Healthy Habits

The first few years of your child’s life are important as this is when they form their general eating habits.

We look at the government’s guide to healthy eating for children and break it down into easy to digest (see what we did there) chunks. Children need a varied and balanced diet and should eat from all food groups to ensure they get a wide range of nutrients to help them stay healthy. During a typical day, or even week, your child should eat a range of food from the different food groups as illustrated in the Eatwell Guide Plate below.

This plate applies to all ages but then portion sizes will vary. There is little guidance on portion size for children, the rule of thumb is they can always ask for more so start with a small amount of each food type and then add more if necessary.

Carbohydrates (yellow) Potatoes – any which way, boiled, mashed, baked, wedges – for chips choose oven-baked rather than deep-fried Bread – not just white but a variety of wholemeal, granary, tortillas and pitta breads Pasta, noodles and rice – again not just white but brown and wholewheat Cereal – these should be wholegrain rather than high in sugar cereals targeted at children Fruit and vegetables (green) This should be a wide range of colours – let them eat the rainbow Aim for 5 portions a day This can include fresh, frozen, canned or dried Fruit juices and smoothies only count as one portion no matter how many different fruit and vegetables are in there and this should be limited to 150ml at a meal time per day Proteins (pink) Beans, pulses and lentils are all great sources of protein, vitamins and minerals and can be added to a wide range of meals Fish – ideally 2 portions a week, one of which to be oily fish like salmon, sardines or mackerel Eggs are quick to cook and very versatile Meat it high in protein, vitamin B12 and iron Limit the amount of processed meat like sausages, bacon, chicken nuggets and reformed meat, although popular with children, they do contain high salt and fat Dairy and alternatives (blue) Milk, dairy foods and alternatives are a good source of calcium, vitamins A and D, protein and fat and are essential for build strong bones, nerve and muscle function If your child is under two then give them full-fat milk, after that it is advised to switch to semi-skimmed If your child has alternative milk, then opt for the unsweetened varieties with added calcium Oils and spreads (purple) These should be kept to a minimum and choose unsaturated oils where possible Drink plenty of fluid Water and milk are the best options, as sweet drinks can damage teeth so if they are drunk then this should only be at meal times Snacks Ideally choose snacks from the above food groups and keeps snacks high in sugar and salt to a minimum and if they are eaten then it is bet to eat at the end of a meal as this is less damaging to teeth.

Sources: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/healthy-eating-childre.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-eatwell-guide/

The first few years of your child’s life are important as this is when they form their general eating habits.