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Healthy Eating for Children

The food we feed our children helps them to develop strong teeth, bones and muscles. Good diet can also help to protect children against illness.

The food we feed our children in the first few years is vitally important as this lays the foundation for future good health.

By introducing your young child to healthy food you are setting a good habit forming example that will hopefully continue throughout the rest of their lives. A healthy diet is not just about food, the social interaction of a family eating together whenever possible helps the child to associate eating with good times.

A balanced diet is one in which children eat foods that provide all the nutrients essential for growth and development. Foods are broken down into five major groups as follows-

Carbohydrates
These include bread, cereal and potatoes.
Our diet should consist of approx 50% carbohydrates.

Fruit and Vegetables
Scientific studies have shown that people who eat a large quantity of fruit and vegetables may have a lower risk of contracting illnesses such as heart disease and some cancers. The recommended quantity is 5 portions per day.

A portion is one of the following -
A medium sized piece of fruit
A small salad
100ml of fruit or vegetable juice
100g of vegetables

Protein foods
These include meat, fish, eggs, pulses, beans and nuts.
Our diet should consist of 10% to 15% of proteins.

Dairy foods
These include milk, cheese and yoghurt.
These foods are rich in calcium and add strength to our bones.
It is recommended we have 700mg of calcium per day.

700mg is one of the following-
1 pint of milk
80g of hard cheese
2 pots of yoghurt

Note that skimmed milk has the same calcium content as full fat milk.

Fats and Sugars
These include butter, whole milk, jams, sweets, chocolates and any thing made using these ingredients.
The recommended daily allowance for these types of foods is approximately 35% of our daily intake of food.

For children under the age of 5 we should include more carbohydrate and fats in their diets. These food groups produce energy which is essential to fuel the rapid growth and development taking place at this age. We should not feed our children low-fat products under the age of 2.

Children often wish to snack between meals so here are a few healthy suggestions -

Plain biscuits such as rich tea or garibaldi
A piece of fruit
Small packet of raisins
A breadstick
Cracker biscuits
Slice of toast with jam

To summarise feeding your child a healthy diet

• Try and eat together as a family to make mealtimes sociable
  
• Introduce your child to as many different tastes and flavours as possible while they are young
  
• All foods should be eaten in moderation, sugary foods are ok as an occasional treat providing your child is eating a good balance of the other food groups.
  
• Make mealtimes a pleasant time

NOTE: The health section of Parenting.co.uk is not to be used as a substitute for your GP; if your child is ill then seek the advice of a qualified doctor or other health professional without delay.

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