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Healthy Eating for Children Aged 5 to 12 years

Eating and drinking well in childhood is essential for proper growth and development, but can also establish healthy eating patterns to promote good health and wellbeing in later life.

At this age, children are growing quickly and becoming more active. The best way for them to get all the food and nutrients they need in the day is to have a regular pattern of eating – for example, three meals a day with some nutritious snacks in between.

It is important to encourage your child to eat a healthy balanced diet based on the principles of the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide applies in full to children (from 2 years) and adults and shows the different amounts and types of foods needed to enjoy a well-balanced and healthy diet, giving us an overview of what is recommended to eat and drink over a period of time, such as a week. Watch this short video on the Eatwell Guide for useful hints and tips.

Healthy Weight

Children above a healthy weight are more likely to remain so as adults, increasing their risk of preventable health conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

To help your child maintain a healthy weight try to encourage them to:

  • eat a healthy and varied diet
  • limit the amount of foods, drinks and snacks that are high in fat and sugar  
  • move more - children should be active for at least 60 minutes a day

Eating and lifestyle habits are established early in life. Children are likely to adopt the same eating patterns as their parents, so it is important that the whole family adopt a healthy lifestyle.

For more information on healthy weight for children visit the NHS website or the healthy weight advice for parents. 

Diet and dental health

It is important to try to limit the number of times a day that children have sugary foods and drinks and, if possible, keep them to mealtimes. The risk of developing tooth decay increases as the amount and frequency of sugar intake rises. Soft drinks such as carbonated drinks and squashes, and fruit juices can be high in free sugars which can be harmful to teeth, so choose reduced sugar versions and dilute fruit juices. These drinks may also be acidic, and this can damage the protective enamel on teeth. To help protect teeth encourage your child to drink water or milk and remember to keep soft drinks to mealtimes.

Snack foods containing free sugars such as sweets, cakes, biscuits and chocolate should be limited, especially between mealtimes, as they can promote tooth decay. If your child eats these snack foods, they should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts.

For more information about how to look after children’s teeth visit https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/taking-care-of-childrens-teeth/

Breakfast

Breakfast is our first opportunity of the day to provide nutrition to our body, which has been fasted overnight. Mornings can be chaotic for families and some children just don’t feel hungry, so they skip breakfast. But taking time to start the day with a nutritious breakfast is important because it helps children to fuel their body for the day ahead while providing important vitamins, minerals and fibre. Evidence also shows that eating a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day can contribute to improved readiness to learn, increased concentration, and improved wellbeing and behaviour.

Find more information and breakfast ideas here:  

https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/healthy-breakfast.html

https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/breakfast/

Top Tip

Many breakfast cereals are fortified with added vitamins and minerals and can be a quick, easy and nutritious option for breakfast. Try to choose high fibre varieties to help keep your child feeling fuller for longer and prevent constipation, and watch out for breakfast cereals that contain lots of sugar e.g. any that are chocolate, honey or sugar coated. 

School Food

All primary school children in Wales have been eligible for free school meals since 2024. The food and drink provided in schools can make a positive contribution towards giving children a healthy balanced diet and encouraging them to develop good eating habits. Government regulations guide primary and secondary schools to provide healthy and balanced meals and healthier snacks. In Wales these regulations set out nutritional standards for an average school lunch as well as food and drink requirements throughout the school day. This means meals and other foods served throughout the day should be nutritious and of good quality.

If you choose to provide a packed lunch for your child, check whether their school has a packed lunch policy. For healthy lunchbox ideas visit https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-02/healthy-lunchboxes-leaflet.pdf or https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes/

Child Measurement Programme

The Child Measurement Programme measures the height and weight of children at the age of 5 in Reception class. The school nurse will provide information to parents on the Child Measurement Programme prior to this universal contact, with the option for families to opt out. 

This national programme allows learning on how children in Wales are growing so that NHS Wales can better plan and deliver health services and for the school nurse to assess a child’s health and development.

Further information and resources