GROWING CHILD:Online Recipes and Cooking Tips collection

Milk, cheese, yoghurt, soya beans and nuts are rich in calcium, which is needed for healthy bones and teeth.
Fortified breakfast cereals, margarine and oily fish are good sources of dietary vitamin D, which helps ensure a good supply of calcium in the blood and therefore healthy bones. The main source of vitamin D is from the action of sunlight on skin, but avoid strong sun especially around midday when there is a risk of burning.
Meat, particularly red meat and liver, and fish are rich sources of iron. Pulses (beans and lentils), green vegetables and fortified cereals are also good sources of iron. Iron is needed for healthy blood and research has shown that some children have low intakes of iron, particularly older girls.
Citrus fruit (such as oranges and lemons), tomatoes and potatoes, are all good sources of vitamin C which is essential for health. Vitamin C may help the absorption of iron, so having fruit juice with an iron-rich meal will increase iron absorption.
Milk, margarine, butter, green vegetables, carrots and apricots are all good sources of vitamin A which is important for good vision and healthy skin.
Avoid giving children shark, swordfish and marlin. These have been shown to contain relatively high levels of methylmercury, which might affect children's developing nervous systems.

What about sweets and snack foods?
Eating sweet and sticky foods frequently between meals causes dental decay. Snack foods such as cakes, biscuits, crisps, chocolate and sweets, are often high in sugar and saturated fat, and low in certain vitamins and minerals. So if your child does eat these sorts of foods:
try to make sure they eat them only occasionally or in small amounts, so they only make up a relatively small part of the overall diet
help and encourage your child to clean their teeth every day
try picking a weekly sweet day, or choose the weekends as a time when your child is allowed to eat sweets

How much salt should my child be having?

The maximum amount of salt children should be having varies by age:
4 to 6 years – 3 g a day
7 to 10 years – 5 g a day
11 year upwards – 6 g a day

There’s no need to add salt to your child’s food. If you’re buying processed foods, even those aimed at children, remember to check the information given on the labels to choose those with less salt.

My child is overweight. Is dieting the answer?

If you encourage your child to eat a healthy balanced diet with restricted amounts of foods containing sugar and fat, and you encourage your child to get plenty of physical activity, they should maintain a healthy weight.
However, if you are concerned, then contact your GP for advice before starting any sort of diet.

How do I encourage my child to eat healthy school meals?

As your child grows older, they will tend to follow the eating habits you've established at home.
If your child has school dinners, talk to them about what they eat and try to encourage them to vary their meals.

How can I ensure that my child has a healthy packed lunch?
Eating a variety of foods is important for a balanced diet.
But it can sometimes be difficult to make packed lunches varied, interesting and healthy.
About 1/3 of our diet should be made up of starchy foods like bread.
Sandwiches are a popular choice for packed lunches.
For a healthier choice, make sandwiches with thickly sliced bread or rolls, and choose wholemeal varieties.
Low-fat fillings include lean meats like ham or turkey, fish (e.g. tuna), cottage cheese, edam or mozzarella and mashed banana.
Try to include plenty of salad but go easy on the mayonnaise, which is high in fat.
For variety you could use different types of bread like bagels, pitta bread or chappatti.
Other starchy foods that could be included in a packed lunch are:
pasta,
rice or potato salad,
slices of deep-based pizza topped with lean meat, fish or vegetables,
breadsticks or crackers,
plain popcorn,
scones or malt loaf with a scraping of spread.

We should all be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.

Eating fruit and vegetables as snacks between meals as well as part of main meals can help to achieve this.

So include salad and vegetable sticks (e.g. carrots, celery, cucumber, pepper) in your child's packed lunch.

You could also add fresh fruit or some chopped fruit salad.

Dried fruits such as raisins or dried apricots are a good addition to a packed lunch.

What about fruit juices and drinks?

Cartons of fruit juice are extremely convenient, but like dried fruit, are high in sugar and should be eaten at mealtimes.
Sweet drinks also damage the teeth, especially if sipped from a bottle over long periods between meals.

So, keep drinks such as fruit juices or squashes to mealtimes, and try to encourage your child to drink water or milk in between. A carton of semi-skimmed milk can be a convenient choice.

Is it healthy for a growing child to be vegetarian?

Yes, you just need to make sure their diet is balanced.
You'll need to:

make sure you find an alternative to meat, fish and chicken as the main sources of protein. These could include pulses (lentils and beans), milk, cheese and eggs.

make sure your growing child is getting enough iron. Good sources of iron include wholegrain cereals, leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and watercress), pulses and dried apricots or figs. Remember it's easier to absorb iron from our food if it's eaten with foods containing vitamin C.

How can I find out more?

Contact your health visitor or GP for more information.