Five Top Tips: It’s important to make sure our kids eat the right amount of food

1. Me-Sized Meals - It’s important to make sure our children eat the right amount of food for their size and age. It seems obvious, but a five-year-old needs less than a 10-year-old, and a 10-year-old needs less than an adult. Look at your fist in comparison with your child’s fists and see how much smaller they are. When you’re working out how much to give them, bear in mind that their tummies are this much smaller too!

2. Grab the Tin Opener! - Tinned fruit and veg can be just as good as fresh and 80g counts as 1 of your 5 a day. A standard tin is around 400g so just a quarter of a tin will easily give you one portion. Look for tins that have no added salt or sugar, and for tinned fruit choose those in natural juices rather than syrup to keep the sugar content down.

3. Stay Hydrated - Believe it or not, we are made up of 60% water and it is essential we stay hydrated. We should aim to be having 6-8 glasses of water every day. Having a refillable bottle to hand helps. And if plain water isn’t your thing, you could try adding a slice of fruit (eg. lemon or lime) or even cucumber or mint for flavour.

4. Swap White for Brown – Wholemeal foods are high in fibre which can significantly improve your digestive health, and reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

By making some simple swaps, you can ensure you get more wholemeal in your diet. Swap white bread for wholemeal, white pasta for wholewheat, and white rice for brown.

5. Love Food Hate Waste - As a nation we waste more food than we think. Reducing food waste is good for the planet, as it helps slow down global warming.

By using up every edible bit of your food, you’re doing your bit to look after the environment; imagine what we could achieve if we all make a change!

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