What We Eat
Thinking about improving your family’s health can feel like a big step but some small changes can make a big difference. A good place to start is with what you eat and how you move
Your family’s diet should be varied and colourful, including a mix of foods with different flavours and textures. This helps everyone enjoy mealtimes while getting the range of nutrients their bodies need to stay healthy, it’s just about balancing energy, improving our range of vitamins and minerals is key.
The Eatwell Guide is a great tool to help guide what we eat, It shows the types and proportions of foods that make up a healthy diet, it is used in our schools to teach children about what a healthy diet is so your children will be familiar with it.
A healthy diet should include: plenty of fruit, vegetables, and starchy carbohydrates; some dairy or dairy alternatives; and good sources of protein like beans, pulses, fish, eggs, or meat. The guide isn’t about every plate being “perfect,” but about balance across the day or week.
In rural areas we can sometimes have a limited choice and prices of some fresh items are higher, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables are a suitable alternative to fresh and reduce waste.
Top Tips
• Try new foods.
• Base most of their diet on whole foods.
• Give more vegetables, fruit, fish, nuts* and seeds.
• Switch to rapeseed or olive oil.
• Include some high fibre wholegrain foods.
• Limit red and processed meat.
• Cut down on sugar and salt.
• Offer 6-8 glasses of water, milk or sugar free drinks a day.
• Try not to label food as good or bad, try ‘every day’ and ‘sometimes’ food instead. Forbidding certain food can make it more desirable.
* Warning: do not give whole nuts to children under 5 as there is a choking risk.
Some recipes for you to try at home
Microsoft Word – Recipe File.docx
Recipes – Healthier Families – NHS
The Eating Environment
There are many benefits attached to the eating environment and sharing meals together. When they
can, parents/carers should provide an environment for eating well in a non-distracting environment.
Distinct mealtimes throughout the day and ensuring children have regular meals including breakfast
will help young children to develop healthy eating habits and lifelong skills for young children.
Young children should never be alone while eating, they should be encouraged to sit down, and chew
food properly. Some food may need additional preparation particularly for very young children like
chopping and slicing some fruits, removing stones and avoiding nuts.
Children are born as ‘competent eaters’, with the ability to gauge their body’s need for food. They will
respond to hunger and fullness and responsively feed while both breast and/or bottle feeding. Most
children can regulate their own appetite, although over time they often learn to ignore these signals.
Children have small stomachs and will eat regular small amounts to meet their requirements. Helping
children to tune into their appetite, and also stop eating when they are full will help develop good
eating habits.
Top Tips
• Focus on making healthier options available.
• Lead by example and model the enjoyment of a wide variety of food.
• Eat meals as a family when you can.
• Encourage an active lifestyle by enjoying activities together with your child.
• Encourage your child to eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full.
• Comfort children with attention, listening and hugs instead of food.
• Create a non distracting environment, separate eating from other activities
• Enjoy balanced meals and a varied diet
Portion Size
Children’s appetites can vary for a number of reasons; some children will eat more, and some will eat less. It is normal for a child’s appetite to vary across a week and as they grow. Portion sizes should be varied to meet the needs of each child.
There are no standard guidelines for portion sizes in the UK. However, a simple way to work out the suitable portion size is to use our own hand as a guide.
Remember- our hands are all different sizes and so are our portion size needs.
Top Tips:
- Base meals on the EatWell Guide
- Start meals with small servings, let children ask for more if they are still hungry
- Be aware that pre-packed meals are usually sold as adult portions, children may not need the full serving
- Use smaller plates and bowls for children to help with portion control
- Avoid making children finish everything on their plate or eat more than they want to
- Encourage children to eat slowly and have set mealtimes
- Thirst can be confused with hunger. Try drinking a glass of water instead of eating an extra snack close to a main meal time
