A healthy diet for children is ensuring that they eat a varied diet with foods from the five food groups listed below. This is the best way to ensure they get all the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.

1. Fruit and Vegetables

This group includes almost all fruits and vegetables - fresh, frozen, dried, canned (canned fruits in juice or water rather than syrup).

• As children often find a huge pile of vegetables off-putting, it’s better to give them an amount you know they will eat and increase the portion size as they get older.

Children under five should aim to eat at least five “child-sized” portions of fruit and vegetables. A child’s loose fist provides a good estimation of what a child’s portion of fruit or vegetable looks like. For children five years and over, one portion is equivalent to:

• 1 piece of fruit (e.g. apple, banana, pear)
• 2 small fruits (e.g. kiwi, plum, tangerine)
• A handful of smaller fruit (grapes, cherries)
• 2-3 tablespoons of vegetables
• 1 small bowl of salad
• 2-3 tablespoons of stewed or canned fruit
• 1 slice of a large fruit (e.g. melon)
• 1 small glass (150ml) of fruit juice*

*Fruit juice counts as only one portion, however much is consumed.

2. Grains, cereals, potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, noodles, couscous, and breakfast cereals

• Children need four or more servings from this group each day.

3. Milk, cheese, yogurt and fromage frais

• Children need three to four servings from this group each day.
• One serving equals a glass of milk, a small pot of yogurt or a matchbox-size piece of cheese.
• Children under the age of two should be given full fat milk and dairy products rather than low or reduced fat products.

4. Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and lentils

• Children need two to three servings a day.
• Children under five should not be given whole nuts as they may cause choking.

5. Foods high in fat and sugar

• Foods in this group include crisps, biscuits and sweets and should only be eaten occasionally in very small amounts.
• Foods and drinks containing sugar should be consumed mainly at mealtimes to reduce the risk of tooth decay.