Healthy diet for children
Why do children have inadequate diets?
Surveys have indicated that many children eat an inadequate diet. Important findings include the fact that:
- many children eat no fruit and few vegetables;
- calcium and iron intakes are inadequate;
- a high proportion of children are overweight; and
- take-away and commercial snack foods are eaten too often.
Nutrition guidelines
The following guidelines for children from birth to 18 years of age have been released by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
- Encourage and support breast feeding.
- Children need appropriate food and physical activity to grow and develop normally. Growth should be checked regularly.
- Enjoy a wide variety of foods.
- Eat plenty of bread, cereals, vegetables (including legumes) and fruits.
- Include dairy foods — milks, yoghurts, cheese, and/or alternatives (which are good sources of calcium) in your child's diet.
- Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives in your child's diet.
- Low fat diets are not suitable for young children. For older children, a diet low in fat and, in particular, low in saturated fat is appropriate.
- Encourage water as a drink. Alcohol is not recommended for children.
- Eat only a moderate amount of sugars and foods containing added sugars.
- Choose low-salt foods.
- Prepare and store your child’s food safely.
Encouraging better nutrition
Parents can encourage their children to eat a better diet by each day having:
- one more serve of vegetables;
- one more piece of fruit;
- at least one more slice of bread, or an extra serve of breakfast cereal, rice, pasta or noodles; and
- an extra glass of milk.
Healthy desserts
A healthy way to finish a meal is with a dessert that is based on fruit and low in fat.
Last Reviewed: 16 December 2009
- 1. National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Dietary guidelines for children and adolescents in Australia, incorporating the infant feeding guidelines for health workers (endorsed 2003, April 10). Available at: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/publications/synopses/n34.pdf (accessed 2009, Dec 17)
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