Healthy Eating for Children

The food you eat is made up of nutrients (such as carbohydrates, fiber, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins). Some of these nutrients contain energy (in the form of kilojoules) that helps fuel your body.

Children in this age group are generally very active. Although the growth rate in the 4-8 year age group is steadier than in infancy or adolescence, the nutrient and energy requirements of a 4–8 year old are still greater than for adults relative to their body weight. Children’s meals also need to include a variety of foods in order to meet their nutritional needs.

Children in this age group are encouraged to:

• eat a wide variety of nutritious foods

• eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruit

• eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain

• include lean meat, fish, poultry and /or alternatives such as nuts or legumes