Healthy eating habits for children

Healthy eating and children’s appetites

Children’s appetites can change from day to day. These changes are usually nothing to worry about.

Sometimes your child might want to eat a lot. That’s fine. Just make sure that you offer your child healthy food.

Other times your child might not want to eat as much. That’s OK too. If your child doesn’t want to eat, they’ll probably make up for it at the next meal or even the next day. It’s best not to force things or offer other foods as rewards, because this teaches children not to listen to their appetites.

Your role is to offer your child healthy food and opportunities to eat it. It’s up to your child to decide how much to eat – or whether to eat at all. If your child is growing and developing well, they’re probably getting enough to eat.

The most powerful way to send healthy food messages to children is by being a good role model – that is, by letting children see you make healthy eating choices every day. Children tend to do what they see you doing.

‘Tummy talk’ and healthy eating behaviour

When you help your child learn about how their tummy ‘talks’ to their brain, your child will start to understand their appetite and hunger better.

For example, you can explain to your child that their brain realises their tummy is full only about 20 minutes after the food gets into their tummy.

Also, you can tell your child that their hunger is partly determined by how much:

physical activity they’ve done
food they’ve eaten over the last couple of days.

Offering meals and snacks at regular times encourages a better appetite at mealtimes. Regular meals and snacks can be part of a healthy eating routine.

Eating too much

When children eat too much, they eat more food than their body needs for growth and development. If you’re concerned that your child tends to eat too much, here are things to try:

Offer a slightly smaller portion of food. If your child finishes it, you can offer a small second helping. This gives your child’s brain and tummy a chance to catch up, which might help your child recognise that they feel full with smaller portions of food.
If your child doesn’t eat part of the meal – for example, the vegetables – this is your child’s choice. It isn’t a good idea to offer extra serves of other food – for example, meat – to make up for missing vegetables.
Serve your child’s food on a smaller plate. This way your child gets the right-sized portion but still gets a ‘full plate’ of food.
Avoid distractions like TV or toys during mealtimes. This will help your child focus on their appetite and notice when they’re full.

Not eating enough

When children don’t eat enough, their bodies don’t get enough nutrients for growth and development.

If you feel your child doesn’t eat enough at mealtimes or doesn’t have an appetite, you could try the following strategies:

Offer food around the same times each day. If children eat at regular mealtimes, they’re more likely to be hungry at that time of day.
Encourage your child to eat more at mealtimes by making sure you serve small amounts at snack times. One small snack between regular mealtimes is usually plenty as an energy top-up, unless your child has been very active. If your child has too many snacks or the snacks are too big, your child can feel too full before a main meal.
Avoid offering your child an alternative if they don’t eat a meal. Your child might just have a small appetite at that time.

If you’re worried about your child’s growth or eating habits, speak to a GP, paediatrician or dietitian.

Healthy eating and food messages for children

Healthy eating habits start at home.

Giving your child healthy, nutritious foods is important for their growth and development. It also helps to surround your child with messages about healthy eating habits and food. This can help your child make healthy food choices, now and in the future.

Here are ideas for healthy eating and food messages:

Try to have a bowl full of fresh fruit within easy view and reach on the kitchen table or bench. You can offer fruit as a snack or as a top-up if your child is still hungry after meals.
Stock your pantry and fridge with plenty of healthy, nutritious options, and leave the ‘sometimes’ food on the supermarket shelves.
Try to choose fruit and vegetables of different colours, textures and tastes. The more variety there is, the more likely it is your child will find something that they’re interested in eating.
Get your child involved in planning and preparing meals. If your child has helped to make the meal, they’re more likely to eat it.
Enjoy healthy meals together as a family as often as possible. Look for opportunities to eat together that work for your family’s routine. For example, eating together at breakfast and on weekends might work well for your family.
Turn off the TV while eating. This way your child is paying attention to eating, to the fresh healthy food choices you offer, and to their ‘tummy talk’.
Read books that have healthy food messages for your child – for example, books with pictures of fruits and vegetables. Get your child to point out different types, colours, shapes and so on.

Keep healthy snacks handy at home – and try to avoid buying unhealthy ones. Children will take the healthy option if it’s the only one they have. For example, you could have a bowl of fresh fruit on the bench and a container of vegetable sticks in the fridge.