Healthy Kids School Canteen Association

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Parents

Healthy eating goes hand in hand with good health. We know that what children eat during their younger years sets their eating patterns for the rest of their lives. Therefore parents play a crucial role in ensuring their children establish healthy eating behaviours.

There has been an alarming increase in the number of children who are overweight or obese.

There are many factors that contribute to increasing levels of overweight and obesity. They include:

• Children are eating and drinking more soft drinks, high fat and sugar based snacks and fewer vegetables.
• Busy families are relying more on take-away food and snack foods.
• Children are being driven to and from school instead of walking.
• More time is being spent in sedentary activities such as TV watching, computer and video games.
• Children are spending less time in outside play.

What can you do?

• Ensure your child’s diet is balanced and contains fruit, vegetables, breads and cereals, meat and meat alternatives, and dairy foods.
• Ensure they always eat breakfast to kick start the metabolism which improves concentration and to prevent poor morning snack choices.
• Encourage water as a thirst quencher instead of soft drink and other sugar containing drinks.
• Try to sit together as a family during meal times.
• Set a good example yourself by eating a variety of everyday foods.
• Involve children in food preparation and shopping to inform them of “everyday” food choices.
• Select one night a week where the family goes for a walk together.
• No food should be banned or called “bad” or “unhealthy”. Instead some foods are eaten as “everyday” foods and others as “sometimes” foods.
• Discourage eating in front of the TV or computer.
• Limit screen time to 2hrs/day.

This information is adapted from information provided by Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service.