Every parent wants their child to grow up healthy and well. We all know diet and exercise are crucial for children’s development but as the obesity statistics show, we don’t always do the right thing.
Why a healthy lifestyle matters
But if our children lead sedentary lives and eat junk food they are at greater risk of diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
A healthy lifestyle and diet in childhood not only teaches our children about good nutrition, it makes their bodies stronger and helps them concentrate better at school.
Healthy lifestyle tips
So here are some tips for ensuring your children, no matter what their age, have a healthy lifestyle:
- Eat together – make meal times communal, social times and show your children that you eat well too.
- Cook from scratch – meals made from scratch have less hidden salt, fat and sugar. Also getting children involved in food preparation will make them more willing to eat new things and learn about food.
- Watch portion sizes – smaller children do not need as much as older children and adults. Don’t get obsessed with them finishing everything on their plate.
- Cut down on sugary drinks and snacks. Fizzy drinks are empty calories and swap cakes and biscuit snacks for fruit, unsalted nuts, breadsticks etc.
- 5-a-day. We should all be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Provide three regular meals a day with a maximum to two snacks (one in the morning, one in the afternoon).
- Set a time limit as to how long children can sit still watching telly or playing computer games e.g. one hour.
- One hour of activity every day. Even at school children are sitting down a lot so after school and weekend activities should include physical exercise. These can include playing, walking, biking, scooting, swimming, dancing etc.
A mum's view
Jane Bainbridge, who has two young boys, says getting them involved with food preparation makes a huge difference. “When I make pizza the boys help make the dough and then I put out lots of options for healthy toppings (sweetcorn, mushrooms, olives, prawns, ham etc). They’d only ever order Margaritas in a restaurant, but when they get to ‘build’ their own pizzas they pile on loads of extra veg.”
What to do if your child is overweight
1. See your GP for advice if you think this is the case – standard BMI (body mass index) measurements don’t work for children.2. Don’t let them eat in front of the TV.3. Avoid ready-prepared foods.4. Avoid fizzy drinks opt for semi-skimmed milk, water or fruit juice instead.5. Limit the ‘junk’ food they eat such as crisps and sweets.6. Include five portions of fruit and vegetables in their diet.7. Find a form of exercise they enjoy and that they will stick with. They should be doing one hour a day but not necessarily all in one go.8. Walk or cycle to school rather than drive.
Fussy eater in the family? See our tips (below).
The expert view
Claire Williamson, nutrition scientist for the British Nutrition Foundation recommends The Food Standards Agency’s eat well plate model. This shows you the correct proportions of each food types (applies to everyone over the age of two).
It’s based on five food groups:
- Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods (33%)
- Fruit and vegetables (33%)
- Milk and dairy foods (15%)
- Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein (12%)
- Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar (8%)
She says: “Children should be encouraged to eat a least two portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily fish. Fish can be fresh, canned or frozen and fish products, such as fish fingers and fish cakes can also be given. Oily fish is the only rich source of long chain omega-3 fatty acids which are important for neural development in young children.”
Need more help?
Go to your GP or visit:
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