Two statistics that I have read recently have really shocked me, and
you may have read them too: in an online survey of 1000 mums two thirds of
them stated that they don’t cook fresh meals for their children from scratch;
and another that only 1% of packed lunches are providing children with the
same nutritional value as a school meal.

One in five children start school overweight, and we can’t help but be
bombarded with messages about the obesity epidemic that is sweeping the
UK. So what can we do to ensure our children won’t be part of the unhealthy
picture of the future that is being painted?

To ensure that your child is getting a balanced diet, check that you are
feeding them the right proportion of each of the food groups:

• One third of your child’s daily intake should be made up of fruit and vegetables, which roughly equates to 5 a day.
• Growing children need foods which are quickly converted into energy – which is why carbohydrates should make up one third of their diets. Avoid white bread as it has been stripped of all nutrients and fibre. If your child struggles with wholemeal bread, try granary bread as this contains some of the goodness of wholemeal.
• Only 8% of your child’s diet should consist of sugary foods or foods that are high in saturated fats. Don’t make this a target though – there is no nutritional value in sugar! It’s just empty calories, which fill them up, so that there is less room for nutritious foods.

Avoid processed foods and ready meals. These can contain unnecessary and harmful additives that your children’s livers have to process; levels of salt that are too high for children (a 3 year old should be having no more than 2g of salt a day); and high levels of sugar and processed fats.

Whenever possible, cook for your children from scratch. This does require a little planning and preparation, but the benefits to your children’s health will be worth it. If you need inspiration get hold of one of the following recipe books:

• The Top 100 Recipes for Happy Kids by Charlotte Watts and Gemini Adams
• Smart Food for Smart Kids by Patrick Holford and Fiona Macdonald Joyce
• The Big Book of Recipes for Babies, Toddlers and Children by Bridget Wardley and Judy More

Batch cook and freeze the extra portions, so that on the days when you
don’t have enough time to prepare a meal, you simply defrost and
heat up one that you’ve got in the freezer.

Encourage your children to cook. You will be surprised how keen they are to eat something that they’ve prepared themselves. A great cookbook for kids is the DK Children’s Cookbook by Katherine Ibbs, with step by step photos.

As for packed lunches, ensure that you always provide a minimum of two portions of vegetables: put in chopped carrots, baby sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber or pepper and a little tub of hoummous; add salad leaves, sliced tomatoes or cucumber to sandwiches. Always put a portion of fresh fruit in too. Don’t put crisps or chocolate bars into their packed lunches – remember children learn eating habits for life from a very young age.

If you want more tips visit www.nhs.uk/change4life. It’s an excellent website which helps you make little changes towards a healthier lifestyle, for the whole family. The section for the Early Years is a great read.

If you are interested in an individualised programme to improve your child’s diet or would like help with other health issues, please call Emily Fawell DipION, Nutritional Therapist on 07967 639347.