Balancing Fun and Food: Healthy Eating Tips for Children Over the Festive Season
Healthy habit hacks for the festive season:
- Where Possible Maintain Regular Meal Routines: Try to maintain regular meal and snack times for children to help give them a sense of security and predictability and minimise over or undereating or undereating due to inconsistent time gaps between meals.
- Monitor Portion Sizes: Avoid overfilling children’s plates or, if they’re serving themselves, encourage them to start with a reasonable serving size, and to come back later if they’re still hungry.
- Offer Healthy Food Choices: Include colourful fruits and vegetables in party snack platters and meals, and find ways to present these creatively, for example, make watermelon Christmas trees, strawberry Santa hats, or veggie candy canes.
- Keep Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water ensures children stay hydrated, and this will also make their stomach feel full, so they’ll feel less like snacking on unhealthy foods.
- Model Balanced Eating: Children learn by example, and it is helpful to show them through your eating habits that all foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle when enjoyed sensibly in moderation. Avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad”, instead talk about how some foods can help us to grow, play, and feel well.
- Involve Children in Food Preparation: Encourage children to help with age-appropriate tasks like mixing, decorating, or choosing recipes. This builds their confidence and curiosity about healthy foods, and they are more likely to try new and healthy dishes they’ve helped create.
- Focus on Fun Beyond Food: Festivities don’t always have to revolve around eating. Plan active adventures with children, such as hiking, beach days, backyard cricket, or evening walks, to balance energy and create lasting memories.
By weaving healthy habits into celebrations and planning ahead, parents can make the festive season nourishing, tasty and joyful for themselves and their child.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email us at childrensservices@theinfantshome.org.au.