SEPTEMBER- Kids Health

The nutritional needs of children change at every stage of their development and it’s been shown that a healthy, balanced diet from a young age offers some protection against diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, as well as helping children to learn at school. A good diet really does give them the best start in life.

The rapid growth of children is responsible for the wide range of nutrients that they need. There is enormous variation between children but, on average, the weight of a baby at birth will treble within the first year, then doubles again by age five.

It’s widely recognised that breastfeeding offers benefits which far exceed those of infant formula, yet many women in this country don’t breastfeed.

Breastmilk has all the nutrients babies need for the first six months of their life and offers them protection from infection and disease. It can also help to protect you against ovarian and breast cancer and it’s convenient and free!

There are lots of reasons why women don’t breastfeed, but there are tremendous benefits for you and your child’s short and long term health. If you’d like to know more about breastfeeding, visit the NHS Breastfeeding site.

Once children have been weaned - that is, when they’ve moved on from milk or formula to solid food - it’s important to include lots of different types of food to make sure that they get all the nutrients they need. Click here for nutritional advice for children aged between one and five.

School days

Once children start school they’re open to all sorts of influences which might affect what they eat – not just during the day, but at home, too. A sudden dislike of a former favourite food is a normal show of independence as kids start to find their feet away from home.

However, parents and carers can still exercise a lot of control over their kids’ diets and a child who already enjoys different sorts of foods is more likely to continue to eat a varied, balanced diet.

Breakfast

Always give your kids breakfast – after not eating for several hours overnight their body needs a kickstart and they’ll do much better if they eat soon after they wake up. As well as providing the energy your kids need to concentrate at school, it’s a good time for them to consume other nutrients like vitamins and minerals.

It may also help them to maintain a healthy weight –evidence suggests that both children and adults are less likely to be overweight if they regularly eat breakfast.

Kids learn from people around them so it’s important to set a good example. Try to make time to join your kids when they eat - it’s healthier for you, too.

• Kids love breakfast cereals but choose a wholegrain cereal and check packets for lower salt and lower sugar versions. It can be surprising how much salt and sugar is added to some cereals. Semi-skimmed milk still contains all the calcium but a lot less fat than whole milk and is fine for growing kids.

• Porridge is fantastic – it’s cheap and full of nutrients. It’s also really filling and warming on a cold morning. Add some dried fruit, or chopped fresh fruit like banana and teaspoon of honey for sweetness.

• Toast is another breakfast favourite but swap white bread for wholemeal, which contains more fibre and will keep tummies fuller for longer. Spread with (low sugar) jam or marmalade, or Marmite, which is full of B vitamins, needed to release energy from food.

• Breakfast is an ideal time to give them one or two of their 5-a-day – fresh or dried fruit is good with cereal and a glass of pure fruit juice counts, too. It’s best for kids to drink fruit juice with a meal because it contains a lot of sugar – you could also dilute it with some water.

• If you have time, you could whizz up a fruit smoothie – just add banana, canned peaches or berries (frozen berries work well) to low-fat natural yoghurt and blend. A handful of porridge oats adds fibre and lovely thickness to the smoothie.

• How about a fruit salad (fresh, or canned in juice) topped with a dollop of low fat natural yoghurt and a sprinkle of pumpkin and sunflower seeds?

• If they want something hot try these on wholemeal toast:

- quarter two medium tomatoes and put in a bowl with a splash of olive oil then microwave for a couple of minutes until soft

- eggs are a great source of protein and vitamins – poach them in simmering water, soft boil in their shells to eat with soldiers or scramble with a splash of milk in a non-stick pan and a teaspoon of oil. For a treat, add small pieces of smoked salmon to the scrambled egg just before you serve

- for one of their 5-a-day, chop button mushrooms and fry with a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan. Try adding a crushed clove of garlic for extra flavour.

- baked beans are full of protein and also count as one of 5-a-day. They can have a lot of added salt and sugar though, so check labels on packs.

Snacks

Children have smaller stomachs than adults so, although the amount they need to help them grow and develop has to be spread out over the day – the quality of the snacks is important.

Fruit is great, especially as so many of them are very ‘child-friendly’. Think grapes, satsumas, bananas and kiwi fruit (slice across the middle and eat with a spoon) – no preparation needed. Others can be chopped ready and taken in a reusable plastic container – pineapple, mango or peach, for example.

Dried fruit also counts as one of your 5-a-day – raisins are often sold in individual boxes containing just the right amount. Any dried fruit is good, but check packs to avoid those with added sugar. Try mixing them with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or some unsalted nuts. Nuts are packed full of nutrients and contain healthy monounsaturated fat, but the fat means they’re high in calories, so just give a few – a dessertspoon of plain peanuts, or half a dozen almonds.

Vegetables are easily prepared – carrot or cucumber sticks are good to nibble on, or a stick of celery filled with low-fat cream cheese.

Children need plenty of energy, especially if they’re active so other types of snacks are important, too.

Breadsticks, low fat baked potato crisps, or oatcakes are good savoury sources of carbohydrate for energy and they’re good with cream cheese, hummous or guacamole (adding a generous squeeze of lemon or lime juice to soft, mashed avocado will stop it going brown).

For something sweet, try a teacake, slice of malt loaf, mini fruit muffin or a small flapjack. Low fat yoghurts or fromage frais are also suitable or you could pack a small, matchbox-sized piece of hard cheese along with the oatcakes or breadsticks.

Foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar should only be eaten as an occasional treat, as part of a varied, balanced diet. They’re often described as being full of ‘empty calories’, which means they contain lots of calories but few other nutrients.

Drinks

The best between-meal drinks for children are water and milk. Milk contains vitamins (like vitamin A for healthy eyes) and minerals (like calcium for healthy bones) and will help, rather than damage, children’s teeth.

Sugary, fizzy drinks and squash shouldn’t be drunk often, and should be avoided between meals, when the sugar can cause the most damage to teeth. Children who drink lots of sugary, fizzy drinks are more likely to be overweight because these types of drinks contain ‘empty calories’ as a result of all the added sugar.

Pure fruit juice contains lots of vitamins and counts as one of 5-a-day, but it also contains a kind of sugar that can damage teeth, so it's better to drink this at mealtimes too; you could even dilute it with water for younger children.