What is healthy food for kids?
Healthy food for school-age children includes a wide variety of fresh foods from the5 food groups:
- vegetables and legumes
- fruit
- cereals and grain foods
- dairy and dairy alternatives
- meat and meat alternatives.
Each food group has differentnutrients, which your child’s body needs to grow and work properly. That’s why we need to eat a range of foods from across all 5 food groups.
Fruit, vegetables and legumes
Fruit, vegetables and legumes give your child energy,vitamins,anti-oxidants,fibre and water.These nutrients help to protect your child from diseases later in life, including heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
Encourage your child to choose fruit and vegetables or legumes at every meal and for snacks. This includes fruit, vegetables and legumes of different colours, textures and tastes, both fresh and cooked.
Wash fruit and vegetables to remove dirt or chemicals, and leave on any edible skin, because the skin contains nutrients too.
Some children seem to be‘fussy’ about eating fruit and vegetables. You can help by being a healthy eating role model. If your child sees you ‘eating a rainbow’ of vegetables and fruit, your child is more likely to try them too.
Cereals and grain foods
Cereals and grain foods includebread, tortillas, flatbreads, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals, couscous, rice, corn, quinoa, polenta, oats and barley. These foods give children the energy they need to grow, develop and learn.
Choose wholegrain options whenever you can. Grain foods with a lowglycaemic index, like wholegrain pasta and breads, will give your child longer-lasting energy and keep them feeling fuller for longer.
Dairy and dairy alternatives
Key dairy foods aremilk, cheese and yoghurt. These foods are good sources of protein andcalcium. Try to offer your child different kinds of reduced-fat dairy each day – for example, drinks of milk, cheese slices or bowls of yoghurt.
If you’re thinking of giving your child dairy alternatives like plant-based milk, it’s best to talk to yourpaediatrician,GP orchild and family health nurse.
Meat and meat alternatives
Meat includeslean beef, veal, lamb, pork, goat, kangaroo, chicken, turkey and fish.
Meat alternatives include eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, falafel, tofu and nuts.
All these foods are rich in protein and important for your child’s growth and muscle development. These protein-rich foods also have useful vitamins and minerals likeiron andomega-3 fatty acids. Iron and omega-3 fatty acids from red meat and oily fish are particularly important for your child’s brain development and learning.
Protein-rich foods from animal sources also have zinc and vitamin B12.
If your child is thinking about choosing a vegetarian, vegan or other special diet, it’s a good idea to speak with a GP or dietitian. They can help you make sure your child’s diet is well-balanced and has all the nutrients your child needs.
Try to include a few different food groups at every meal and snack. Have a look at ourillustrated dietary guidelines for children aged 4-8 years for more information about daily food portions and recommendations. You can also speak to adietitianif you have questions about your child’s eating.
Healthy drinks: water
Water is the healthiest drink for children. It’s also the cheapest. Most tap water is fortified with fluoride for strong teeth too.
Reduced-fat milk is also a good drink option for children. It’s rich in calcium, which is good for bone development.
Foods and drinks to limit
It’s best to limit the amount of ‘sometimes’ food your child eats. This means your child will have more room for healthy everyday foods.
‘Sometimes’ foods includefast food, takeaway and junk foodlike hot chips, potato chips, dim sims, pies, burgers and takeaway pizza. They also include cakes, chocolate, lollies, biscuits, doughnuts and pastries.
‘Sometimes’ foods can behigh in salt, saturated fat and sugar, and low in fibre. Regularly eating these foods can increase the risk of health conditions like obesity and type-2 diabetes.
You should also limit sweet drinks for your child. This includes fruit juice, cordials, sports drinks, flavoured waters, soft drinks and flavoured milks. Sweet drinks are high in sugar and low in nutrients.
Too many sweet drinks can lead to unhealthy weight gain, obesity andtooth decay. These drinks fill up your child and can make them less hungry for healthy meals. If children regularly have sweet drinks when they’re young, it can kick off an unhealthy lifelong habit.
Foods and drinks withcaffeine aren’t recommended for children, because caffeine stops the body from absorbing calcium well. Caffeine is also a stimulant, which means it gives children artificial energy. These foods and drinks include coffee, tea, some flavoured waters, energy drinksand chocolate.
TheAustralian Guide to Healthy Eating says that both children and adults should avoid or limit ‘sometimes’ foods. It’s best to save these foods for special occasions.
Healthy alternatives for snacks and desserts
Encourage your child to choose snacks from the healthy food groups. This can include things like nuts, cheese, low-fat yoghurt and fresh fruit or vegetables– for example, roasted chickpeas, falafel or carrot or celery sticks with dips like hommus, guacamole ortzatziki.
The same goes fordessert at the end of a meal. Sliced fruit or yoghurtare healthy options. If you want to serve something special, tryhomemade banana bread. Save cakes, chocolate, lollies and so on for special occasions like birthdays.
