Thomas and Kayden healthy eating.

Healthy eating

Smoothies and juices can be a great way to get children to top up your child's vitamin C and folate intake – both are important vitamins for the function of the immune system, energy production and for preventing anaemia. The natural sugar in fruit (fructose) can be better for children (and their teeth) than sugar laden packaged/canned drinks. But this doesn’t mean that children can drink an unlimited amount of these drinks. Some smoothies and juices contain a lot of fructose and this can result in a ‘sugar high’ which can aggravate mood and energy levels. Water should be the main source of your child's liquid intake and one small glass of fresh fruit juice per day is enough. Don't forget to always dilute fruit juice with a splash of water.

What does healthy eating mean for your child?

The terms of  ‘healthy eating’ is very broad and encompasses a range of areas, including the following:

• enjoying a varied diet
• having a healthy relationship with food
• following the Eat well Guide

encouraging appropriate portion sizes.  

Children should eat a nutritious, balanced diet  it’s important for a numerous  amount of reasons. Ensuring they get the right vitamins and minerals in their diet will help them grow and develop optimally. They are also more likely to be energised and motivated, supporting their ability to learn. Educating them on healthy eating during childhood will also help them make healthier choices as they become adults.

Despite the obvious benefits, we recognise that there can be challenges when it comes to healthy eating for kids. We recently surveyed 1,000 parents to find out what sort of challenges they face. The results included fussy eaters, cost of healthy food and convenience/time restraints. On this page we will look at what healthy eating for kids means in practice, what your child needs and how to encourage fussy eaters to eat a more varied diet.

healthy eating
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