3. Fats:

Fats must represent 30-35 % of the caloric value of the diet. It is important to take the lipid profile into account, i.e., the type of fats that we eat. Thus:

- Saturated fatty acids should not represent more than 7 % of the energy intake (animal fats, butter, margarine and some vegetable oils such as palm oil and coconut oil are a significant source of this type of fatty acids).

- - Monounsaturated fatty acids should account for 13-18 %, and polyunsaturates should represent less than 10 % (these latter two are fundamentally found in olive oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil and corn oil).

- - Among the polyunsaturates, linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid and should represent 2-6 % of the daily energy intake (one source of this fatty acid are oils made from seeds such as sunflower and soybean seeds).

The Nutritional Pyramid

In order to achieve everything that has been mentioned beforehand, it is necessary to observe a balanced diet that includes all the food categories in their appropriate proportions, as is indicated in the nutritional pyramid.

In addition, food intake must be distributed into at least four meals, with 25 % of the daily energy intake necessary at breakfast, 30 % at lunch, 10-15 % during the afternoon snack and the remaining 30 % at supper. A fifth meal at mid-morning accounting for 15 % may be included, diminishing food intake during supper.

Of course, this diet should be accompanied by regular exercise in order to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Vitamin Needs

During this stage of life, the intake of all the vitamins is necessary, although some are more critical than others due to their involvement in the process of growth and development. This is the case of the vitamins enumerated below.

Vitamin A: essential for vision, growth, cell differentiation and proliferation, reproduction and the integrity of the immunological system.
Foods rich in this vitamin: liver, foie-gras, patés and carrots.

Vitamin B6: its function is important in the metabolism of proteins and amino-acids.
Foods rich in this vitamin: soybean, sardines, salmon, lentils, white beans, chickpeas, walnuts, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts and peanuts, which contain between 1 and 0.60 mg / 100g of edible portion.