Registered Charity No: 1102358 Ofsted Registration No: EY272315
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Healthy Families = Happy Families
We place strong emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles by helping children to understand all that they can do but, of course, with very young children parents and carers have the most critical role of all in keeping children healthy. Together we can help your child develop healthy habits early in life that will bring lifelong benefits. We can encourage children to begin to evaluate their food choice and physical activity habits. We know that you are already doing a great job but hope that the tips below are a helpful reminder.
Be a good role model
You don’t have to be perfect all the time, but if children see you trying to eat right and getting physically active, they’ll take notice of your efforts. You’ll send a message that good health is important to your family.
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Keep things positive
Children don’t like to hear what they can’t do, tell them what they can do instead. For example, “You can have an apple”. Keep it fun and positive. Everyone likes to be praised for a job well done. Celebrate successes and help children develop a good self-image.
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Get the whole family moving
Plan times for everyone to get moving together. Take walks, ride bikes, go swimming, garden or just play hide-and-seek outside. Everyone will benefit from the exercise and the time together.
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Be realistic
Setting realistic goals and limits are key to adopting any new behaviour. Small steps and gradual changes can make a big difference in your health over time, so start small and build up.
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Limit TV, video game and computer time
These habits lead to a sedentary lifestyle and excessive snacking, which increase risks for obesity and heart disease.
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Encourage physical activities that they’ll really enjoy
Every child is unique. Let your child experiment with different activities until they find something that they really love doing. They’ll stick with it longer if they love it.
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Pick truly rewarding rewards
Don’t reward children with tv, computer games, sweets or snacks for a job well done. Find other ways to celebrate good behaviour.
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Make dinnertime a family time
When everyone sits down together to eat, there’s less chance of children eating the wrong foods or snacking too much. Get your kids involved in cooking and planning meals. Everyone develops good eating habits together and the quality time with the family will be an added bonus.
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Make a game of reading food labels
The whole family will learn what’s good for their health and be more conscious of what they eat. It’s a habit that helps change behaviour for a lifetime.
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Stay involved
Be an advocate for healthier children. Insist on ‘good food’ options and an emphasis on outdoor physical activities at care settings, pre-school and then school. Make your voice heard!
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You can find out more about healthy habits, happy families by visiting:
Hertfordshire Family Service Centre
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Please let the Pre-school team know if you need any further support.
Healthy Packed
Lunches
We ask that a healthy packed lunch is provided for all children staying for a lunch session. Please find some useful tips and resources below that will help you to pack a healthy lunch, as well as advice on avoiding common allergens and choking hazards. Parents and carers should also refer to our Food Safety and Nutrition policies.
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Keep them fuller for longer
Base the main lunchbox item on foods like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. Choose wholegrain where you can.
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Cut back on fat
Pick lower-fat fillings – like lean meats (including chicken or turkey), fish (such as tuna or salmon), lower-fat spread, reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat hard cheese. And try to avoid using mayonnaise in sandwiches.
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Mix your slices
If your child does not like wholegrain, try making a sandwich from 1 slice of white bread and 1 slice of brown bread.
Always add veg
Cherry tomatoes, or sticks of carrot, cucumber, celery and peppers all count towards their 5 A Day. Adding a small pot of reduced-fat hummus or other dips may help with getting kids to eat vegetables.
Ever green
Always add salad to sandwiches and wraps too – it all counts towards your child's 5 A Day!
Cheesy does it…
Cheese can be high in fat and salt, so choose stronger-tasting ones – and use less of it – or try reduced-fat varieties.
Cut down on crisps
If your child really likes their crisps try reducing the number of times you include them in their lunchbox, and swap for homemade plain popcorn or plain rice cakes instead.
Add bite-sized fruit
Try chopped apple, peeled satsuma segments, strawberries, blueberries, halved grapes or melon slices to make it easier for them to eat. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to stop it from going brown.
Swap the fruit bars
Dried fruit like raisins, sultanas and dried apricots are not only cheaper than processed fruit bars and snacks but can be healthier too. Just remember to keep dried fruit to mealtimes as it can be bad for teeth.
Switch the sweets
Swap cakes, chocolate, cereal bars and biscuits for malt loaf, fruited teacakes, fruit breads or fruit (fresh, dried or tinned – in juice not syrup).
Yoghurts: go low-fat and lower-sugar
Pop in low-fat and lower-sugar yoghurts or fromage frais and add your own fruit.
Get them involved
Get your kids involved in preparing and choosing what goes in their lunchbox. They are more likely to eat it if they helped make it.
Plan to Eatwell
The guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. It can be really useful when thinking about what goes into kids' lunchboxes.
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Further resources:
A Healthy Balanced Diet For Children