Nursery World - A Unique Child: Nutrition

Dale Pinnock, also known as 'the medicinal chef', champions a
healthy approach to food. Katy Morton met him at a cookery demonstration
event to talk early years nutrition.

Is it better to give fruit or vegetables to children?

There is a broader array of nutrients in vegetables. Spinach has seven times more vitamin C than an orange.

Vegetables, proteins and fats are the real key building blocks of human nutrition. I recommend good-quality carbohydrates like squash, root vegetables, green vegetables and oily fish.

By reducing a child's intake of fruit they won't miss anything, but if that is the only healthy option that is available, it is better than giving them things like cereal bars.

There are mixed views on giving children dried fruit as a snack because of its sugar content...

Sugar is more damaging to health than any other aspect of our diet. If you give children fruit, I would recommend whole fruit or fresh smoothies as they have a high-fibre content that slows down the release of the natural sugar. This prevents soaring and crashing blood sugar levels.

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