Healthy Tums Happy Tots

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2 3 Contents Young children need a balance of healthy food To achieve this, children under 5 need a variety of foods every day from the 4 main food groups. Older children and adults need 5 food groups which include low fat, small amounts of sugar and more fi bre. EARLY YEARS 3 Young children need a balance of healthy food 4 Drinks 1 2 Eating well in the preschool years is important for children as during this time they are growing and developing very quickly. Healthy eating for young children is different from that of older children and adults. Children under 5 years of age need lots of energy and nutrients relative to their size, as they only have small stomachs. This means that a low fat, high fi bre diet that is recommended for adults is not suitable for children under 5. They need food and drinks that will give them enough energy and nutrients to grow and develop and keep them going as they are active all day. 4 Healthy teeth 5 Salt/sodium 5 Meals & snacks 6 Portion sizes 6 Great recipe suggestions 7 Fussy eating 7 Meal time routine STARCHY FOODS Examples: Bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, other grains, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals. Nutrients: Carbohydrate, energy, fi bre, vitamin B and iron. 4 portions, 1 portion should be part of each main meal (breakfast, lunch, tea) and at least one snack. Young children should have a variety of white and wholemeal/grain as too much fi bre can fi ll them up and prevent them getting all the nutrition they need. 3 DAIRY FOODS Examples: Milk, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais. Nutrients: Calcium, protein and vitamin A. 3 portions each day as part of meals, snacks or drinks. Good source of calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Low fat dairy food such as milk, yoghurts and cheese should not be given to children under 5 years. 4 7 Vitamin supplements 7 Artifi cial sweeteners 8 Useful websites FRUIT & VEGETABLES Examples: Fresh, frozen, tinned (in juice not syrup), dried and juiced fruit and vegetables, and pulses. MEAT, FISH, NUTS & PULSES Examples: Meat, poultry, fi sh, shellfi sh, eggs, meat alternatives, pulses (e.g. lentils, beans and peas) and nuts. Nutrients: Protein, iron, zinc, omega 3 oils, vitamins A & D. Nutrients: Various vitamins and minerals, and fi bre. Aim for your child to eat at least 5 child sized portions of fruit and vegetables each day. A child sized portion of fresh fruit/veg is roughly the amount that would fi t in the palm of their hand. Include one of these foods at each meal time and some snack times. Try to give your child fruit and vegetables in a rainbow of colours so they get all the nutrients they need. Dried fruit and juices should only be served at meal times due to their effect on tooth decay. Serve twice per day for children who eat meat and 2-3 times per day for vegetarian children. Try to include oily fi sh in your child s diet once a week. Oily fi sh include tinned or fresh salmon, mackerel, sardines, pilchards, trout or fresh tuna. Whole nuts should not be given to children under 5 because of the risk of choking. Boys should have no more than 4 portions of oily fi sh per week, girls no more than 2 portions. Shark, marlin and swordfi sh should not be given to toddlers because of the high levels of mercury they can contain. Adapted from Eat Better Start Better, School Food Trust 2012.

3 4 Drinks It is important that children drink enough fl uid; this will prevent dehydration, headaches and constipation Toddlers should be offered 6-8 drinks ( ml) per day, or more if they are very active or the weather is hot To limit damage to teeth caused by drinks: Drink only milk and water between meals Drinks should be given in a free fl ow cup (one that will leak if tipped over!) or beaker from 6 months of age and bottles should be discouraged after 12 months Between meals avoid: all sugary or sugar free drinks, such as squash, fi zzy drinks, fl avoured water, juice drinks, milk shakes, fl avoured milks etc. If young children have fruit juice, this should be only given at meal times. Fresh unsweetened juice should be diluted 1 part juice to 10 parts water Healthy teeth Sugar free drinks cause harm to teeth as they contain acids which can erode tooth enamel. Children under 5 years of age should not drink tea or coffee; this is because they contain tannins which reduce the absorption of iron. Children need iron but many children under 5 do not get enough in their diets. Top tip: Try making your own fl avoured water by adding slices of orange or lemon, cucumber or whole strawberries to a jug of tap water and leaving in the fridge for a few hours before serving at meal time. Tooth decay is caused by eating sugary food and drinks: The amount of sugar and how often we eat it contributes to tooth decay therefore sugary drinks and food should be kept to meal times only Plain water and milk are tooth kind drinks for children Baby teeth are just as important as adult teeth: They are needed for eating healthy foods and speaking clearly They affect a child s appearance and willingness to smile They keep the space for the permanent teeth to come through We all know that food and drinks such as sweets, chocolate, biscuits, cakes and fi zzy drinks are high in sugar, but a lot of foods and drinks such as fruit yoghurts, breakfast cereals, dried fruit, snack bars and children s drinks can also be high in sugar. Amount A lot A little Sugar per 100g food/drink 15g 5g Try to look at food labels to see how much sugar is in the foods you consume using the table as a guide. Snack suggestions: Any type of bread naan, sliced loaf, bread buns, pitta, chapatti etc. (using a variety of white, wholemeal & granary) Sandwiches with a variety of fi llings Fresh fruit Vegetable sticks (cucumber, carrot, peppers, celery etc.) with dips Slices of cheese Plain yoghurt (with added fruit to sweeten) Salt/Sodium Too much salt can be harmful to a baby s kidneys and increase the chance of them having high blood pressure when they are older. Salt should not be added to babies and young children s food during cooking or when it is served and babies should not be given foods with added salt. Most of the salt we consume is already in the foods we eat such as ham, cheese, breads and breakfast cereals, as well as convenience foods like ready meals, tinned soups, ready made sauces, take aways, gravy granules and crisps etc. Try to look at food labels Amount A lot A little Salt per 100g food 1.5g 0.3g Sodium per 100g food 0.6g 0.1g to see how much salt is in the foods you consume using the table as a guide. (If sodium is listed on food labels multiply it by 2.5 to fi nd the amount of salt.) Remember: Ingredients used to fl avour food such as stock cubes and soya sauce, are high in salt. Top tip: Try using herbs and/or spices to fl avour foods rather than salt and other ingredients high in salt. If you are not sure how much herbs/spices to add, start with a pinch and taste as you go you can always add more. Meals & snacks Toddlers have high energy and thus high nutrient requirements; it is recommended that they eat 3 meals per day and have 2-3 snacks between meals. Pitta bread, fi sh pate and apple chunks. Photo by Caroline Walker Trust CHEW Why not try making your own dips/pate: Mix together 1-2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt and 1-2 tablespoons of soft cheese as the base and try one of the following to flavour: A p i n c h o r 2 o f s w e e t p a p r i k a Some grated cucumber Some chopped fresh mint 1 crushed clove of garlic A d d ½ a t i n o f s a l m o n o r mackerel to make fish pate 5 Dried fruit counts as part of your 5-a-day and many people buy small packs of dried fruit to snack on. However, dried fruit is not suitable as a snack as it is very high in sugar, and tends to lodge in children s teeth. Dried fruit should be kept to meal times.

4 6 7 Portion sizes It is often diffi cult to gauge what is the correct portion size for your child, as the amount of food young children eat will vary from day to day and even meal to meal. Spanish melette Serves: 4-6 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: minutes Ingredients 6 eggs, whisked 1 pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 100g/4oz strong cheddar, grated 12 small new potatoes, halved and boiled 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Method 1. In a large pan or wok, gently heat the oil. Add the vegetables and cook until soft 2. Add the potatoes and cook until they begin to go crispy 3. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes 4. Add the whisked eggs to the vegetable mix and using a fork, drag the mixture from around the sides into the middle of the pan. Do this until the mix begins to scramble 5. Then turn the heat down and cook for a few minutes or until the mixture begins to just fi rm up 6. Sprinkle the omelette with cheese and place under a hot grill. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden and the eggs have set all over 7. Allow to cool down before cutting into fi nger sized pieces for babies Cheesy Chicken Nuggets Serves: 4-6 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients 4 skinned chicken breasts cut into chunks 2 eggs 2 handfuls of fl our 1 handful of oats 1 handful of Parmesan cheese, fi nely grated Having smaller child size plates will help you serve appropriate portion sizes for your child. Children will often know when they are full or have had enough to eat, look for signs such as pushing the plate aside, refusing to swallow the food in their mouth, turning their head away from food. There is some evidence that very young children (under 2 years) will eat what they need and no more (whatever size portion they are given), whereas older children may eat more than they need when given a larger portion. Asking them to fi nish everything on their plate can encourage them to over eat. For more information on portion sizes visit the infant and toddler forum and change4life websites (see page 8). Images show meals for a typical 2 1/2 year old served on child sized plates (20cm in diameter) taken from Great recipe suggestions Method 1. Preheat oven to Gas 6/200 C/430 F 2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisk and set aside 3. Put the oats and Parmesan cheese into a bowl, mix and set aside 4. Coat the chicken pieces in the fl our and then dip each one into the egg and then the oat mixture 5. Place the coated pieces onto a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked and the coating is golden and crisp Recipes taken from the Food for Families booklet Liverpool Community Dietitians and Food Workers. Fussy eating Periods of fussy eating are common in children under 5. It can take 10 attempts for new foods to be accepted. Here s 10 tips to help fussy eaters: 1. Never force a child to eat 2. Gently encourage but if child refuses food take the food away without passing judgement 3. Praise when children eat well 4. Introduce new foods one at a time 5. Have a meal time routine 6. Sit with your child during meal times & eat the same food if children eat with you they will watch how you eat and even if they refuse food at fi rst they may begin to eat as they watch you 7. Try a calm activity before meals are served, such as sharing a book Vitamin supplements The Department of Health recommends that children aged 6 months to 5 years are given a daily supplement containing Vitamins A, C & D. Unless they are drinking 500ml (a pint) of infant formula a day (infant formula has vitamins added to it). FREE vitamin A, C & D drops are available from the Healthy Start scheme, which is available to families on low incomes and pregnant women under 18 years of age Artifi cial sweeteners Avoid food and drinks containing artifi cial sweeteners. Examples of common sweeteners are: Aspartame, saccharin and sorbitol. These are often found in items which are labelled sugar free or low sugar such as squashes and other drinks and yoghurts. 8. Try a reward chart to encourage children to try new foods 9. Give small portions seconds can always be offered 10. Involve children in food preparation & choices Meal time Routine Having a meal time routine can help children to eat well, try: Eating meals as a family, if possible at a table Eat away from distractions such as TV, toys and games Children only have small stomachs so time their meals and snacks so they can eat regularly (no more than 3 hours apart) Artifi cial sweeteners and colours are not allowed to be added to foods designed for infants and young children, this is because some sweeteners can cause diarrhoea in young children and there are some concerns about certain colours affecting behaviour in some children. See for more information.

5 LET S GET Moving Useful Websites Allergy UK Caroline Walker Trust Healthy Start Encourage your child to be active every day move more, move often. Being active is important for the growth and development of all babies and children. For babies, movement such as rolling, pushing, playing and crawling should be encouraged. Once your child is able to walk, at least 3 hours of activity spread throughout the day will help keep them healthy. This includes general movement, standing up, playing etc., as well as more energetic activities such as a trip to the park, playing catch, a game of hide and seek, dancing to music etc. Activity Ideas Have a race to see who can get dressed the fastest Make a den from chairs and sheets Jumping in puddles Who can do the most star jumps? Pretend to be your favourite animal Organise a treasure hunt inside or outside Walk or skip to the shops Dance to your favourite song when it comes on the radio Infant and Toddler Forum Little People s Plates North West Dental Health Learn more about making healthy lifestyle choices, contact us to book on one of our Fit 4 Life programmes in Halton Tel: Special thanks to the children of Everton Nursery School and Family Centre for the use of their photos.