After learning about the Montessori method, we need to know why the Montessori approach to food is unique. To day, in “5 Reasons Why The Montessori Approach To Food Is Unique” post we will master the concept of why food is important for young minds. Food plays the most important role in the mental, physical, and emotional health of our children.
The First Reason is:
Food is important for life. and good health. Food has nutrients. Let’s research together and learn about the food nutrients.
What are Nutrients and Micronutrients
6 Groups of Nutrients and Their Functions
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Fats and oils
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water


- Carbohydrates: They provide primary energy source for our body. Their chemical structure is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Fruits, vegetables, seeds and grains are the best source of carbohydrates.
- Proteins: Proteins’ function is to support tissue growth and maintenance. Amino acids are molecules which connect to make proteins. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen form amino acids. Meat, dairy items, nuts, and legumes are best sources of protein.
- Fats and oils: This nutrient is one of the main sources of energy. Chemically, they are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The Best food sources for fats and oils are vegetable oils, butter, and dairy products.
- Vitamins: Vitamins help with availability of macronutrients needed to building and maintaining our bones, muscles, and blood. They also support our vision and immune system. The Best sources of vitamins in our food are fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, chicken and meat.
- Minerals: Minerals organize amount of fluid and energy production in our body. They also help and maintain quality of our blood and bones. During the process of metabolism our body gets rid of harmful by=products with the help of minerals. Some examples of minerals are sodium, potassium, calcium, and iron. The Best sources are fresh fruits, vegetables, daily products, chicken and beef and mutton.
- Water: Water is so simple but it plays the most important role in order to work all our body functions successfully. They keep fluids balance, help in nerve impulses regulation and muscles’ health. Water is chemically composed of hydrogen and oxygen. The Best sources of water are fresh and clean water, soups, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
The Second Reason is Amount of Food:
How Much of Each Nutrient Do Our Kids Need?
Foods nutrients – 6 groups. Yes, right! We need all 6 nutrients in our food to stay healthy. But how much of each nutrient do our kids need? It’s always important to take just enough quantity of each food nutrient. Normally, a person who eats a healthy balanced diet that includes lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, complex carbohydrates, and water will get the nutrients he needs. For the more clarity, I found an awesome article about how much of each food nutrient do we need ?
According a scientific research, the daily amount of carbohydrates our kids need is 45% to 65% of daily food. Daily estimated fats they require is 20% to 30% and the amount of protein their bodies need is 10% to 35%. Estimated energy requirement is not same for each person on daily basis. We must know about the age and the daily estimated energy needed. It will help us to maintain our kids health and body weight.
NIH website explains dietary guidelines.
It’s not just how much of each nutrient our kids should eat it’s also important how much of food they should eat. What portion of any food is the best amount to keep their body well, is also important. We can easily find out the daily estimated energy requirement. Knowing the amount of calories helps us to maintain healthy body weight. What they eat on daily basis, should also provide recommended nutrients to keep them healthy and well.
Mostly, we can find serving size for any food in order to understand the amount of calories or foods nutrients but portion of any food vary depending upon the person or the place where food is served. The portion of food can be small at home but it would be bigger at the restaurants. If we know how to manage our portions then there is nothing wrong to eat and enjoy food outside sometimes with our kids. For example, we can eat just small appetizers. We can also share our main entree with our friends and family. Another way is to eat half of the food. Our kids can eat kids’ meals. We can easily mange amount of calories by decreasing the amount of food.
The Third Reason Is That Food and Health are Connected
The food we eat goes into our body and changes into uniform dense liquid. It gathers again after it breaks down in our brain cells, bones, organs and muscles. Food is also main source of the energy our body needs. We are healthy if we have energy and our body organs, bones, muscles and tissues are working well. Our food is good for our health if it has all the important nutrients.
Vitamins and minerals are essential to keep us healthy did you know that they help us grow help us to see keep our organs bones muscles and skin healthy as well as help us to fight diseases vitamins and minerals can be found in all types of fresh fruits and vegetables
Calcium is an incredibly important mineral. It is stored in our teeth and bones and keeps them strong and prevents cracks and breaks you can find calcium in dairy products such as milk yogurt and cheese as well as leafy green vegetables nuts and seeds fiber is a substance that helps us with the organs inside our stomach this means it helps us to remove the waste from our bodies and stay healthy. It can be found in foods such as brown rice whole grain breads, cereals, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Water is essential for helping your body digest and use the nutrients found in food.
Having a balanced diet and making sure that our bodies receive all the nutrients is really important.
Our kids need to have energy to stay healthy and continue growing however sometimes we give foto our kids that are tasty but aren’t healthy. So we need to know: What kind of food they should eat and why it is important.
Fourth Reason Is That Only Sound Body Has Sound Mind
This is a famous Latin phrase. A sound mind can only be in a sound body. it means in order to have a healthy mind we need to keep our body healthy. Healthy body needs health food. We have discussed above how we can find healthy food and what is healthy food.
Fifth Reason Why Montessori Approach To Food is Unique
Montessori Approach is about creating and following routines for everything. As we have learned about healthy food, now we need to know when can we feed our kids. Making schedules and setting eating times is a skill we can learn. It means we are able to keep track of when and how much food our children can eat.
After you follow all these suggestions you will see the real importance of Montessori approach to food.
What type of Kids Thrive In A Montessori Environment
Our kids will thrive in the Montessori environment when they are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy.
One bonus suggestion is to involve our kids in the process. Making them part of the decision gives them ownership sense. We can talk more about this subject and learn more.
Thank you so much for reading!
Please share your comments and questions.