What vegetables are commonly used in school catering?

Vegetables and fruit for children are one of the top priorities in the school catering chain at STAVI. Besides foods that provide protein, sugars and lipids, the fibre group is also needed. That is why choosing nutrient-rich vegetables and fruit for each of a child's meals is extremely important. Join STAVI school catering in reviewing the vegetables we commonly use when preparing meals for children!

The vegetables used in preparing STAVI school catering

For leafy vegetables, STAVI school catering gives priority to dark green varieties, because vegetables in this group are very rich in micronutrients and do not cause obesity. They also support children's digestive systems very well.

Image: Fresh, delicious vegetables in STAVI school catering

For root vegetables, the ones nutritionists recommend for children are those that are purple, red, orange, yellow and so on. The soluble fibre in these root vegetables helps stabilise blood sugar and reduce blood fats. It also helps inhibit the formation and accumulation of harmful fat in the body.

For more information on "Industrial catering", please visit: https://stavi.com.vn/en/service/Provide-industrial-catering.html

1. Katuk (sweet leaf) in school catering

Katuk is very rich in B vitamins, vitamin C, protein and beta carotene. This micronutrient is converted in the body into vitamin A, which helps keep children's eyes sharp and boosts their immunity.

Moreover, katuk is very easy to cook; we can make katuk porridge for children, simple yet delicious. We choose the young, light green or thin leaves when preparing katuk for children (stems that are dark green or thick leaves are old and have lost much of their protein).

2. Broccoli and cauliflower in school catering

Broccoli (cauliflower) is a vegetable rich in protein and amino acids that a child's body greatly needs for intellectual and physical development. In addition, broccoli also contains folic acid, an acid strongly involved in the DNA synthesis of cells and increasing the number of cells; it is also an indispensable acid for producing red blood cells and helping a child's body grow remarkably fast. The substances in broccoli are very useful for children's development.

Image: Broccoli is a vegetable very rich in nutrients

At STAVI school catering we always take care when preparing food for children to choose broccoli (broccoli contains more of the substances children need than cauliflower), and never choose broccoli with yellow florets, because by then the nutrients have been converted and degraded, and it spoils easily and contains many harmful substances.

3. Cabbage in school catering

Cabbage contains many brain-friendly fats, and omega 3 supports children's brain development. In addition, cabbage also contains vitamins A and C and iron. STAVI school catering regularly serves children boiled cabbage 1-2 times a week.

Image: Fresh, delicious cabbage in school catering

4. Carrots in school catering

Regarded as one of the foods rich in vitamin A and good for the eyes, eating plenty of carrots naturally treats night blindness, malnutrition and rickets in children, especially those with dry eyes. The chefs at STAVI school catering also easily turn carrots into dishes children find easy to eat, such as soup stewed with ribs, curry, carrot porridge with meat and potatoes, stir-fried carrots or smoothies.

Image: Carrots are a food that is very good for eyesight

5. Pumpkin in school catering

Pumpkin contains plenty of zinc, which takes part in the formation of protein and nucleic acid, substances important for the development of a child's body and for strengthening the child's immune system. At STAVI school catering we prepare pumpkin by cooking it until soft for children, mixing it into their cereal, or cooking pumpkin porridge with chicken for them.

Image: Pumpkin is a food extremely rich in vitamin A

6. Jute leaves in school catering

Jute leaves are high in calcium: 100g of jute leaves contains about 182mg of calcium. This plant-based calcium contributes very positively to forming the structure of children's bones. Not only that, jute leaves contain fibre and are mucilaginous, which helps retain water in the stool, softens it, acts as a laxative and very effectively helps reduce constipation in children.

7. Sweet potatoes in school catering

Nutritionally, sweet potatoes are regarded as a staple food that is good for diversifying the carbohydrates in the diet and supporting digestion, because they are very easy to digest and contain plenty of fibre, which aids bowel movements. STAVI gives children sweet potatoes every day or as a snack between their main meals.

Image: Sweet potatoes are delicious and also help with effective weight loss

8. Peas in school catering

Soft peas may not be a favourite choice for adults, but peas can be considered a great choice for children. These little green balls are one of the vegetables with the highest protein content, at 4 grams per serving. Preparing peas simply means steaming frozen peas and blending until smooth.

Image: Peas provide protein and other nutrients

9. Tomatoes in school catering

After a period of getting used to them, children can eat almost all tomato-based foods such as pizza and spaghetti with marinara. For now, STAVI school catering uses fresh tomatoes to prepare dishes for children. The abundant water content for hydration plus vitamins C and A add to the value of the tomato as a healthy first vegetable.

Image: Tomatoes help improve blood sugar effectively

10. Bell peppers in school catering

Bell peppers contain more vitamin C than oranges. Vitamin C is quite important, and its role is not only to strengthen the immune system; it also acts as an anti-inflammatory antioxidant.

Image: Bell peppers provide vitamin C effectively

Help boost children's health by letting them eat diced bell peppers on their own. If the flavour of the peppers gets a negative reaction from children, we combine them with cheese to make them easier for children to eat.

11. Cucumbers in school catering

Nothing is as refreshing as a crisp, cool cucumber. The cool feel of these vegetables can be especially soothing on the gums of teething children. To reduce the possible risk of choking, we peel cucumbers and cut them into small pieces as part of children's weaning diet.

Image: Cucumbers help stimulate good digestion

For children to be healthy and develop well, they need a diet that is adequate in quantity and balanced in quality. If children are not given adequate and balanced nutrients, this leads to illnesses of nutrient excess or deficiency that adversely affect their all-round physical, mental and motor development. Let STAVI school catering be a companion in your child's development!