Nutrition

Parents and teachers have a crucial role in influencing how children pursue active and healthy lives.

Below are the federal government recommendations on childhood health and nutrition:

• Children need at least 60 minutes per day (up to several hours) in moderate to vigorous physical activity
• Children should eat a variety of healthy foods including seven serves of fruit and vegetables every day
• Children should not spend more than two hours per day using electronic media for entertainment

The number of serves of fruit and vegetables we should eat on an average day depends on body size and activity level. For children the minimum number of serves as recommended by the NHMRC based on age are:

• 4-7 years: 2 serves of vegetables & 1 serve of fruit
• 8-11 years: 3 serves of vegetables & 1 serve of fruit
• 12-18 years: 4 serves of vegetables & 3 serves of fruit

Activities and Food Ideas

Healthy Lunchbox Activity

Find out some simple tips to ensure your children are enjoying healthy and tasty snack and lunch options at school.

Stupendous Safari Lunchbox

School lunches: they’re no picnic!

There’s a jungle of fabulous food options out there but when time’s short how do you keep coming up with tasty, new ideas to tempt young tastebuds?

Feeding Active Kids – The Junior Australian Football Player

It is important for the junior footballer to eat well every day – not just on game day or before a carnival.

Active children need constant refuelling and cooling. Their nutritional needs are of great importance to their overall health, growth and development, as well as to their sporting performance.

The junior athlete will play better, for longer, and recover quicker from training and competition when well-nourished. The junior footballer, who is not getting enough total energy, may become tired, irritable and lethargic, and may even struggle to maintain interest and enjoyment in sport.