Nutritional Information
Cut the risk of future health problems in your child, offer healthy but always delicious meals, snacks and drinks together with encouraging enjoyable activities. Combined, these give your child the best possible start needed for a healthy, happy life.
What a child eats sets the foundations for long-term good health. A healthy diet in childhood can help to prevent conditions such as diabetes and heart disease in later life.
Variety
Offer your children nutritious and delicious foods with lots of variety in three daily meals plus snacks, as children need high quality in small volumes. When toddlers start exerting their independence there may be some power struggles, but do persevere.
Healthy breakfast
Start with a good breakfast eg cereal (not too sugary) with fruit, milk and fruit juice for slow release energy aiding concentration and helping prevent mood dips as well as cutting the risk of snacking on processed foods.
Drinks
Water or milk are the best between-meal drinks; they protect and build healthy teeth. Pure juice is fine with meals as it helps iron absorption. Offer full fat milk until age two and, semi skimmed milk after two if your child is eating a good mixed diet; skimmed milk should not be given to children until after age five.
Healthy eating
Encourage your child to eat five portions of vegetables and fruits a day - one per meal and two as snacks such as sliced wholemeal pitta with avocado dip, fruit, dried fruit and unsalted nuts.
Good snack options are sandwiches and rolls with lean meat, fish, nuts pastes or salad, fruit smoothies and carrot batons.
Lifestyle
Avoid foods with additives and artificial colourings. Some food additives have been linked with behavioural problems in children - talk to your GP for more advice.
Also, do find fun ways to help your child be physically fit to prevent weight problems and strengthen bones with weight bearing exercise
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