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Healthy nutrition for schoolchildren from 6 to 17 years old
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Standardization of schoolchildren's nutrition is theoretically difficult due to the fact that at this age the widest variability of constitutional properties of metabolism, stereotypes of motor activity and stereotypes of eating behavior develops. To this should be added the difficulties of organizing schoolchildren's nutrition in terms of maintaining some continuity between the school and home parts of the daily diet, as well as the need to focus on the child's own internal "attitudes" regarding nutrition.
Concentration of problems
- Peak needs and the significance of their insecurity.
- The Educational Need for a Nutrition Focus: Standards of “Food” Education in School Education as a Key Investment in Period Health
- adulthood.
- Features of eating behavior:
- impoverishment of basic meal rituals;
- increase in the number of "snacks";
- excess of sweet drinks, cookies, buns, chewing gum, chips, candies, etc.
- Special forms of eating behavior:
- focus on intensive weight loss;
- focus on “body building”;
- correction of acne vulgaris;
- psychosocial deprivation;
- anorexia nervosa;
- bulimia;
- vegetarianism.
- Teenager and pregnancy
- hormonal contraceptives with loss of micronutrients;
- nutritional support during pregnancy.
All this taken together currently leads to the fact that it is in the group of schoolchildren that the prevalence of nutritional diseases is the highest. These are hypovitaminosis, iron deficiency, calcium deficiency, general nutritional deficiency and excess, and a combination of nutritional excess with qualitative (partial) deficiency. The group with the highest risk for nutritional diseases is children from low-income families, children with limited and the highest motor activity - athletes, students of ballet schools and colleges.
Below is an approximate daily set of products and portion sizes for children and adolescents of school age (“Formation of diets for children and adolescents of school age in organized groups using food products of increased nutritional and biological value.” Temporary methodological recommendations of the city of Moscow, MosMR 2.4.5.005. 2002).
Approximate daily food set for children and adolescents of school age (g, ml, gross)
Product name |
Age |
|
6-10 years |
11-17 years old |
|
Milk |
350-400 |
350-400 |
Fermented milk products |
150-180 |
180-200 |
Cottage cheese |
50 |
60 |
Sour cream |
10 |
10 |
Rennet cheese |
10 |
12 |
Meat |
95 |
105 |
Bird |
40 |
60 |
Fish |
60 |
80 |
Sausage products |
15 |
20 |
Egg, pcs. |
1 |
1 |
Potato |
250 |
300 |
Vegetables, greens |
350 |
400 |
Fresh fruits |
200-300 |
200-300 |
The fruits are dry |
15 |
20 |
Juices |
200 |
200 |
Rye bread |
80 |
120 |
Wheat bread |
150 |
200 |
Legumes |
45 |
50 |
Pasta |
15 |
20 |
Rye flour, wheat flour |
15 |
20 |
Potato flour |
3 |
3 |
Butter |
30 |
35 |
Vegetable oil |
15 |
18 |
Confectionery |
10 |
15 |
Tea |
0.2 |
0.2 |
Cocoa |
1 |
2 |
Yeast |
1 |
2 |
Sugar |
40 |
45 |
Iodized salt |
3-4 |
5-7 |
Approximate serving sizes for school-age children (g, ml)
Dishes |
Age |
||
6 years |
7-10 years |
11-17 years old |
|
Cold appetizers (salads, vinaigrettes) |
50-65 |
50-75 |
50-100 |
Porridge, vegetable dish |
200 |
200-300 |
250-300 |
First courses |
200-250 |
250-300 |
300-400 |
Main courses (meat, fish, portioned sausages, egg dishes) |
80-100 |
100 |
100-120 |
Side dishes |
100-150 |
150-200 |
200-230 |
Drinks |
180-200 |
200 |
200 |
Bread |
30 - wheat, 20 - rye or only 40 - rye |
School breakfasts pose a special problem in organizing schoolchildren's nutrition. They should be energy-rich and rich in micronutrients to ensure a high level of mental and physical performance of the child. An example of a recommendation for building school breakfasts can be seen in the following work by English pediatricians.
School Breakfast Requirements (UK, Birmingham)
At least 30% of energy from RDI (recommended daily intake).
- » » 50% of RSA for vitamin C.
- » » 33% of the RSA in iron.
- » » 10 g fiber for 4200 kJ (1000 kcal).
- » » 38% of energy from fat.
- » » 12% energy from sugar.
School lunches contain
Nutrients, nutritional value |
For younger students |
For older students |
Energy, kJ (kcal) |
2520 (600) |
3360 (800) |
Ascorbic acid, mg |
10 |
12.5 |
Iron, mg |
3 |
4 |
Fat, g |
25.3 |
33.7 |
Sugar, g |
19.8 |
26.4 |
Cellulose fiber, g |
6.6 |
8.8 |
Systematic heavy physical loads that occur in children involved in sports require not only carbohydrate but also balanced multi-component compensation. The degree of such compensation also depends on the amount of energy expenditure and can therefore be roughly correlated with sports. Below are sets of products that provide increased energy needs.
An approximate set of products providing a total energy value of 14,700 kJ (3,500 kcal), protein content - 115-120 g, fat - 110 g, carbohydrates - 480 g (in grams of market product)
Meat and meat products |
250 |
Cottage cheese |
75 |
Dairy products (milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, etc.) |
400 |
Cheese |
30 |
Eggs |
50 |
Butter |
55 |
Vegetable oil |
15 |
Sour cream |
10 |
Cereals (all types of cereals, flour) |
80-90 |
Potato |
400 |
Vegetables |
400 |
Fruits |
200 and more |
Juices |
200 » » |
Dried fruits |
20 |
Sugar and sweets (honey, candy, waffles) |
100 |
Rye/wheat bread |
200/200 |
Approximate set of products providing a total energy value of 15,960 kJ (3800 kcal), protein content - 130 g, fat - 120 g, carbohydrates - 520 g (in grams of market product)
Meat and meat products |
300 |
Fish and fish products |
100 |
Cottage cheese |
75-100 |
Cheese |
30 |
Eggs |
50 |
Dairy products (milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, etc.) |
500 |
Butter |
60 |
Vegetable oil |
15-20 |
Sour cream |
10 |
Cereals (all types of cereals, flour) |
100 |
Potato |
400 |
Vegetables |
400 |
Fruits |
300 and more |
Juices |
200 » » |
Dried fruits |
20 |
Sugar and sweets (honey, candy, waffles) |
100 |
Rye/wheat bread |
250/300 |
An approximate set of products providing a total energy value of 18,900 kJ (4,500 kcal), protein content - 150 g, fat - 140 g, carbohydrates - 620 g (in grams of market product)
Meat and meat products |
350 |
Fish and fish products |
100-120 |
Cottage cheese |
100 |
Cheese |
30 |
Eggs |
50 |
Dairy products (milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, etc.) |
500 |
Butter |
60 |
Vegetable oil |
20-25 |
Sour cream |
15-20 |
Cereals (all types of cereals, flour) |
100 |
Potato |
400 |
Vegetables |
400 and more |
Fruits |
400 » » |
Juices |
300 » » |
Dried fruits |
30 |
Sugar and sweets (honey, candy, waffles) |
300 |
Rye/wheat bread |
250/300 |