As the school resumes full-time, if parents do not want their children to eat the school lunch, they must prepare a loving lunch box every day! However, not every ingredient is suitable for long-term storage in rice pots. Dietitian Chen Yunlin, certified by the Hong Kong Institute of Dietitians, recommends ingredients that are suitable for serving with rice and can support the growth of children’s brains and bodies. Reference for parents!
4 ingredients to support children’s development and growth
After many dishes are put in the thermos for several hours, the taste and texture will be greatly reduced, which makes parents a big headache when choosing ingredients! The following common ingredients are relatively durable and can provide the nutrients children need for their body and brain growth.
1. Green beans
In addition to dietary fiber, beans also contain calcium. Bones grow rapidly until the teenage years, so children need calcium supplements to help them grow. In addition, calcium also helps maintain normal heartbeat, blood coagulation function, muscle and nerve function.
2. Chicken
Chicken is rich in high-quality protein, which can help promote growth and development, repair human tissue, promote metabolism, and protect bones.
3. Lean Pork
Lean pork contains zinc, which helps improve concentration and memory. At the same time, lean pork has iron, which is indispensable for children’s growth. When children grow up, the blood content in the body will also increase, so in childhood, more iron is needed. Red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen throughout the body, need iron, which is also necessary for brain development and function.
4. Brown rice
Brown rice is a whole grain, has a low glycemic index and is rich in vitamin E. The vitamin B complex in brown rice can help fully utilize glucose, assist protein metabolism, and maintain the necessary nutrients for the normal function of brain cells; at the same time, the folic acid contained in it is related to neural development and memory.
vegetables for rice
Usually, green vegetables are prone to yellowing problems, because the chlorophyll in green vegetables will be destroyed during the cooking process, resulting in a change in color. Vegetables such as yellow, orange, and red are not easy to change color due to heating, so they are ideal vegetables to serve with rice. Root vegetables have a larger surface area, which can also help slow down the process of color change due to heat, and are less likely to turn yellow.
Carrots are high in vitamin A, which can prevent night blindness and eye-related diseases. At the same time, carrots are rich in dietary fiber, which can help digestion and prevent constipation.
Tomatoes are rich in dietary fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal motility in children, prevent constipation and reduce the chance of colorectal cancer. The vitamin K, potassium, and folic acid in tomatoes can prevent blood clots and protect bones, control blood pressure and prevent heart disease, and help maintain normal cell and tissue functions.
Change your meal to mashed potatoes?
Whether it is an adult or a child, it is easy to feel drowsy after waking up early in the morning to go to work, school, or after lunch. Some parents will replace rice with mashed potatoes, hoping to improve the situation of rice gas. Nutritionist Chen Yunlin pointed out that potatoes have high nutritional value and contain carbohydrates, phosphorus, calcium, dietary fiber, vitamins, etc., and can also provide children with a sense of fullness. Parents can pay attention when calculating the serving size. A medium-sized potato can provide the calories equivalent to more than half a bowl of rice. After eating, the serving of other five grains can be relatively reduced.
Finally, nutritionist Chen Yunlin specially reminded parents that half-cooked foods such as half-boiled eggs and half-cooked meat are more likely to breed bacteria during storage, which may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, so it is not suitable as a side dish.
Krista (Krista) – Certified Dietitian (Hong Kong Institute of Dietitians)
Nutritionist of “Family Nutrition Center”, Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition, CUHK. He is good at designing healthy diets according to the living habits of Hong Kong people, and cooking healthy and delicious dishes with simple ingredients.
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