Early years - diet and exercise for healthy toddlers and pre-school kids

It’s really important young kids get off to a healthy start. When kids are young it is the ideal time to get into good habits of eating well and moving more. Start kids off in the right direction and as they get older they’ll find it comes as second nature.

There are lots of ways to get toddlers and pre-school kids active and eating well. The key is to involve the whole family and start with small steps – perhaps try out two or three new ideas at a time.

Let’s get cracking!

Sugar swaps - ways to watch your kids' sugar intake

Many foods and drinks have sugar added to them, so keep an eye on the label and choose sugar-free and no added sugar. For a sweet treat, pick foods that are naturally sweet, such as strawberries, honey and  pineapple rather than cakes and biscuits.

Try swapping kids’ sugary drinks for milk (ideally semi-skimmed, but remember, kids under two need full fat milk), water or watered-down 100% fruit juice.

Did you know there’s often a lot of sugar in breakfast cereal? Porridge, eggs on toast and fruit with yoghurt are tasty alternatives.

Ideas for lower-sugar snacks include breadsticks, rice cakes, chopped vegetables and fruit – tinned, frozen or fresh fruit are all great.

For more great ideas on healthy food alternatives and to see how other families are watching their sugar intake, visit the sugar swap section

Snack check - a guide to healthy snacking

As well as 3 meals a day, snacks are important to keep young kids’ energy levels high throughout the day. Get into the habit of giving them a healthy mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. Try toast, rice cakes, homemade plain popcorn or chopped carrots and cucumber with plain yoghurt.

As well as snacks like rice cakes and pitta bread, fruit is also a good choice – whether it’s tinned, frozen or fresh. Bear in mind that dried fruit is really high in sugar, so it’s OK to use it in recipes but not generally as a snack. Don’t give young kids nuts as they can easily choke.

We've got great ideas on how snack check can help you swap to healthier snacks, and a variety of tasty, healthy recipes for inspiration.

Me size meals - healthy portion sizes for kids

Kids need smaller portions than adults – a good way to think about how much smaller kids’ stomachs are is to look at the size of their fist compared to yours. They usually know when they’re full so let them stop when they’ve had enough rather than forcing them to clear their plate. Remember pre-packaged meals are usually designed for adults, so take a small amount out for your child and save the rest for later or get kids to share.

Need easy, quick meal ideas?

Young kids learn from you and what they see around them, so if you eat healthily, they will too.

Fussy eating is very common in kids under 5 and especially between the ages of 1 and 2 and it’s usually just a phase. Keep offering the food, without forcing the point - praise them when they try something new but give them less attention when they won’t.

Visit the me-size meal section for advice for the whole family on smaller portions for smaller tummies.

Meal time - recipes for easy, healthy meals

As soon as your kids start eating solids you can introduce regular mealtimes. Sit down to eat with them if you can – they learn their good habits from you. Ideally, have your meals at regular times and a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Kids need their energy levels topped up throughout the day to help them grow and develop well.

Want to get your kids excited about meal times and keen to try new healthy foods? Could you let them get involved in making it? Even toddlers can get involved in the kitchen, and helping you will make them more likely to eat the results. You can make eating well fun by trying different types of food that looks, smells or tastes unusual. For example, figs, sweet potatoes and pumpkin.

Visit our meal time section for ways to help you make time for healthy meals.

5 A DAY

All kids need at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Each main meal should have lots of vegetables and snack time is an ideal time to boost the fruit and veg tally – chopped cucumber and carrots with lower-fat hummus is delicious. Remember – a portion of fruit or veg roughly fits into their hand.

It’s easier than you think to get up to the magic number:

• Fresh, frozen and tinned fruit all counts (go for fruit in natural juices, not syrup).
• Drinks such as watered down 100% fruit juice and home-made smoothies count too.
• Chop up vegetables and add to pasta and pizzas.
• Make fruit and vegetables into fun shapes.
• Add grated carrots or peppers to stews and sauces.

Try our '5 A DAY' game for fun ideas to get the kids to eat more fruit and vegetables.

Up and about - activities for healthy kids

It’s important for kids to take part in active play throughout the day. Pre-school children need to burn off energy, explore, learn new skills, use their imagination and develop healthy, strong bodies.

Kids love games that get them jumping, dancing, catching and running. Favourite games include musical statues, wiggly worms, hot potato and penguin shuffle.

Find out how to play these outdoor games and more (PDF, 1MB)

Whatever the weather, go outside – even if it means getting a bit dirty. Take a run around the park or walk to the shops instead of going on the bus (you’ll save money too). Look for playgrounds, local fields, city farms, beaches or country parks nearby. Take a football, a skipping rope and the dog.

If you’re indoors, dancing is always a favourite, as is hide and seek and party games like musical bumps, heads, shoulders, knees and toes, and duck, duck, goose. Most kids love making dens, and getting them to tidy up afterwards keeps them moving too.