HeAlThY FoOdS FoR ChIlDrEn

Children need regular meals and snacks to get the
energy and nutrients they need for growing and fighting
off illness. Eating family meals together will encourage
them to enjoy a variety of foods. Snacking all day in
place of meals, usually results in eating an unbalanced
diet.


Breakfast is essential every day as it gives them an
energy boost to cope with busy mornings at nursery or
school. Offer both a savoury and a sweet course at the
midday and evening meals to give two chances to eat
different foods and nutrients.


Healthy Foods
The nutrients children need are found in the four
important food groups - offer them every day:


1. Cereal Group:
Base each meal on bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, or
breakfast cereal. Include scones, buns, muffins,
crumpets and cereal bars as snacks. Use wholegrain
varieties some of the time.

2. Fruit and Vegetables:
Include fruit and vegetables five times each day. For
example fruit or fruit juice at breakfast; both a vegetable
and some fruit at lunch and tea.

3. Milk Group:
Make sure they have milk, cheese or yoghurt three
times a day e.g. milk as a drink, on breakfast cereal or
in a pudding. Cheese is popular on pizza or pasta or in
sandwiches. Lower fat varieties have just as much
calcium, protein and most of the vitamins.

4. Protein Group:
Meat, fish, eggs, nuts and pulses are needed two or
three times a day. They give lots of vitamins and plenty
of protein and iron.

Foods high in sugar and fat give extra energy but few
nutrients. e.g. biscuits, cake, ice-cream, sweets,
chocolates and savoury snacks such as crisps. They
can be offered in addition to the more nutritious foods
above, not instead of them.

Only use a little butter, margarine or oil in cooking, or on
bread. Grill, steam or bake foods rather than frying
them.

5. Healthy Drinks:
The best drinks for children are milk and water as they
do not damage teeth. Fruit juice is acidic and should be
diluted with water and drunk with meals or snacks. The
number of drinks children need varies from day to day
depending on the weather, how active children are and
what food they are eating. Offer a drink with each meal
and at least once between meals. Offer extra drinks in
hot weather and during sport and energetic activities.
Tea reduces iron absorption so only give it between
meals.