Get your kids to a healthy school start with nutrition
Summer may be coming to an end, and new research has busted the myth that children dread the end of summer and the start of the new school year, the survey found that 62% of children are excited at the prospect of going back to school in September.
The survey by Haliborange found that children are looking forward to making new friend and going into a new class, in contrast to their kids the majority of parents dread the new school year, with those surveyed commenting that their biggest fears are bullying, struggling to make friends and may not cope in classes.
But there’s no need to worry about their nutrition.
Nutritionist Dr Sarah Schenker, who is working with Haliborange to stress the importance of nutrition for back to school, comments: “All parents hope to wave their little ones off on the first day of school knowing they’re in the best health possible. Although it’s great to see the majority are ensuring their children are well rested, I am surprised that more parents don’t prioritise their kid’s diets, considering the awareness of the positive role diet can play in boosting immunity.
“Children need good nutrition to grow and develop, and providing adequate nutrients, vitamins and minerals is an essential part of this, both immediately to get through the busy school day, and long-term for their future well-being. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as dehydration, can lead to fatigue and poor health; tiredness resulting from poor nutrition can compromise concentration and consequently performance in school.
“Omega-3 is proven to increase brain function and concentration in kids so making sure they have their recommended intake can play a huge role in their overall performance. Whilst 56% of parents surveyed recognised the health benefits of Omega-3, just 20% of children surveyed regularly achieve the recommended intake.
“Vitamin C is essential for a healthy immune system and a key part of any child’s diet – particularly with viruses being rife during the colder months. Vitamin D helps promote healthy bone development and wards off health problems such as rickets, which recent studies show is on the rise in the UK.
“Supplementation is a useful way to help your children get the nutrients they need to shine through their school days and beyond.”
The survey revealed that nutrition is at the forefront of parents’ minds during term time, with 47% of parents commenting they were concerned about their child’s eating habits during the school year, with most fearing their child was not getting the adequate nutritional balance for healthy development. Yet with a huge 8 in 10 parents considering their children to be a ‘fussy eaters’, this could be a concern around the limited appeal of school dinners.
Indeed, 71% of parents regularly prepare a different meal for their children in a bid to ensure they eat regularly - just one in 10 parents surveyed stated their child almost always eats the same food as they do. As always, green vegetables were the most unpopular food, with over 35% of parents commenting they struggle to persuade their children to eat their greens.
Dr Schenker continues: “All children have foods which they are reluctant to eat, and this can be incredibly frustrating to parents – particularly if this leads to concerns that kids aren’t getting the nutritional intake they should be.
“There are, however, some great ways to encourage your children to try new foods:
Cooking together and allowing them to feel they’ve been involved in the meal preparation will make kids far more inclined to try new ingredients.
Ask your child to try small portions of foods they’re wary of. Suggesting a child eats a whole portion of a food they aren’t inclined to try can be a sure-fire route to refusal, so suggest they just try two mouthfuls of a new food.
Eating together and ensuring children see their parents eating a balanced diet is really important too, so set aside a few evenings a week to enjoy meals as a family.”
Tagged in Nutrition Healthy eating Parenting Tips