Chapter 3 – Eat throughout the day - the performance curve

5 meals should be consumed during the day, so warm and two cold main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) as well as two intermediate meals, in the morning and afternoon. One of the main meals should be eaten warm, but it is completely no matter whether at noon or in the evening. In addition, plenty of liquid should be drunk during the day. Depending on the age, 800 ml to 1.5 liters are recommended. Regular food consumption throughout the day does not increase the blood glucose level so much, and the children have better performance and concentration. The meals complement each other and give the little one the optimal strength for the day.

Source: XC

5 meals a day - in day care and at home

Due to the increasingly prolonged periods of treatment, more and more children are eating breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack at the daycare center. Some day-care centers even have dinner. In the following, recommendations for the composition of the individual meals are compiled from a nutritional physiological perspective. In proportion, for an optimal performance curve, the energy intake of children should be divided roughly as follows:

• 25 % first breakfast
• 10 % second breakfast in the day care center or morning snack
• 30 % lunch
• 10 % afternoon snack
• 25 % dinner

Source: www.forum-ernaehrung.at

For more information on meal scheduling, see Unit 2.