Developing good eating habits in children early on will mean they are more likely to eat healthy as they grow older and this can reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses in later life.
However healthy eating for children is not the same as adults. Children have smaller stomachs than adults, so they need smaller, more regular meals and they also need concentrated forms of energy and nutrients to make up their nutrient requirements.
The following guidelines should help in the planning of your child?s daily diet:
Encourage children to enjoy a variety of foods
Young children are like sponges, absorbing all the sights, sounds and tastes of the world around them, and they are truly impressionable. These early years are a great time to help children form positive attitudes towards different foods and to develop sound eating habits.
? Expose your children to as many different foods as possible, even if you persuade them to just have a taste.
Make starchy foods the basis of a child?s main meals
Starchy foods such as breads, potato, pasta, rice and other grains should form the bulk of the child?s diet, as they provide glucose for energy and they are generally a good source of fibre and the B vitamins. It is wise to choose the more unrefined, fibre-rich oats, whole wheat bread, bran rich cereals, brown rice and unrefined maize.
Why not get the kids to assist you in baking banana, bran or carrot muffins and use these as healthy, delicious additions to their lunchboxes.
Children need plenty of fruit and vegetables every day.
Just as fruits and vegetables can be fun, desserts can be healthy ? serve youngsters fruit yoghurts and sorbets, fruit and grain muffins or cookies or sponge cake topped with fresh fruit.
Different fruits and vegetables will contain a multitude of various micronutrients ? brightly coloured fruits and vegetables will be rich in vitamin A, while the citrus fruits and green leafy vegetables will boost your child?s vitamin C intake, for this reason, ensure variety in this food group and keep them interested with some exciting meal and snack ideas.
Vegetable or fruit kebabs can be fun to prepare or make a fruity smoothie by mixing yoghurt and milk together with their favourite fruit.
Plan meat, fish, chicken, eggs, soya or peanut butter with each meal.
These foods are an important source of protein and they will provide your child with B vitamins and iron, as well as sustained energy and concentration levels, Dried beans, peas and lentils are a great protein alternative for kids.
The canned varieties con be added to soups and stews, or prepare a simple and healthy meal of baked beans on toast with a little grated cheese to delight their appetite.
Hard boiled eggs in their shell, cheese fingers rolled in polony, cold sausages, viennas and chic drumsticks can also make a welcome addition to a kids lunchbox.
