Healthy Eating For Active Kids

By Dietician Caryn Kave

If the food you choose is highly processed, high in sugar or high in salt this could achieve a short-term ‘food high’, but this will pass quickly and the after-effects are the kids are hungrier, have less energy and find it harder to concentrate. On the contrary, if you choose healthy, natural products with minimal processing, lots of wholegrains and healthy fats then your kids will stay full longer, have more energy and have much better levels of concentration. 

4 Top Tips For Healthy Eating:

1.     Eat enough food from each of the food groups
2.     Eat seasonally and choose a variety of foods within a group from day to day
3.     Eat plenty of plant food (bread, cereal, rice, pasta, noodles, vegetables, legumes and fruit); moderate amounts of animal foods (milk, yoghurt, cheese, meat, fish, poultry, eggs) and small amounts of extra foods, margarine and oils
4.     Drink plenty of water

Great nutrition is like great fuel, it supports your kids health now plus helps with their ongoing growth and development. The best way to fuel your kids for busy days is by getting them to eat regular, energy efficient food.

The new NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council) guidelines to healthy eating have just been released and they confirm the need for children to eat foods from the 5 food groups every day in the proportions that we see below

 

	Serves per day
Children's Age	Grains	Vegetables	Fruit	Dairy	Protein – Meat, fish, eggs, nuts	Extra food
4-7 years	3-4	4	2	3	½ - 1	1-2
8-11 years	4-6	4-5	1-2	3	1-1 ½	1-2
12-18 years	4-7	5-9	3-4	3-5	1-2	1-3

 Source: The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, Australian Government