Eleven nutrition pointers for super healthy kids

Follow these super smart nutrition for super healthy kids:

1. ALWAYS eat breakfast. Even one teaspoon of porridge, muesli, smoothie or one fruit, is better than nothing at all.
2. Attempt to add plain white yogurt sweetened with fresh pureed fruit or honey daily to breakfast. Discourage eating sweetened, colored and flavored yogurts.
3. Encourage drinking water. Reward drinking water by offering a second glass of diluted fruit juice or homemade ice tea. (Mix strong Rooibos tea with pure apple juice, 50:50). You can make ice-lollies from diluted fruit juice.
4. Do not TREAT with sweets. Discourage tuck shop money – instead pack a healthy lunch box.
5. Keep eating fast food to the bare minimum. Attempt to give them a choice of eating fast food or extra pocket money for eating at home.
6. School lunch boxes should be a healthy mix of:
   • Brown or rye bread with the following options: peanut butter, honey, cottage cheese, chicken slices or a puree of cooked vegetables.
   • Raw cucumber, carrot, gherkins, or fruit.
   • Raw nuts and pumpkin seeds with some raisins.
7. Make effort to eat at least one meal a day at the table. Encourage slow eating and good chewing, laughter and relaxing music. End off a good meal playing the board game, FOODLES.
8. Vary the diet often and reward trying out new foods, especially vegetables. Experiment with wraps, homemade vegetable muffins, and various salads instead of a sandwich for lunch.
9. Use a reputable multivitamin and mineral supplement as well as Omega 3 fish oil.
10. Make homemade energy drinks for sport by mixing a 100 ml prepared rehydrating powder used for diarrhea, to 200 ml  red grape juice. Avoid flavored water drinks, which do not contain colorants but still contain sugar or sweetener and other chemical additives. These drinks are NOT water.
11. Choose snacks from the following options:
    • fruit and nuts
    • dried fruits
    • raw vegetable sticks with a dip made from cottage cheese or white yogurt as base, with added chutney, chopped onions and gherkins
    • fruit smoothies
    • homemade non-microwave popcorn
    • homemade cookies and crunchies made from healthy recipe options.

Thanks to dietician, Carine de Lange ([email protected]) for her contribution to this important matter.