Tips for setting up healthy eating habits for life
- Start early – children who develop healthy eating habits from a young age are more likely to continue these healthy habits as they grow into adults.
- Let them decide how much to eat – it’s your role to offer healthy choices, and their role to decide what and how much to eat.
- Trust their appetite – children’s hunger can change day to day as well as the food they like and dislike. Some days they will be very hungry and others they won’t want to eat much at all. Both are okay.
- Include new foods with familiar foods – sometimes it takes several times of offering the same food before a child wants to try it. Don’t give up.
- Keep mealtimes enjoyable – forcing or bribing doesn’t help children overcome fussy eating.
- Be a role model – children are more likely to eat food they see their family and friends eat.
What are healthy foods?
Healthy foods are foods that come from the 5 food groups and include:
- Wholegrain or wholemeal breads, cereals, rice, pasta, oats and noodles.
- Vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, broccoli, peas and lettuce. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables are all healthy options.
- Fruit like apples, bananas, oranges and pears. Fresh, frozen and canned fruit (in natural juices) are all healthy options.
- Milk, yoghurt and cheese. Choose full-fat versions for children under 2 years old.
- Lean meats including chicken without skin, kangaroo, pork, lamb and beef with the fat cut off, and lean mince.
- Seafood, fish and shellfish. Fresh, frozen and canned are all healthy options.
- Eggs – boiled, scrambled and poached.
- Nuts, seeds or nut butters like peanut or almond butter or tahini. Whole nuts and seeds may cause choking in young children and should not be given to children under 3 years.
- Tofu and legumes such as lentils, kidney beans, baked beans and chickpeas.
Getting children active
Being active, reducing screen and sitting time and learning key movement skills teaches healthy habits and gets children ready for activities like sports, games and energetic free play as they grow.
Playing and being active helps children to:
- build strong bones and muscles
- improve balance, movement and coordination
- boost mental, emotional and social wellbeing
- sleep well
- have a healthy weight
- build confidence
- improve concentration.
You can help get children moving in lots of ways. The Munch & Move Active Kids resource provides practical tips to ensure your children are getting enough movement and activity throughout the day.
Munch & Move resources for families
Munch & Move has practical tips and resources to help families:
Other helpful resources
Healthy living
The Healthy Living website provides information, tips and services to support a healthy lifestyle for you and your family.
Healthy recipes
Explore the recipe library on the Healthy Living website for low cost, simple and healthy recipes the whole family can enjoy.
Brighter Beginnings
The Brighter Beginnings Hub has information and services for parents and carers, from pregnancy to starting school
Get Healthy Service
The Get Healthy Service is a free health coaching service to help you reach your health goals. It is open to all NSW residents aged 16 years and over.
Get Healthy in Pregnancy is a free tailored health coaching service for pregnant women in NSW to help you stay healthy during pregnancy and beyond.
Go4Fun
Go4Fun Online is a free 10-week healthy lifestyle program for NSW primary school-aged children and their families.