Eating well

A balanced diet

Eating well is important for our physical and mental health. To ensure children and young people eat well, to grow and develop healthily, they need a balanced diet.

A balanced diet provides the full range of essential nutrients that the body needs. It provides children and young people energy for growth and activity, and will help them concentrate and sleep well. These factors are all important for encouraging good physical and mental health.

The Eatwell Guide can support you in providing a healthy balanced diet: www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/healthy-eating/eatwell

Encouraging healthy attitudes and behaviours

Eating well isn’t just about what we eat, it is also important to think about how we eat. Encouraging children and young people to have healthy attitudes and behaviours around food and eating can help improve their wellbeing. So as well as providing a balanced diet, it is important to:

• Give children and young people meals at set times and snacks in between, as they need their energy levels topped up regularly through the day. Breakfast is particularly important as it provides the energy needed to start the day.

• Give them smaller portions than adults. If you give big portions, they may get used to this and eat more than they need.

• Allow them to listen to their own body's signs of hunger and being full up. If they’re hungry between meals, offer a healthy snack. At mealtimes, don’t put pressure on them to eat more if they say they’ve had enough.

• Keep giving them opportunities to try a food they say they don’t like, as it can take lots of attempts before they will try it. It’s ok if they just want to taste a mouthful, they can try it again another time.

• Try not to put pressure on them to eat particular foods, as this can make them less likely to want to eat them.

• Avoid calling foods ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Foods aren't really good or bad for you - it's just that some should be eaten less than others.

• Remember that although some foods should be limited, e.g. sweets, crisps, ice cream, if children and young people aren’t allowed these foods at all, it can lead to them wanting them even more.

• Keep foods interesting and varied, e.g. give a different meal each night of the week, or put a variety of colours of food on the plate.

• Develop children and young people’s interest in food. Talk about what you are eating, where it came from, how it’s good for you and how many different ways you can eat it.

Managing emotions

It’s sometimes challenging for children and young people to manage and express their emotions. Food shouldn’t be given as a way of comforting them, for example, giving them chocolate when they feel anxious or sad. This may lead to them using food to manage their emotions, which can become a problem if it happens all the time or is the only way they feel they can cope.

If you’re concerned about a child or young person’s eating

On some days a child or young person may eat a lot and on other days they may hardly eat anything. If they are growing and thriving, there is generally no need to worry. There are factsheets with lots of tips at https://www.nhsfife.org/services/all-services/nutrition-and-clinical-dietetics/infant-children-young-people/

If you notice a significant change in a child or young person's eating pattern or you have serious concerns about their eating, please go to: Not eating enough or Eating too much.

Some other ways to help children and young people to eat well

Be a good role model

It’s important to be a good role model and show positive attitudes and behaviours towards food and eating, e.g. by eating healthily and trying new foods yourself. Children and young people can then follow your positive example. On the other hand, if you show negative attitudes and behaviours, e.g. you worry about eating ‘bad’ foods or about body weight, or comment negatively about other people, they may pick up on this and do the same.

Cook together

Being involved in cooking can help improve children and young people’s independence, confidence and communication skills. When they are involved in preparing food, they may also be more likely to eat it. Depending on their age and ability, they can wash or chop vegetables, crack eggs, grate cheese, put toppings on pizza, weigh and mix ingredients, shape meatballs or mash potatoes. Remember to supervise them whenever necessary.

Eat together

There are many benefits to family mealtimes. Although it may be a challenge to get the family together for a meal, try and do this when you can. Ideally, sit round the table and make sure TVs, phones etc are switched off. Eating together can:

• encourage children and young people to eat more healthily
• improve communication skills and give an opportunity for sharing stories
• build confidence and improve social skills
• help them feel involved e.g. by clearing the table
• encourage independence and a sense of responsibility as they learn to do more for themselves
• help them learn how to behave at the table.

Eat mindfully

Mindfulness can help everyone to enjoy eating. Eating mindfully is about being aware and paying attention while we eat, which can help us to:

• slow down and enjoy the experience of eating
• learn to read our body's signs of hunger and being full up
• think about and appreciate where our food comes from and all the people involved in getting it to the table.

Activities and Resources

Here are some activities and resources to encourage children and young people to eat well:

CBeebies:

www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/topics/food

Change4Life:

www.nhs.uk/change4life

ParentZone Scotland:

https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/learning-at-home/supporting-health-and-wellbeing/food-and-health/

The Center for Mindful Eating:

www.thecenterformindfuleating.org