Food and sports at school

Francisco Fuentes
Academic Nutrition and Dietetics
Universidad de Las Américas

Although the second stage of the law on labeling increases the requirements for packaged products in order to reduce 39 In fact, in Chile, there is still a high percentage of children with this disease, in a reality that, unfortunately, costs a lot to reverse.

The numbers are alarming, according to the latest information provided by the National Council of School Aid and Scholarships (Junaeb). In this document it is stated that 23% of children belonging to the first basic level of education are obese and of this group 8.1% suffer from severe obesity, being the regions of Araucanía , Aysén and Magallanes the leaders in the subject At the national level

In this scenario presented, the problem of food appears as a fundamental scenario to attack this problem at the root. In this sense, the consumption of low-fat foods, sodium and sugar, as well as the constant practice of physical activity are two fundamental factors to lose weight and improve the health of the little ones, but it's also something that should be

However, the change in habits must accompany an orderly eating pattern, especially so as not to suffer setbacks with the increase in physical activity. In this sense, it is fundamental and fundamental to eat every four hours and incorporate snacks into the daily routine, avoiding too long spaces between meals, as they adversely affect physical and academic performance. In this way, the body also gets used to these routines, which is also important for the future stages of life.

Food should be based on a proper combination of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, where breakfast is the most important meal of the day, although there are many people who do not do not even consider, or they eat what they have on hand.

In an ideal scenario, and with the time needed to prepare it, breakfast can consider the consumption of low-fat dairy products, eggs and lean meats, accompanied by bread, cereals or whole grain crackers, which engender a high satiety process

Meanwhile, allies of micronutrient snacks such as calcium and iron, key elements in the development process or some low-fat dairy products. These foods should be included especially when the person feels the need to eat something at a time when no official meal has been prepared.

For those who practice physical activity, they are suggested to choose potatoes, noodles or rice. to a lean protein and a green salad, because it helps to recover energy and to cope with the burden of exercise in good shape.

The idea is that lunch is two hours before training and portions of both carbohydrates for meats (beef, chicken, turkey or fish), do not exceed the surface of the plate, the rest must contain only vegetables.