7 tips to keep your kids healthy

The habits that we learn as children tend to stay with us into adult life. Parents are the providers, the nurturers and mentors and if you lead by example and take control of what’s in the pantry and fridge and make healthy choices for meals and snacks you can turn an unhealthy child into a healthy happy kid so let’s help them as much as we can.

It’s not fun being an over weight adult but for a child it can damage them for life. I know because I was once a fat kid. So what are some of the consequences of being an overweight child? Stretch marks, early puberty, unable to wear the clothes that their friends are wearing, eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, acne, greasy limp hair, lack of energy, hard to get a boyfriend or girlfriend, bullying at school, low self esteem and finally depression and possible suicide…

Here are 7 tips to keep your kids healthy & help ensure they get the best possible start

Eating habits are often set in the first few years of life. Do not force your child to finish what is on their plate. Let them recognise the signs of when they are full.
Kids drink too many sweet drinks. A can of soft drink has around 9 teaspoons of sugar. Replace sugary drinks such as soft drinks and juice with water. If this doesn’t go over well, then add diet cordial to the water.
When serving up meals for children, remember their stomach is much smaller than ours. You should be able to see the difference between your serve to theirs.
Get them away from the TV and computer. Enrol them into a sport or encourage them to go walking with you before school or after dinner.
Keep a plentiful supply of fresh fruits, canned fruit in natural juice, low joule jellies, yoghurts, rice crackers, and pretzels to name just a few for snacking. The ideal snack should be low in fat and sugar.
It’s not recommended to give skim milk to children under 3. For older children physical skim has more calcium and hardly any fats.
Takeaways are very high in saturated fat. For example, a meal from a well-known hamburger joint can be as much as 80g of fat. Everything in moderation, so don’t make takeaway meals a normal everyday occurrence.
Unless your child is obese never put them on a diet. Instead, just give them the healthy choices and as they grow they will balance out. Set realistic goals and let them decide what they really want to achieve.

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.

158 Comments

- - mom109229 said
  - 30 Sep 2015
    10:38 pm
This was an interesting mini article. Thanks for posting!

- - eliseellabban81 said
  - 14 Jan 2015
    10:26 pm
Some great commonsense tips here for kids. BTW – I LOVE your Symply Cookbooks . I have three of them and we use them all the time
- mom94125 replied
  
  19 Oct 2015 , 6:32 pm
  i am going to look for these as the recipes and articles are great
  - symplytoogood replied
    
    08 Apr 2016 , 9:23 am
    
    All 7 cookbooks are available in all good newsagents. If they don’t have them in stock, they can order them in through our distributor Gordon & Gotch
- - mom94125 said
  - 03 Jan 2015
    7:53 pm
when they do go to school, enrol them in sport or drama classes etc

- - taynik46 said
  - 08 Sep 2014
    4:32 pm
I find my kids go through phases with their eating – sometimes they are really good and eat everything in moderation and then at other times they just eat and eat sugary stuff (yes I know my fault for letting them) – I just wish there was an easy way to make the healthy stuff way more appertising than the sugary stuff!

- - nida saeed said
  - 28 Jun 2014
    3:25 pm
so sensible tips. i do quite a few of them and i think every mum should…my fav read.

- - mom57184 said
  - 06 Jun 2014
    3:27 pm
I find the snacks hardest. They love sugar laden treats.

- - gem1991 said
  - 03 Jun 2014
    4:14 pm
Fantastic ideas, thank you heaps:)

- - sweetbell said
  - 03 Jun 2014
    1:40 pm
There is some great advice for parents here thanks heaps.

- - kazh said
  - 29 May 2014
    8:31 pm
Really good advice. Thank you

- - scottie said
  - 29 May 2014
    4:32 pm
We’re trying to teach that there are not good foods or bad foods but rather that there are sometime and all of the time foods.

- - christial said
  - 28 May 2014
    9:31 pm
Oh I think I should start keeping some low joule jelly on hand. My little one has a very big sweet tooth! Probably from his daddy!

- - mom57522 said
  - 28 May 2014
    12:17 pm
I try to make meal times a pleasant experience with the whole family together.

- - mom57522 said
  - 19 May 2014
    5:55 pm
I like to talk to my kids about what’s healthy and what’s not.

- - Happymum-2 said
  - 14 May 2014
    5:46 pm
a very interesting read, some helpful information

- - mom57522 said
  - 12 May 2014
    8:35 pm
Our number one drink at home is water.

- - scottie said
  - 05 May 2014
    9:41 am
thankfully mine prefers her milk to soft drink

- - cheezel said
  - 26 Apr 2014
    8:25 pm
It is shocking now much sugar there is in soft drinks
- ginoula5 replied
  
  30 Aug 2014 , 10:25 am
  I know, about 10-12 tspns of sugar per can I believe.
- - kylesnova said
  - 14 Apr 2014
    10:53 pm
Luckily my kids (mostly) like drinking water, but, given a chance will guzzle fizzy until they burst.

- - jadeeeee said
  - 27 Mar 2014
    10:10 pm
Interesting to read, very helpful – thanks for sharing

- - mummy liana said
  - 21 Mar 2014
    9:24 pm
thanks for sharing, was a good read