Many parents of school-aged children express concern about their child’s eating patterns, fussy eating, appetite and growth. Around 1/3 of children consume little or no fruit or vegetables, around 40% don’t have milk products for breakfast, and there is a general decline in milk and fruit consumption from 2 years to 11 years of age.

During the primary years, an increasing proportion of meals are eaten away from home, with a greater inclusion of high fat ‘snack’ foods. The proportion of children eating dinner with their families declines with the age of the child.
 
Breakfast
   
Breakfast is important for school children, providing an immediate energy source as well as improving concentration level. Not only does breakfast consumption contribute favourably to academic performance, it also improves the nutritional adequacy of the total daily intake of children. On average about 20 percent of children skip breakfast on a regular basis. Skipping breakfast is a frequent pattern seen in the eating habits of overweight children where a higher proportion of the day’s energy intake is likely to be consumed in the later part of the day.
 
Snacks

Snacks provide around 1/3 of the total energy and nutrient requirements of children. Snacks are an important part of a healthy diet for active children. There is no relationship between snacking and the development of overweight in childhood. The important factor is to make snacks nutritious not just high energy.
 
Lunchboxes

A significant amount of the child’s total intake is consumed at meals and snacks during school hours.
 
Recommended foods to include

Healthy school lunchboxes should provide a variety of foods from the major food groups including breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy foods and meat/protein foods. For more information refer to the publication
 
Dental caries

More than half of all Victorian primary school children seen by the School Dental Service have signs of dental decay. Daily tooth brushing as well as a healthy diet are important factors in the prevention of dental caries. Unflavoured milk and milk products, whole fruit and vegetables are less likely to cause decay than sucrose, sugar added to manufactured foods, soft drinks, cordials, fruit juices and honey. 

What motivates children?
 
Healthy eating messages alone are not enough to motivate children. Boys are more likely to adopt healthy eating is the message is linked to physical attributes such as physical strength, sporting prowess and better performance. Girls are more likely to be motivated by their physical appearance.

Related article: Vegetarian diet in Children.

Cathryn Curtin is a qualified nurse, midwife and maternal and child health nurse specialising in assisting women during pregnancy, birth and parenting.  She has over 32 years experience.  Cathryn saw the need for families to have one on one support due to early discharge from hospital and ongoing support during the first few years of parenting. Cathryn and her team aim to provide individual care of the woman post birth. Cathryn's expertise is in breast feeding, sleep and settling, support to women with Post Natal Depression, general parenting, family coaching and support. Cathryn can be contacted for consultation on www.cathryncurtin.com.au.