Healthy and happy kids!
Children benefit so much from having a healthy and nutritious diet, it supports them to get the right vitamins, minerals and develop. Children who eat healthy foods are more likely to have more energy, motivation and have higher levels of concentration which can support them with their education.
All children should have a positive and healthy relationship with food and when this is taught from a young age it supports them to make healthier choices when they become adults.
Eating Healthily at Home
There are lots of quick and easy ways to get kids to eat exciting and healthy meals.There are lots of meal ideas and recipes on the Get in the know about healthy eating webpage, to help you create meals for each food group.
If you like the sound of chicken and banana korma sound coconut rice salad, jerk-style skewers, nutty apple and celery rice cakes, spicy chicken and salad wrap or traffic light omelettes, give them ago. You could also involve the kids, to help them understand food, cook in a fun way whilst at the same time keeping them occupied.
Click the links here for recipes which have been put together by the Children’s Nutrition Team, which you and your family will be sure to enjoy.
Tameside Top Tips:
- Get the kids involved in making their own tea, this is a great way to increase their interest in food and can also keep them busy whilst being at home.
- Saturday night make-away! Get the household together and cook up a storm.
Packed Lunches & School Meals
We know that most children and families will be at home now following the Governments guidelines on Coronavirus, some children may be key workers children and may still be going into school. Whether your child is at home or in school there are still some packed lunch ideas you can try out and even get the kids involved to help prepare and create their own packed lunch.
Packed lunches are great for a picnic in the garden, a picnic get together over FaceTime with friends, packed lunches for key worker children going into school or how about picking a packed lunch to have over FaceTime with tech savvy friends and family so everyone can keep connected and socialise or how about packed lunches just because it is sometimes good to keep a routine.
If your child(ren) has packed lunches, take a look here for more information on providing your child with a healthy packed lunch:
Get the kids involved! Children helping to prepare their healthy lunchbox educates them on healthy food choices and they are more likely to eat it if they helped make it
Add salad to sandwiches and wraps etc, it will become normal and it counts towards your child’s 5 A DAY
Make the packed lunch fun. Giving children food they can dip makes a fun change.
Schools meals can offer pupils freshly cooked main meals and desserts. Dinner time during a school day is important as children get a chance to eat a heathy and nutritious meal, which provides them with energy and fuel for concentrating, learning and playing.