Healthy eating tips for children

It is difficult to overcome the temptation of giving your child all his favourites to eat. But how can you encourage your child to eat healthily?

• A good breakfast including high fibre cereal or cooked oat bran porridge will help keep blood sugar levels within a normal range and enhance concentration levels at school.
• Pack a nutritious lunch box with foods such as whole grain sandwiches, fresh fruit, dried fruit, fruit juices, vegetable pieces, peanuts and raisins, low fat milk, yoghurt and lean cold meats.
• Tuck shop visits should be limited to once a week or special occasions as the food available is often not nutritious. If healthy food choices are available try and influence your child to purchase these instead of “junk food”.
• Setting a good example at home is important especially if children are girls as they soon pick up their mother’s concerns about body size and become more susceptible to media influences.

(Liesel Powell, Health24)