The concept of “optimized mixed food”
Surely all parents ask themselves the question of how to feed their child healthy. The concept of optimized mixed food was developed by the Research Institute for Child Nutrition Dortmund (FKE) so that a healthy and balanced diet for children can be realized with simple means. How exactly the concept of the optimized mixed diet looks like and what you should pay attention to when feeding your child, you will learn in this article.
What is the concept of Optimized Mixed Food?
In order for your child to develop well physically and mentally, a healthy diet is the be-all and end-all. However, it is not always easy to put the good intentions into action, as there are many different factors to consider. The concept of optimized mixed food, which was developed by the Research Institute for Child Nutrition in Dortmund (FKE) and is constantly compared with current research results, can be of great help to you here.
Aim of the concept of optimized mixed food
The concept of the optimized mixed diet is primarily about enabling parents to provide their child with all vital nutrients in a simple way. This is intended to ensure the problem-free and healthy development of the child and at the same time prevent civilization diseases in adulthood, such as diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular diseases. So it’s not about a short-term diet, but about a permanent change in diet. The basis for this is the right mix and combination of everyday foods and thus the daily realization of varied and wholesome food. Above all, it is important that all nutrients are in a balanced relationship to each other.
The two basic building blocks of the optimized mixed diet
The concept of an optimized mixed diet is based on two basic ideas. One of them, as in many other nutritional concepts, is the classification of different food groups into recommendation categories. Based on this information, you can orient yourself which foods should make up which proportion of your child’s daily food. The other component is recommendations on how many meals your child should eat a day and how you can design them.
Food groups in the concept of optimized mixed food
The food groups are clearly represented by the traffic light colors green (plentiful), yellow (moderate) and red (economical). The green category includes plant-based foods and beverages, the yellow animal foods, such as meat and dairy products, and the red category includes foods with a high fat or sugar content.
In order to draw up the guidelines for the optimised mixed diet, the FHE not only took into account the respective nutritional value of the individual foods, but also the average daily energy requirements of children of different age groups. In the following table you will find guidelines for how much of a certain food group your child should consume depending on age:
You can find out more about the individual food categories in the article “The three rules of an optimized mixed diet”.
Regulated meals in the concept of optimized mixed food
Unlike other dietary recommendations, however, the concept of optimized mixed food is not limited to the classification of different food groups, but also givesrecommendations on the number and design of the individual daily meals.
In principle, the FKE recommends five meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack each in the morning and in the afternoon. One of the main courses, at best lunch or dinner, should be a hot meal.
In addition, the optimized mixed diet also recommends a quantitative distribution of the individual foods throughout the day. For example, the main component of breakfast should bemilk or a dairy product, while lunch should consist mainly of cereal products andvegetables.
If these non-binding recommendations for daily nutrition are followed, it can be ensured that your child is permanently and sufficiently supplied with all necessary nutrients, thus optimizing his diet. The name of the concept, optimized mixed diet, thus results from the combination of the two basic ideas, which at the same time represents the special feature compared to other nutritional models.
Implementing the concept of optimized mixed food in everyday life
During the development of the concept, special emphasis was placed on the fact that it is also suitable for practice, i.e. for use in the everyday life of a normal family. Since the optimized mixed diet is neither diet nor combining, the recommendations apply to all age groups. The meals of older and younger children, as well as parents, should differ only in quantity.
In addition, no special foods are necessary to implement the recommendations. On the contrary, the concept can be implemented by very simple means. A sufficient supply of fresh and healthy foods and minor changes in previous eating habits, such as switching from white flour to whole grains, are usually sufficient to achieve a healthier diet.
In order for the change in diet to be successful, the children must of course also go along. For this reason, the eating habits and preferences of children, such as the consumption of sweets or fast food, were taken into account when compiling daily meals. Thus, the concept is also realistically feasible for the sometimes picky children’s palate.
It is also important that the individual rules, or better, recommendations of the concept do not have to be followed pedanticly. They represent basic guidelines that sometimes allow exceptions. A strict rule is therefore out of place. Rather, deviations are sometimes necessary in order to be able to respond to personal preferences or special situations of the individual family members and to make the change in diet a success in the long term.
The optimized mixed diet goes beyond the actual food
In addition to the right selection and consumption of food, other factors play an important role in the concept of optimized mixed food.
Sufficient exercise: Exercise is an integral part of the concept of optimized mixed food. This not only consumes energy and boosts the metabolism, but also fundamentally increases the quality of life and well-being.
Eating together: The children, but above all the parents, should see themeal as a shared experience. If only the children are cooked, but the parents are not very enthusiastic about it, the child will certainly soon lose the desire for it. As a parent, you should also act as a role model when it comes to eating habits and experience eating together with your child. In this way, healthy nutrition can be introduced without any coercion or pressure.
Creating awareness: It goes without saying that a meal should also include its preparation. Involve your child in cooking and shopping so they can develop an awareness of what’s healthy and what’s not. Even the family meal itself should always be consciously perceived, so that your child understands that eating is a nice experience.
You can find much more information about the concept of optimized mixed food and healthy child nutrition in our “Special Child Nutrition”.