NUTRITION

The Infant and Toddler Forum shares ideas for keeping children healthy and active over the festive period

Even the most conscientious adult can struggle to maintain their healthy eating habits over the festive period. This behaviour will be picked up by children and it can be easy for families to fall into a pattern of reaching for snacks.
This time of year can also see usual rules on screen time relaxed or abandoned altogether as there is often more free time to fill and families may be busier than usual and distracted.

How can we help parents strike a balance between celebrating the season and offering children treats, while still keeping toddlers healthy?
Here are some ideas from the ITF to help…

The portion trap
Indulgent eating over special occasions can easily continue into the whole festive period, particularly if families relax their usual eating habits. It is worth considering what one predictor of how much children eat is how much is put on their plates.
A toddler’s energy needs are significantly lower than an adult’s so they require smaller meals. But data collected by the ITF’s Tot it Up survey found that many toddlers are served much bigger portions than is necessary across all food types – including milk and snacks.

Parents often have anxiety about what and how much to feed their children. How much a toddler eats can vary widely from day-to-day and meal-to-meal. Families should not worry if some days their toddler eats less than on other days.

Planning is key – here are some ideas for making sure your celebrations are toddler-sized!

1. Keep healthy snacks prepared and on hand.
   
   
2. Toddlers may not be keen on some of the traditional festive foods so introduce these slowly and in a fun and imaginative way.
   
   
3. Remember that children eat with their eyes first. If something looks unfamiliar or unpleasant try to prepare or serve it in a way that makes it more appealing for children.
   
   
4. Children can of course enjoy the season but treats should be given in moderation. Don’t store favourite treats within easy reach of toddlers so that they can’t sneak a sweet treat or three!
   
   
5. Involve children with food preparation. Get in the spirit by playing festive music and enjoying hands on activities.

This time of year can also see children’s use of screens increase. Watching on screens can be as tempting as treats when there is a lot of downtime. Trying to manage this can add to parents stress at this time of year.

Here are some ideas to help families manage screen time:

1. Make screen time a social time – Toddlers can watch, interpret and play with their friends and family while using the screen together.
   
   
2. Choose the right kind of screen time – Make sure that what children are watching, playing and reading is of high quality and is safe.
   
   
3. Create screen-free zones at home – This could include the bedroom – especially before bedtime.
   
   
4. Encourage other activities – Active play inside and outside the house should be encouraged, including playing in the park, walking upstairs, bouncing on trampolines, dancing, running, walking and other activities.
   
   
5. Remind families of the guidelines – the Department of Health suggests that children under five-years-old should be physically activity for at least three hours a day. The World Health Organisation recommends that children under two should have no screen time and toddlers should only have up to one hour each day.

Find out more
For more information or practical tips on childhood nutrition and positive eating habits, visit infantandtoddlerforum.org