Article # 272. KIDS | Healthy Eating

What exactly is meant by healthy eating?  Put simply, most experts, including the World Health Organisation agree that we all should be eating 5portions of fruit and vegetable every day to help maintain good health.  Some health experts are even stating that due to general pollution in the air, we should be eating as much as 7 portions per day.

This applies just as much if not more to our children…

There are so many reasons why we should eat fruit and vegetables, but most importantly they are full of nutrients that are vital to good health.

Many fruit and vegetable contain vitamins A & C, potassium, folic acid and magnesium, in addition these foods are rich in anti-oxidants that helps against premature aging, good for the heart, circulation and helps protect cells from damage.

Studies have shown adults that ate plenty of fruit and vegetables during childhood had a lower incidence of cancer than adults who didn't. 

5-A-Day & Your Baby

5-A-Day & Your Child

Try to get your child into the five a day habit as early as you can.  Babies are at an ideal age for this, they are often willing to try new foods, whereas children of two yrs and more are less adventurous, so getting them to try new flavours early on helps as they get older. Puree fruit and vegetable such as apples, pears, bananas, carrots, broccoli, potatoes and courgettes. As your child get older, try introducing other fruit and vegetables such as avocado, melon, cauliflower, tomatoes, and grapes.

For older children, introduce the five a day, talk about the reasons of importance to them, have fruit on display in the kitchen or on the dining room table in a fruit basket, make it the norm to have fruit and vegetables in life. Just remember to make it fun, fruit and vegetables show great colour on the plate. A good way to help your child eat more fruit and vegetable is to encourage them as snacks rather than chocolate and sweets.