Nutritious Foods That Are Essential in School Catering

To maintain health, an ideal figure and a good frame of mind for studying, we need to control the number of calories children take in each day through food. How can we avoid excess calories while still supplying each child's body with all the nutrients it needs? To give children delicious, nutrient-rich meals, join STAVI in looking at the following nutritious foods that are essential in school catering!

A roundup of nutritious foods that are essential in school catering

Each day you are allowed a certain number of calories to keep your weight stable and maintain your figure. If you want to lose weight, this calorie intake must be limited even further. Dieting can easily leave you short of nutrients if you cut back on food indiscriminately. The most scientific approach is to choose the following nutritious, healthy foods that you can eat plenty of while still getting all the nutrients you need:

1. Broccoli and cauliflower

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. They are key to improving your overall health. High levels of choline can also be found in these vegetables, and this micronutrient helps keep your cells functioning properly while supporting digestive health and flushing bacteria out of your body, which means less illness. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant found in cauliflower that is very good at fending off disease.

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Image: Broccoli in school catering
2. Egg yolks

Egg yolks have been unfairly judged and stigmatized by many people because of their cholesterol content. Eggs also contain high-quality protein and healthy fats. Some studies show that they may help you lose weight.

However, research shows that dietary cholesterol is something consumers need not worry too much about. Eating a moderate amount of cholesterol does not raise levels of bad LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Image: Egg yolks in school catering

Egg yolks are therefore among the most nutritious foods on the planet. Whole eggs are so nutritious that they are sometimes called a multivitamin. Egg yolks contain vitamins, minerals and various other powerful nutrients, including choline.

Egg yolks are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that can protect the eyes and reduce the risk of eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

3. Grapefruit (pomelo)

Pink grapefruit is high in vitamin C, an essential component in fighting the common cold and other illnesses. Grapefruit contains a large amount of bioflavonoids, which show in the pink color of its segments.

Image: Grapefruit in school catering

Bioflavonoids are a type of phytonutrient that your body needs. Together with the high vitamin C content, they help strengthen the immune system.

4. Blueberries

When it comes to the nutritional value of fruit, blueberries are usually the first to be mentioned. Although they do not provide as many vitamins and minerals per calorie as vegetables, they are packed with antioxidants.

Blueberries contain powerful antioxidants, including anthocyanins and other plant compounds, some of which can cross the blood-brain barrier and exert a protective effect on the brain.

Image: Blueberries in school catering

Several studies have demonstrated the effect of blueberries on human health. One study found that blueberries may help improve memory in older adults. Other studies showed that obese men and women with metabolic syndrome had lower blood pressure and reduced markers of oxidized LDL cholesterol when they added blueberries to their diet.

This finding is consistent with studies showing that blueberries increase the antioxidant value of the blood. Many test-tube and animal studies also suggest that blueberries may help fight cancer.

5. Garlic

Many studies have shown that garlic has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Garlic helps stimulate the production of white blood cells in the human body and acts as an antioxidant. It can be eaten directly or added to dishes as a seasoning.

Image: Garlic in STAVI school catering

6. Potatoes

One large potato is high in potassium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. It is also rich in vitamin C and most of the B vitamins. Potatoes contain almost every nutrient the body needs. This food is also one of the most effective at filling the stomach.

Image: Potatoes in school catering

When researchers compared the satiety value of different foods, boiled potatoes scored higher than any other food measured. If you let potatoes cool after cooking, they can form resistant starch, a fiber-like substance with many powerful health benefits.

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7. Salmon

Although fish is a nutrient-rich food, not all fish are equal in nutritional value. Salmon, and other fatty fish, contain the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s play an important role in maintaining optimal bodily functions, thereby preventing many risks of chronic disease. Although salmon is valued mainly for its beneficial fatty acid composition, it also contains large amounts of other nutrients.

Image: Salmon in school catering

A 100 g piece of wild salmon contains about 2.8 grams of omega-3, along with plenty of high-quality animal protein and many vitamins and minerals, including large amounts of magnesium, potassium, selenium and B vitamins.

Generally, a person should eat fatty fish at least once or twice a week to get the omega-3s the body needs. Studies show that people who regularly eat fatty fish have a lower risk of heart disease, dementia, depression and many other common illnesses.

In addition, salmon tastes great and is fairly simple to prepare and cook. It also tends to make you feel full with relatively few calories. If you can, choose wild salmon over farmed. Wild fish is generally more nutritious, has a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio and is less likely to contain contaminants.

8. Mushrooms

The micronutrient selenium and antioxidants are found in abundance in mushroom caps. Mushrooms are also high in B vitamins and niacin, so they play an important role in keeping the body's immune system safe. Many studies have shown that by eating plenty of mushrooms, you build a perfect immune system to resist viruses and bacteria.

Image: Mushrooms in STAVI school catering

Above is the list of nutritious foods that are essential in children's school catering. Do not forget to add these foods to your diet at home too, for their delicious flavor, their ability to fight disease and their rich protein content that keeps you healthy!