Healthy eating is essential for your child’s good health, growth and development. Healthy eating in childhood means they will have less chance of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. It will also mean they feel better, look better and enjoy life more.
What is healthy eating?
To stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight, children need to be physically active and eat the right amount of nutrients to balance the energy they use.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend children should enjoy a wide variety of foods from these 5 food groups:
- fruit
- vegetables, legumes and beans
- cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain
- lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives
- milks, yoghurts, cheeses and/or alternatives (children under 2 should have full-fat milk, but older children and adolescents can have reduced-fat varieties)
Children should limit their intake of foods that contain saturated fat, added salt or added sugar. They should also be encouraged to choose water to drink.
Tips to encourage healthy eating habits
Teaching your child how to eat healthily now means they will be more likely to make their own healthy choices as they get older.
- make meal time family time, without any screens
- make healthy foods fun, for example by cutting fruit or sandwiches into interesting shapes
- encourage your children to sit with you at the table
- eat a healthy breakfast every day
- try out new foods and show your children where food comes from; let them help you buy food from the shops
- cook and try new recipes together
- don’t keep junk food in the house
- keep a bowl of fruit handy for a snack
- wash your hands and make sure food is prepared and stored safely
