BASIC NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION

Guidebook for educators and families

Health Education (HE) helps individuals or groups of people learn habits that encourage the promotion, maintenance or restoration of health, understood as physical, mental and social well-being.

HE includes many aspects: food and nutrition, accident prevention, personal hygiene, prevention of communicable diseases, psychosocial integration, prevention of addictions such as smoking or drugs, health and the environment, etc.

A very important chapter of HE is proper nutrition: it’s what we call healthy eating. This is the purpose of this book: to teach people, especially children, adolescents and young adults, to eat properly, to eat healthy.

It is a very important subject that has undergone variations in its integration into the educational curriculum. However, both the school and the family are the most appropriate settings to educate children, adults and adolescents.

The main purpose of this book is to improve the information, knowledge, capacity and skills of teachers in this area and offer them the necessary tools to train the young generations in health education.

It also helps to plan healthy menus in the school canteen, something that is sometimes a problem for schools.

The book is written in a question and answer format, with the accuracy of present scientific recommendations on nutrition, but using easy language.

Gloria CABEZUELO has a PhD in Medicine from the University of Valencia and specialist in Pediatrics. She works currently a Pediatrician at the La Fe University Hospital in Valencia and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Valencia.

Pedro FRONTERA has a PhD in Medicine from the University of Valencia. He has been Head of the Pediatric Service at the La Fe University Hospital in Valencia, Vice President of the Valencia Society of Pediatrics and Professor at the Faculties of Psychology and Medicine at the University of Valencia.

They have both written numerous books and articles on children’s health and disease prevention.

I. QUESTIONS ABOUT FOOD AND NUTRIENTS

30 questions clearly and briefly developed

II. HEALTHY EATING QUESTIONS

15 questions clearly and briefly developed

III. ISSUES ABOUT NUTRITIONAL NEEDS AND MENUS

8 questions clearly and briefly developed

IV. GUIDE FOR FAMILIES

Food, nutrients and healthy eating

APPENDIX: Food Composition Tables