Children’s nutrition

Children’s nutritional requirements

Generally speaking, it's recommended that children have three main meals with two to three snacks every day. It helps to know that children go through growth and activity spurts that influence their appetites. As long as you offer a variety of nutritious food, you can trust your child’s appetite to get the balance right.¹

Encourage a diet with a wide variety of foods:²

• Vegetables and fruit — two pieces of fruit and five servings of vegetables a day.
• Low glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates — three serves of wholegrain bread, cereals, rice or pasta a day
• Proteins — one serve of meat, fish, chicken or eggs a day.
• Dairy — three serves of milk, yoghurt or cheese a day.
• Water.

Sweets and higher-fat snacks such as potato chips, fried foods, confectionery and chocolate are ‘sometimes foods’ as they offer little nutritional value and should be offered just once or twice each week.^2,3 Controlled amounts of these high-energy foods can help teach your children the importance of balanced, life-long eating habits and ‘everything in moderation’.

It is also useful to remember that small children may need to be offered a ‘new food’ six to 10 times before they accept it, are prepared to taste it and eventually eat it.¹ If you still have no luck, try again a week or two later.

View further information on recommended food portions for children.

Sample menus

4-year-old child

10-year-old child

Healthy nutritious start to the day

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. A good breakfast provides children with essential nutrients including protein, calcium and fibre as well as long-lasting energy from carbohydrates for the day ahead.⁵

Research shows that skipping breakfast can diminish mental performance, which can result in reduced learning, reduced attention and poor food choices for the day.⁶ Children who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight which in the long term can lead to the development of chronic health issues.

A nutritionally-balanced breakfast choice will contain both proteins for key nutrients and fullness as well as slowly digested, low glycaemic index (low GI) carbohydrates for sustained energy release.

Many breakfast cereals contain far too much sugar, salt or both to be healthy choices for everyday eating — and, alarmingly, cereals aimed at kids can be among the worst for nutrition. The best breakfast cereals will be minimally processed and have a low GI, which means they are digested more slowly, offering sustainable energy. Good choices include oats, wholegrain Weetbix, bran flakes or puffed wheat options.⁷

View the Choice Magazine survey of 152 breakfast cereals with their list of the 10 healthiest choices.

Some healthy breakfast choices for busy, growing kids include:

• yoghurt with fruit
• fruit smoothie
• multi-grain toast with a boiled egg or baked beans
• whole-wheat or wholegrain cereal with sliced fruit such as banana or kiwi fruit
• porridge.

View and download Healthy eating recipes for breakfast.

Healthy, nutritionally-balanced lunch boxes

Children consume up to 30 percent of their daily food while they are at school, which is why it's important that school lunch boxes contain the right mix of food.⁸

A well-balanced lunch box should include: ⁹

• a sandwich, wrap or crackers — preferably wholegrain and including a protein rich filling such as lean ham, tuna, chicken breast or egg to give them energy throughout the afternoon.
• a piece of fresh fruit — to provide a slow release of energy to help your child concentrate and play for longer periods of time. Dried fruit, fruit juice and fruit straps and sticks are high in sugar and digested quickly and therefore should only be an occasional treat.
• dairy food — reduced fat cheese, yoghurt and dairy snacks can help provide calcium and protein for healthy bones and teeth and for growth.
• snack — for example, wholegrain rice crackers, low GI muesli bars, plain popcorn, homemade muffins and banana bread.
• water — avoid fruit juice, cordial and flavoured waters which are high in sugar.

School lunch tips

• Avoid including too many packaged snack foods, which are often highly processed with high amounts of sugar, fat and salt.⁸
• In summer, to keep lunchboxes at the right temperature, look for freezer-style cooler packs or try freezing an ice block or tetra style drink and pack with the lunch to keep it fresh.⁹
• To minimise fruit getting bruised in school bags, stick to hard fruits such as apples or nectarines or pack a small container filled with berries, grapes or melon pieces.¹⁰

Sample lunch boxes

Lunch box 1

Ham and cheese on wrap bread
Tub of frozen grapes
Milk popper
Packet of popcorn
Bottle of water

Lunch box 2

Turkey sandwich with low GI bread
Banana
Small tub yoghurt
Low GI muesli bar
Bottle of water

Lunch box 3

8 wholegrain crackers with Vegemite
Cheese stick
2 small peaches
Cereal and milk muesli bar
Bottle of water

Lunch box 4

Egg, lettuce and mayonnaise on a wholemeal roll
Apple
Cheese and crackers
Small packet of low fat cookies or piece of homemade banana bread
Bottle of water

Lunch box 5

Chicken sandwich on multigrain bread
Small tub of fruit
Slice of cheese or Babybel cheese
2 homemade low fat mini muffins
Bottle of water

View and download Healthy eating recipes for lunch boxes.

Quick, nutritious family meals

Family meal times should be relaxed, enjoyable times for families where children have the opportunity to see their parents model good eating practices and to learn what is a nutritionally-balanced meal.¹²

Ideally a dinner plate for children and adults alike will be half filled with vegetables or salad, with a quarter taken up by lean protein such as chicken breast, lean red meat, fish or vegetarian alternative and the remainder with wholegrain carbohydrates such as potato, brown rice, pasta or noodles.

Remember, ultimately children will eat the foods they have available to them. If children learn that if they don’t eat their vegetables and meat they will be offered more appealing options such as chicken nuggets or toast, they will potentially start to regularly reject their meal. Instead, make sure that each dinner meal has at least one food option that you know your child does like, and if they still reject the meal, accept that they are probably not hungry.^1,2

Another important thing to remember is to try and keep all food talk neutral. Very often we beg, cajole and bribe our children to eat their vegetables, almost expecting them not to eat them. Instead, try and talk about all foods equally, not expecting a child to like one over the other. When it comes to vegetables and salad, if you child will only eat one or two varieties, that is fine. Simply offer these varieties at each and every meal and your child will expand their choices if they get too bored.²

It is a personal family preference whether dessert is offered, occasionally or every night. If you do choose to include dessert good options include fruit, yoghurt, low-fat ice-cream or custard.²

Tips for family friendly meals:

• Enjoy family meal times at the table as often as possible with the television switched off.¹⁴
• Water or milk should be the drink of choice at dinner time.¹³
• Try placing salad or vegetables in the middle of the table so family members can serve themselves.
• Allow children one day each week where they choose the meal.
• Place a menu board in the kitchen so the whole family knows what’s for dinner.
• Make sure all family members sit at the table until everyone is finished.
• Have children practise chewing each mouthful at least 10 times and placing the knife and fork down in between each mouthful.

View and download Healthy eating recipes for families.

Healthy snacks

Growing children need two to three nutritious snacks each day to ensure they receive all the kilojoules, vitamins and minerals they need for optimal growth and development.

Unfortunately it appears that Australian children are snacking on too much processed foods such as potato chips, confectionery, biscuits, cakes and snack foods which offer little nutritionally.⁸

Ideally a snack food for a primary school aged child will contain between 400–600kJ as well as offering some positive nutritional qualities such as dietary fibre, protein, calcium or iron.⁸ Dairy based options such as yoghurts, cheese, low-fat ice cream and milk are great choices, as are wholegrain snack bars and crackers and of course, fruit.

Healthy and convenient snack ideas for children include:^3,15

• low-fat yoghurt tubs
• low-fat ice cream or yoghurt on a stick
• cheese and crackers
• corn cakes with spread
• homemade banana bread or mini muffins
• vegetable sticks with hummus
• fruit smoothies
• fruit or vegetable kebabs
• cheese sticks
• plain popcorn
• hardboiled eggs
• wraps with cheese or tuna
• small wholegrain snack bars
• low-fat flavoured milk.

Another simple idea to boost your children’s fruit intake is to have a bowl of chopped vegetables such as carrot and celery sticks at the front of the fridge so you always have something to offer them if they complain of hunger in between their meals — an option that will not ruin their appetite for the next meal.

View and download recipes for healthy snacks.

Tips to help children maintain a healthy weight range

Here are some easy, healthy lifestyle changes that you can begin at home:

• Only keep foods you want your child to eat at home. Remember, if it is in the house, they will want to eat it so rid the fridge and cupboards of soft drink, fruit juice and packaged snack foods.
• Establish healthy eating routines. Make sure your child starts the day with a healthy breakfast and eats regular meals.¹²
• Make water the drink of choice at home. Fruit juice, cordial, soft drink and flavoured water are all high in sugar and shouldn’t be the drink of choice for children.¹⁶
• Set a good example. As parents your children will model their eating behaviours on your example. Consciously thinking about your child’s food choices and also the meals you prepare is an important step in encouraging healthy, nutritious food choices in your own home.¹²
• Involve your children in meal preparation. Kids are more likely to eat what they have helped prepare so involve them in the shopping, washing, peeling and cooking of their food.
• Make physical activity part of everyday life. Demonstrate how being active is fun and can be incorporated into your family’s everyday life. Remember that children need at least one hour of physical activity every single day.¹⁰
• Limit low-activity pastimes. Children should spend less than two hours a day watching TV, being on the computer and playing other electronic games.²
• Encourage variety. A healthy diet is vital for children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers, especially during periods of rapid growth. To give children the best start to living a healthy lifestyle, it’s important to introduce a wide variety of food from all the food groups to establish a good nutritional foundation.¹
• Have clear bed times. Children who do not get 9–10 hours sleep each night are more likely to develop weight issues so ensure your child has a set bed time and stick to it.¹⁷

Signs that your child may have a weight problem:

• Looking much larger than other similar-aged children at school
• Having a waist measurement that is greater than half their height. For example, if your child is 120cm tall, their waist circumference should be less than 60cm
• Wearing clothes that are two sizes above their ages — for example, if they are eight and need size 12 clothes
• Always asking for food
• Eating more than adults.

Further information

For further information on children’s nutrition, healthy meal plans, ideas on healthy eating and snacks and weight management for children:

Raising Children Network
www.raisingchildren.net.au

Better Health Channel
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. A healthy lifestyle for a healthy weight.
http://www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/fohealj.htm

Sources

1. National Health and Medical Research Council. Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia incorporating The Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers (online). (Accessed 22 Oct 2010) Available from: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/dietsyn.htm
2. Raising Children Network. Nutrition and fitness: the basics (online). (Accessed 22 Oct 2010) Available from: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/nutrition_toolkit.html/context/217
3. Kids Health. When Snack Attacks Strike (online). (Accessed 22 Oct 2010) Available from: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/snack_attack.html
4. Bupa Foundation. Healthwatch Survey — Wave Two, 2008.
5. Dubois L Girard M Potvin Kent M et al. Breakfast skipping is associated with difference in meal patterns, macronutrient intakes and overweight among pre-school children. Public Health Nutrition. 12(1): 19–28.
6. Taras H. Nutrition and student performance at school. Journal of School Health. 2005; 75(6): 199–213.
7. Choice. Breakfast cereal review (online). (Accessed 21 Oct 2010) Available from: http://www.choice.com.au/Reviews-and-Tests/Food-and-Health/Food-and-drink/Groceries/Breakfast-cereal-review-and-compare/Page/Introduction.aspx
8. Sanigorski AM Bell AC Kremer PJ Swinburn BA. Lunchbox contents of Australian school children: room for improvement. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005; 59: 1310-1316.
9. Raising Children Network. Packing a lunch box (online). (Accessed 22 Oct 2010) Available from: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/packing_a_lunch_box.html/context/218
10. Raising Children Network. School age nutrition and fitness: in a nutshell (online). (Accessed 22 Oct 2010) Available from: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/school_age_nutrition_nutshell.html/context/217
11. Bupa Foundation. Healthwatch Survey — Wave Three, 2009.
12. Raising Children Network. Living well to avoid childhood obesity: 10 tips (online). (Accessed 22 Oct 2010) Available from: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/childhood_obesity_10_tips.html/context/748
13. Department of Health and Ageing. Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (online). (Accessed 22 Oct 2010) Available from: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-strateg-food-guide-index.htm
14. Fulkerson JA Neumark-Sztainer D Sory M. Adolescent and parent views of family meals. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2006; 106(4): 526–533.
15. Children, Youth and Women’s Health Services. Eating healthy food (online). (Accessed 22 Oct 2010) Available from: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=284&id=1665
16. Bell AC Kremer PJ Magarey AM Swinburn BA. Contribution of ‘noncore’ foods and beverages to the energy intake and weight status of Australian children. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005; 59: 639–645.
17. Snell EK Adam EK Duncan GJ. Sleep and the body mass index and overweight status of children and adolescents. Child Development. 2007; 78(1): 309–323.
18. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. A Picture of Australia’s Children, 2009 (online). (Accessed 22 Oct 2010) Available from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10704
19. Wake M McCallum Z. Secondary prevention of overweight in primary school children: what place for general practice? Medical Journal of Australia. 2004; 181(2): 82–84.

Disclaimer
This information has been developed and reviewed for Bupa by health professionals and to the best of their knowledge is current and based on reputable sources of medical research. It should be used as a guide only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical or other health professional advice. Bupa Australia Pty Ltd makes no warranties or representations regarding the completeness or accuracy of the recommendations or assessments and is not liable for any loss or damage you suffer arising out of the use of or reliance on the information, except that which cannot be excluded by law. We recommend that you consult your doctor or other qualified health professional if you have questions or concerns about your health. For more details on how we produce our health content, visit the About our health information page.