We are what we eat
To help ensure a healthy heart and body, children should eat a healthy balanced diet similar to adults and be as active as possible. Portion sizes should be smaller than adults, but variety is really important. The Balance of Good Health is an easy guide to follow to make sure you are giving your children the right foods in the right proportions. There's more detail about this in The Balance of Good Health section.
A balanced diet will provide your children with all the nutrients they need to help their bodies to grow, develop and work properly. It's one of the best ways to keep your children healthy and may help to avoid any heart problems that could occur in the future.
At times it may seem that your children don't like any food that's good for them. But don't despair; it's easier than you think. The key is introducing healthy eating habits at a young age and persisting with these once they are in place. It's essential that you establish regular meal patterns, starting with breakfast, and encourage a healthy balanced diet throughout the day. It's really the only way to go, because it will give your children the best possible start in life and be remembered in years to come.
The key to a healthy heart
There are a few key things that we can all do to help our kids have a healthy diet:- Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, aiming for five portions every day.
- Avoid saturated or 'bad' fats and replace with 'good' unsaturated fats.
- Choose lean meats and remove visible fat before cooking.
- Try to include two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily like salmon, sardines or fresh tuna.
- Restrict the amount of salt you use when cooking.
Within this site you'll find plenty of useful information to help you give your children a healthy and nutritious diet – including recipes and a guide to the balance of good health.
To discover more about nutrition and healthy eating – including some tasty heart healthy recipes – visit the Florahearts website.
