Learning about healthy eating for children

We’re all constantly being bombarded with different messages about ‘healthy eating’ telling us we should be eating this and avoiding that. It’s one thing to understand what we should be eating, but how do we get our children to eat these foods?

As parents we have a very important influence on our children’s eating habits. You, as a parent are in the perfect position to set a good example for your children, your decisions and attitudes are effectively your children’s decisions and attitudes. It’s now time to involve your children in choosing food, in shopping for food and in preparing what they eat. As families we’ve all got to make food an enjoyable experience and share meals with family and friends and reverse the decline in the way families experience food.

Balance

What is a healthy diet for children? A healthy diet should provide the balance of nutrients needed to grow and develop. To do this you need to ensure that your children’s diet includes:

Bread, cereals and potatoes – these starchy foods, which also include pasta and rice, provide energy, fibre, vitamins and minerals. They should form the basis of your child’s diet.

Fruit and vegetables - these provide fibre, vitamins and minerals and are a source of antioxidants. We should all aim for five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Calcium

Milk and dairy foods - these provide calcium for healthy bones and teeth, protein for growth, plus vitamins and minerals. Skimmed milk should not be given to children under five years of age, and semi-skimmed milk should not be introduced into your child's diet until they are at least two years old. Aim for three portions a day: one portion is a glass of milk, a pot of yoghurt or a matchbox size piece of cheese.

Meat, fish and alternatives -these foods, which include eggs and pulses, provide protein, vitamins and minerals, especially iron. Pulses are a great multi functional food as they also contain fibre.

Foods with large amounts of fat, sugar or salt will probably need to be limited. Unfortunately these usually include our kid’s favourite foods such as crisps, chocolates and biscuits. We just need to be realistic about them and allow them in moderation. They are fine as an occasional treat but they offer no nutritional benefits.

Encouraging healthy eating early on in your child’s life will help to ensure that good eating habits are carried through to adulthood. You’re also helping to combat the risk of so many health problems including obesity, heart disease and even cancer. Try not to reward your children with sweets and chocolates when they are good or use them as a bribe when you need them to do something.

Most people already know that they should be aiming for a minimum of five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day. But how can we get our children to increase their intake?

We have all been there - our children refusing to eat them, but you want them to eat a balanced diet. In truth you’ll just have to start small. Most children will probably react negatively to a big change in diet, so make small steps and keep your eyes on a longer term, gradual change over months.

So how can we encourage our children to eat a healthier diet? While it is always best to try to introduce new foods at an early stage so that children can get used to them, we may have to mask some different foods in the old favourites to get them started. Here are some easy tips to get you started:

Add more vegetables to your favourite dishes, e.g. add finely sliced carrots or mushrooms to Bolognese sauce, or add finely chopped red pepper to tomato sauces.

Serve slightly bigger portions of vegetables that they do like.

Mix together grated carrot and Red Leicester cheese (colours blend so not that easy to see the carrot) and use to fill sandwiches and jacket potatoes.

Make your own homemade burgers and swap chips for homemade potato wedges.

Buy lower-fat versions of crisps and avoid the large family size packets.

Add barley, beans or lentils to soups, stews and other meaty dishes and reduce the portion of meat.

Change drinks to sugar-free squashes and fizzy drinks. If your children are not keen, try pouring them into empty bottles of the standard variety when they’re not looking and see if they notice the difference.

If your children won’t eat wholemeal or granary bread, try high-fibre white bread for sandwiches and toast.

Reduce the intake of sugary cereals. If they are not keen, start by mixing them with lower sugar varieties such as a handful of each cereal.

Use whole-wheat pasta or wholemeal rice. Start by cooking half of whole-wheat/meal and half of white, and then mix together (beware of different cooking times between each type).

The author is a registered

dietitian from

www.eatatease.com