meal time
time
Why it’s important to make time for three regular meals
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meal time
We’re all busy these days, so here are some ways to help you
make time for meal time:
1. Meal times
Try to organise the day around three regular mealtimes. It’s easier to keep kids from pestering for
snacks if they know when their next meal is coming.
2. Start at breakfast
It’s the best way to start the day and gives them the energy they need until lunchtime, so it’s
important not to let your kids skip breakfast. Try lower or no added sugar cereals or toast, and if you
add chopped fruit or a glass of unsweetened fruit juice then that counts toward their 5 A DAY too! For
under 5s, dilute fruit juice with 2 parts water to 1 of juice.
3. Have a school lunch
Having a school lunch is a great way to get kids sitting down to a proper meal. All school meals are
designed to give kids the right balance of foods they need to keep healthy, and with at least one
portion of fruit and one portion of veg every lunch time, they will be well on their way to 5 A DAY.
Not only can you be sure that your kids aren’t wasting their lunch money on rubbish, but it’s much less
hassle than making a packed lunch every day too.
4. Eat together when you can
Children like to copy their parents, brothers, sisters and friends. So if you can get children to eat
together, or you can eat with them, they can see and copy others eating a variety of foods – kids enjoy
it and it can save a bit of time too.
5. ‘2 Snax Max’
If kids eat regular meals they shouldn’t need too much filling up in between. Some families find it useful
to set a limit to the number of snacks each day. For example, saying ‘2 Snax Max’, and offering just one
snack in the morning and one in the afternoon fits in really well with three regular meals. Plus if they’re
not snacking too much, children are likely to eat up better at mealtimes. Remember, under 5s often
need a mid-morning and mid-afternoon top-up. Choose healthy snacks such as fruit, breadsticks, rice
cakes or toast.
These swaps are suitable for children over the age of 2. Children under 2 should have full fat dairy products.
From age 2 you can gradually introduce lower fat foods providing they are a good eater and growing well.
© Crown copyright 2010. C4L159 Families poster 3 Meal Time March 2010. Produced by COI for the Department of Health.