What children eat now has a big impact on their health, their fitness and – importantly – what they will be eating in years to come.

Children need to eat a balanced diet to grow properly, keep healthy and fight off illnesses. Eating a balanced diet means they will have plenty of energy, feel bright and alert, concentrate better at school and suffer fewer illnesses.

In a nutshell, here’s how to get your children to eat well:

1. Teach by example - children are more likely to do as you do, not what you say. If they see you enjoying healthy meals and staying active, they are more likely to do the same.

2. Keep to the 80/ 20 rule – if children eat a balanced diet around 80% of the time, then they are free to enjoy other foods they want the other 20% of the time.

3. Be consistent – decide on your ground rules (what is and isn’t allowed) and stick to them.

4. Be persistent – children’s tastes change and they will eventually learn to like what they are given.

5. Involve them – include your children with menu planning, shopping and cooking as early as possible.

6. Share mealtimes as often as possible and feed your children the same food as you eat yourself.

7. Make children feel valued – they will then be more likely to make healthier food and activity choices

8. Don’t ban any food – it will only increase your child’s desire for it –nor use food as a reward.

9. Make meals as attractive, varied and imaginative as you can.

10. Keep treat foods as treats and bring them into the house only on occasions when they are to be eaten.

11. Each day children should aim to have 5 portions of fruit and vegetables; 4 – 6 portions of cereals and potatoes, 2 portions of protein-rich foods, 2 portions of calcium-rich foods and 1 portions of healthy fats.

12. Keep an eye on how much salt your child is having – limit to 3g (under 7s) – 5 g (under 11 s) daily.

13. Limit foods and drinks containing sugar to 40 – 50 g daily - they can contribute to tooth decay and obesity and displace other nutrients in the diet. Also drinks with sweetener such as Aspartame which are very bad for health.

14. Water, Organic Milk or diluted fruit juice (non-concentrate & without sweeteners) are the ‘safest’ drinks for teeth

Let them eat fruit and raw vegetables as snacks. 

* Fresh fruit e.g. apple slices, Satsuma's, Clementine's, grapes, strawberries and all other fruits, especially citrus fruits which are alkalizing to the body.
* Wholemeal toast with Marmite
* Grilled tomatoes on wholemeal toast
* Organic Yoghurt
* Organic Milk
* Nuts e.g. cashews, peanuts, almonds, brazils
* Wholegrain breakfast cereal with milk
* Plain popcorn
* Vegetable crudités (carrot, pepper and cucumber sticks)
* Rice cake with sliced bananas or cottage cheese


Big kids

Although chubbiness in babies and toddlers is regarded as normal - desirable even – as a child gets older, being overweight can put his or her health at risk.

According to the government’s Health Survey for England, as many as one in three children are overweight and one in ten are obese. That’s three times more than 10 years ago.

Being chubby is no fun. Apart from teasing, bullying and low self-esteem, overweight children are more likely to develop:

* Bone and joint problems (due to excess weight)
* Breathing problems and asthma
* High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and artery damage during their teens and early adulthood
* Heart disease and stroke in later life

Most seriously, overweight children are likely to grow up into fat adults.

The Big Question: What makes children put on weight?

1. These days there is an abundance of foods laden with fat, sugar and salt.

2. Snacks are now staple parts of many children’s diets. Grazing and snacking rather than balanced meals tend to be the norm.

3. Bigger portions and supersize marketing – especially for snacks and fast foods – means that large has become the norm and many children have lost track of normal portion sizes.

4. Marketing and advertising to children contradict the health messages. These influence what children choose to eat.

5. Children spend more time in front of the television and computer nowadays. This means they are less active, watch more adverts for unhealthy foods, and are more likely to snack and overeat.

6. Parents lead busier lives and so have less time to cook. Many find it easier to feed children ready meals and fast foods.

7. Most children’s menus in restaurants offer foods laden with Trans fats, excess salt and sugar.

8. Food and drink in schools is usually poor quality and loaded with fat, sugar and salt. Most children choose fast food and chips. Many schools have vending machines selling calorie-laden snacks and drinks.

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