It's easier than you think to take control throughout the day
A good breakfast is an important part of the day. Get off to a great start with some simple breakfast tips.
Sugary cereal
Plain cereal such as plain porridge, plain wholewheat biscuit cereals, or plain shredded wholewheat
Try adding a sliced banana to plain porridge or plain wholewheat biscuits (like Weetabix or supermarket own-brand varieties). It's one of your 5 A DAY, too!
When serving up plain cereal, try adding different fruit – like raspberries or blueberries – and low-fat, lower-sugar yoghurt.
Try semi-skimmed, 1% or fully skimmed milk with cereal – but remember, fully skimmed milks are not suitable for children under 5.
Instead of sugary cereal, try wholegrain toast. And if they want jam or low-fat spreads, spread it thinly – it’s just as tasty!
Mix plain porridge oats with fruit and low fat, lower-sugar yoghurt and leave it soften overnight in the fridge. Served up the next day, it’s delicious!
Try lower-fat soft cheese on bagels topped with scrummy sliced banana.
Forget jams and chocolate spreads – mash a banana and spread it on toast instead. Experiment with other soft fruits, like berries.
Mum, Cheltenham
Sugary drinks have no place in our kids’ daily diets.
Sugary drinks, fizzy drinks and juice drinks
Plain water, lower-fat milks and no added sugar/low sugar drinks
Pour a healthier drink into a cup or glass and they may not notice it’s different to the more sugary one they’re used to.
Fruit juices and smoothies are sugary but still count as one of your 5 A DAY. Limit to 150mls a day and have it with a meal because it can cause tooth decay.
When shopping, it’s easy to think you’re getting a better deal with the big bottles of pop and juice - but it just means you’re drinking more sugar.
If buying fizzy drinks, why not try the sugar-free or diet options? No one will likely notice the difference!
Instead of sugary, fizzy drinks, try lower-fat milks for a change. Fresh and ice-cold from the fridge, it tastes great, and it’s a great source of calcium too.
Instead of a fizzy drink, try sparkling water poured over ice, served with a wedge of lime or lemon. Add a couple of straws and it should go down refreshingly well!
For a weekend treat, blend a banana with some ice cubes and cold semi-skimmed milk and sprinkle with cinnamon – scrummy!
Mum, Manchester
Kids are often hungry after school, so put together some healthier snacks to take with you. Then, if sweets and cakes tempt them, you've got a healthier alternative to offer!
Muffin
Fruit, cut-up veg, plain rice cakes, toast or bagel
If you find your child is offered sweet snacks by friends, try to limit how much they eat by keeping them small. Cut chocolate into squares and break cakes and biscuits in half.
Ask your kids to help prepare healthier snacks – they are more likely to eat it, if they’ve helped prepared it!
Before you pick up the kids from school, put together some healthier snacks to take with you. Then if sweets and cakes tempt them, you’ve got a handy alternative to offer!
Toast with low-fat spreads or reduced fat hummus will help keep them going until dinner time.
Some families find it helpful to only have sweet snacks once a week.
Try the simplest tip in the book – don’t have sugary snacks in the house! Skip that aisle in the supermarket and avoid the checkouts with loads of treats on display.
I left carrots and cucumber sticks on the table so they were there when they came in and they went straight for them instead of into the cupboard. I was actually quite shocked.
Mum, Herts
Cutting down on sugar doesn’t mean no more puds! Try these tips for healthier desserts.
Chilled dessert, yoghurt, ice cream, sugary jelly, puddings
Lower-fat, lower-sugar yoghurts, fruit, tinned fruit or sugar-free jelly, tinned fruit (in juice, not syrup)
Don’t forget about ‘me sized’ puds because we don’t all need to eat the same amount of food – and children need less than adults.
If you're having ice cream at home, try serving up half what you would normally give your family and add more fruit instead.
Apple and blackberry crumble is easy to make without much sugar. Serve with a dollop of low-fat, lower-sugar yoghurt sprinkled with cinnamon.
Want a weekend treat? Try fruit…tinned fruit in its own juice is delicious; a handful of dried cranberries or raisins are a tasty choice after a meal.
If eating out for a treat and you fancy topping it off with a pudding – why not share? Restaurants are very happy to bring one pudding and two or more spoons.
If you fancy ice cream, choose low-fat, lower-sugar yoghurt instead. There are some very tasty fruit options in the supermarket.
I make banana ice lollies by peeling a banana and pushing in a lolly stick and freezing them. They taste great and are a great healthy alternative to normal ice lollies and count towards your 5 A DAY.
Mum, Selkirk
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