This week is National Obesity Week, and along with many other organisations we at Active Superstars want to tackle childhood obesity. It is considered to be one of the most serious global public health challenges, with nearly 10% of children in first school being obese.
Variety over Volume
With everything getting bigger, so do portion sizes. A lot of parents do not have knowledge on the portion sizes that their children should be eating. A child aged 4-6 years should not be having a plate larger than 7 inches, and this should consist of half vegetables, one quarter protein and one quarter starch such as rice or potatoes. Children should be having 2 and a half cups of fruit or veg a day. Having the correct portion sizes can ensure that children are not over eating.
Drink, Drink, Drink!
One of the easiest way to ensure that your child is eating healthily is to monitor what drinks they are consuming. Water is the easiest way to stay hydrated and is sugar free. Not all children like water on its own, so adding a small amount of sugar free squash is a great alternative. Dilute 7 parts water and 3 parts squash. The main point to take from this is: stay away from the sugar high fizzy pop and no energy drinks!
Treat Temptations
Treats are okay in moderation; however, they should be limited to develop healthy eating habits. One way of doing this is introducing healthier foods as treats. Apples and bananas make great treats, and 1 cup of blueberries or grapes are great as they are low in sugar but sweet enough to feel like a naughty treat. Children may also like carrot sticks with 1 tbsp. of hummus.
Sugar Intake
You may have noticed that in the news recently there has been a large amounts of reports on the sugar intake of children. That’s because children are eating so much sugar that is obviously having negative effects on their health, including diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay. Some sugary cereals have as much as 56 cubes of sugar in them! And that’s before the day has even started! That’s why it is important to monitor children’s sugar intake and the sugar in the food that they eat. Downloading the Change4Life app is a great way to keep a check onthis, as it can be used to scan barcodes and find out how much sugar and salt is in foods. This will give you a good idea whether it is suitable for your children to eat.
The Benefits
The benefits of having a healthy lifestyle from a young age will be seen as they grow up. Healthy habits are ones that will stay, furthering your child’s likelihood of having a healthier future.
Active Superstars offer high quality sports activities to keep children active, and to introduce them to healthy habits. To book your child into a dance or football academy, or to find out more call Active Superstars today on 0121 222 5464 or email info@activesuperstars.co.uk
