hazelnut, and other butters-the smooth varieties only under 5 year old, as they can choke on small pieces of nut-but once they’re over 5 I bet they like me love the chunky varieties.

Other fats – from dairy produce such as butter, cheese, cream, yoghurt, milk – are fine to be included in your diet, as they also contribute calcium, magnesium and vitamins A and D.