Download Children

Children
http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/lifestages/children.html
When your child starts school
As your child enters school he or she will be growing quickly and becoming more
active.
Children have a higher energy requirement for their body size compared to adults and need foods that
provide sufficient energy but are also rich in nutrients. Childhood is an important time for growth and
development and children need a good supply of protein, and other nutrients including calcium, iron and
vitamins A and D.
Children begin to take responsibility for their own food choices around this time. It is therefore important for
you try to encourage them to eat a healthy, varied diet which is rich in fruit, vegetables and starchy foods.
Try to encourage your child to eat a wide variety of foods to help ensure they obtain all the necessary
nutrients they need to stay healthy
Try to include these foods to provide…
Calcium – Milk, cheese, yogurt, soya beans, and tofu are important sources of calcium. Dark green leafy
vegetables such as broccoli are also useful sources. Your child needs calcium for healthy bones and teeth.
Vitamin D – is found in oily fish, egg yolk, fortified margarine and breakfast cereals. Together with
calcium, vitamin D helps make bones stronger. The main source of vitamin D is from the sunlight’s action
on the skin, but be careful in the strong summer sun between 11am and 2pm when there is a higher risk of
burning (use sunscreen liberally).
Iron – Red meat, liver and fish are important sources of iron. It is also found in eggs and chicken, and
dark green leafy vegetables, pulses, dried fruit, nuts, wholegrains and fortified breakfast cereals. Iron is
essential for healthy blood and it also helps fight infections. Studies have shown that some children in
the UK have low intakes of iron.
Vitamin C – Fruits, especially citrus fruits and berries, green vegetables, tomatoes and potatoes are good
sources of vitamin C, which is important for good health. Vitamin C also helps with the absorption of iron
from plant sources so having fruit juice with an iron-rich meal is a good idea (e.g. a glass of fruit juice with a
bowl of iron fortified cereal).
Vitamin A – Whole milk, fortified margarine, butter, cheese, egg yolk, carrots, tomatoes and dark green
vegetables are all useful sources of vitamin A, which is essential for normal vision and healthy skin.
Protein – Meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, pulses, beans and soya products are good sources of protein,
minerals and vitamins. Protein is essential for growth and repair of the body. At least two portions of fish a
week are recommended, of which one should be an oily fish. Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and
sardines, contain omega 3 fatty acids which are important for health. Avoid giving your child shark, marlin
or swordfish as these fish may contain mercury which could affect a child’s developing nervous system.
Carbohydrates – Bread, potatoes, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice and oats are good sources of starchy
carbohydrates. Wholegrain versions (for example brown rice, wholemeal bread, brown pasta) contain more
fibre. Carbohydrate is an important source of energy.
Fats – Children need some fat in their diet but it needs to be the right type of fat and in the right amount.

Saturated fats are found in animal products (for example butter, lard, ghee, whole milk and dairy
products) and other foods made with these, such as cakes, biscuits and pastries.


Too much saturated fat can have adverse health effects for your child later in life. The same applies
to trans fats.
Unsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils such as olive, rapeseed, sunflower and corn oil. These
are the preferred sources of fat to give to your child. They are also found in oily fish and, in smaller
amounts, in nuts and seeds.
Omega 3 is a type of unsaturated fat found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. Our bodies
cannot make this fat so it is important we get it from the diet. We should all aim to eat at least one portion of
oily fish each week. Girls should have no more than two portions of oily fish a week, but boys can have up
to four portions of oily fish a week. The advice for girls takes account of the fact that substances present at
low levels in oily fish can build up in the body over time and may be passed onto a baby.
Healthy weight
To help your child maintain a healthy weight try to encourage him or her to:



Eat a healthy varied diet
Take plenty of physical activity
Limit the amount of foods, drinks and snacks high in calories. See here for more details
Eating and lifestyle habits are established early in life; therefore it is important that the whole family adopts
a healthy lifestyle. Try to encourage the whole family to do an activity together. For example, go for a swim
at your local swimming pool, kick a football around in the park or take a walk along a nearby walking trail.
Diet and dental health
Try to encourage your child to reduce the number of times a day that they have drinks containing sugar and,
if possible, to keep them to mealtimes. Cartons of soft drinks and fruit juice are convenient but can be high
in sugar which can be harmful to teeth. They may also be quite acidic and this can damage the protective
enamel on teeth. Encourage your child to drink water or milk and keep fruit juices or squashes to
mealtimes. Drinking through straws can help to protect teeth.
Snack foods such as sweets, cakes, biscuits and chocolate are often high in sugar (and sometimes saturated
fat). Eating high sugar foods between meals can also promote tooth decay so if your child eats these snack
foods, try not to make them a daily addition to the diet. Provide these types of food to your child
occasionally and only in small quantities. Perhaps pick a day of the week and only allow sweets on this day.
Also, make sure your child brushes his/her teeth with a fluoride containing toothpaste at least twice a day.
How much salt?
The daily maximum amount of salt your child should be eating varies with age:



4 to 6 years - 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium)
7 to 10 years - 5g salt a day (2g sodium)
11 and over - 6g salt a day (2.4g sodium)
These are maximum levels so ideally your child should be eating less. There is no need to add salt to your
child’s food. If you are buying processed foods always read the label to check how much salt it contains and
choose lower salt versions. See Looking at Labels for understanding how to read food
labels.
School meals
School caterers are now encouraged to use healthier recipes to provide healthier school meals. This means
they should be of better quality and more nutritious than some meals have been in the past. Government
regulations guide schools to provide healthy and balanced meals with a wider choice of options. If you
choose to give your child a packed lunch see Healthy packed lunches for healthy ideas and tips.
Vegetarian and vegan diets
If your child does not eat much meat or you choose to give your child a vegetarian or vegan diet, it is
important to make sure that the diet is varied so that he or she gets all the nutrients for growth and general
health.
Energy - Particularly for children on a vegan diet, high-calorie foods may be needed to give them enough
energy. You could try tofu, bananas and smooth nut and seed butters(such as tahini and cashew or peanut
butter). For extra energy, you could add vegetable oils or vegan fat spreads to foods.
Protein – Meat, chicken and fish are usually important sources of protein so you will need to offer
alternatives to these. For vegetarians, good choices of protein include lentils, beans, soya and soya products,
milk, cheese, nuts and eggs. It is important to combine different plant sources of protein to ensure the right
balance of amino acids is provided, for example baked beans and toast or rice and lentils.
Iron – Meat is a good provider of easily absorbable iron so you will need to offer alternative sources to
ensure your growing child gets enough. Good sources of iron include wholegrain cereals, dark green leafy
vegetables, pulses, fortified cereals, dried apricots and figs. Remember vitamin C helps our body to absorb
iron from non-meat sources so including a source of vitamin C (e.g. fruit juice) with an iron-rich meal is a
good idea.
Calcium - the richest and most easily absorbed sources of calcium are from dairy products and so you need
to be particularly careful that vegan children get enough calcium to support their growing bones and teeth.
Milk, cheese, yoghurt, soya beans and tofu are all important sources of calcium. Dark green leafy vegetables
such as broccoli are also useful sources.
Vitamin B12 - Milk, meat and eggs are important sources of vitamin B12. The vitamin is also present in
some fortified foods, such as some fortified breakfast cereals, making these an important dietary source for
vegetarians and vegans.