Healthy Eating Tips

Tips

What does my child need?

Every child requires a balance of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for healthy growth and development. Promoting healthy eating habits in your children when they’re young will help them continue to eat well later in life.

Help your children follow Canada’s Food Guide

• Because young children have small stomachs and tend to fill up quickly, offer small amounts of food throughout the day. One Food Guide Serving from a food group can be divided up into smaller amounts and served throughout the day. For example, half a Food Guide Serving of Meat and Alternatives can be served at two different meals such as one egg at lunch and about 30 g (1 oz.) of chicken for dinner.
• Don’t restrict nutritious foods because of their fat content. Offer a variety of nutritious foods, including some choices that contain fat such as 2% milk, peanut butter and avocado.
• Satisfy thirst with water. Encourage your children to drink water to quench their thirst and replenish body fluids.
• Enjoy vegetables and fruit more often than juice.
• Offer your child 500mL (2 cups) of milk every day. This will help meet vitamin D needs to help his or her bones grow strong.
• Be a good role model. Children will be more likely to enjoy a variety of foods and try new foods if you do.
• Let kids choose quantities for themselves. Although you are responsible to pick what foods are served throughout the day, allow your children to decide how much or how little they eat.