Healthy eating and wellness tips for children

Here are few tips to improve your family s eating habits

Make a habit to eat regular breakfast. It is a very important meal

Since our bodies need energy after a night s sleep, start your children s day with a healthy breakfast. Use plenty of carbohydrates like cereal with semi-skimmed milk, toast or bread with lean meats and fruit or yoghurt.

Do not ignore carbohydrates

Carbohydrate foods like cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes and bread provide at least half the calories of energy that the body requires. Hence include at least one of these in your child s every meal. You can even try whole-grain bread, pasta and other cereals which give extra fiber to the child s body.

Include variety of foods every day in the diet

Humans need over 40 different varieties of vitamins and minerals every day in order to have a good health. Given that there is no single food which contains all these 40 varieties, it becomes important for you to balance your child s daily diet. However, do not need keep away your child from the food they enjoy. Simply make sure that kids get the right balance of food every day.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables with meals and as snacks

Vegetables and fruits are the best sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Encourage your child to eat 5 servings a day of these. For example, you can give him/her a glass of fruit juice at breakfast, perhaps a banana or an apple as snacks and two vegetables in meals.

Choose a variety of snacks to fill in the gaps between meals

There are times in between meals when your child might feel hungry. Snacks can fill this gap. However they should not be taken in place of meals. Also avoid packet snacks, cakes, chocolate bars, biscuits and other processed snacks. Instead go for a sandwich, some fresh or dried fruits, or vegetables like celery and carrots. Always remember to include a variety of snacks to keep your child s diet in balance.

Avoid too much saturated fat as is not good for your child s health

Fatty foods such as spreads, butter, fried meats, sausages, pies and pastries may be tasty to eat but they are not healthy for your child s body. Although a child needs some fat to get all the nutrients, it is better if you limit its intake. For example, if you your child have a high-fat lunch, serve a low-fat dinner to him/her.