Why is food so important for your child?
The holidays often coincide with relaxed eating times, irregular meals and different foods. Hot weather and a break from set routines usually mean an unstructured diet. Unhealthy foods are also more abundant, such as sugary ice creams and other sweet treats, however these are not good for your child in the long term.
Settling back into a healthy, balanced and varied diet is the best way to make sure your child has a great start to the new school year. Food has a direct impact on the health of school-aged children, particularly in terms of their physical development and mental skills. As a result, your child’s development is intrinsically linked to their diet.
Establishing a healthy diet for your child also means encouraging good eating habits, including consistent meal times and eating foods that provide a variety of nutrients. Meal times should be pleasurable and enhance well-being.
How can you establish healthy eating habits for your child?
Breakfast is often described as the most important meal of the day. A good breakfast should consist of at least one whole grain, whether this is bread, breakfast cereal or rusks. You can then add dairy products, fresh fruit or fruit juice with no added sugar.
Full and nutritious meals are recommended for lunch and dinner. Help your child to enjoy eating by offering attractive and colourful food and creating imaginative and appetising meals. Encourage them to discover recipes and new flavour combinations to awaken their taste buds! Try playing on the visual aspect of food to introduce new flavours.
Morning and afternoon snacks are a great way to help your child have a balanced diet. Fresh and dried fruit as well as dairy and cereal products are all healthy options for between-meal snacks. If your child has a sweet tooth, you can occasionally give them ice cream or chocolate bars, as long as they are eaten as part of a balanced diet.
The Nutrition Unit at Hôpital de La Tour
The highly-experienced team at the nutrition unit at Hôpital de La Tour is always available to help you and your child achieve a healthy and balanced diet.