NCD Watch

Start Early with Healthy Eating

26 Mar 2012 (Mon)

Eating habits, once formed, can be hard to break. Young children who develop a sweet tooth and dislike for vegetables will find it much harder to maintain a healthy diet in their later life than children raised with a balanced diet. Local research showed that many Hong Kong preschool children do not eat well. The Child Health Survey 2005/06 showed that in the 7 days preceding the survey, 46.6% of children aged 2 - 6 ate less than 1 unit of fruit per day; 49.8% had less than half bowl of vegetables per meal; 29.1% had less than 1 cup of cow’s milk per day. At the same time, 13.7% of them consumed junk snacks such as chips and candies at least once a day, and 15.2% drank soft drinks at least 1 cup a day.

Eating well helps young children grow healthily, develop properly and function well at home, in school and in the community. Thus, parents and carers should encourage young children to try and taste a variety of nutritious foods from each food group, while keeping the right portion size appropriate to the children's age. Choose healthier snacks whenever possible, such as fresh fruit, cherry tomatoes, boiled egg or green sandwich. Avoid offering snacks that are high in sugar, salt and fat, such as confectionary, chocolate, cakes, prawn crackers or potato chips. Serve young children plain water, which is the best drink for all age groups, and avoid giving them soft drinks or other sugary drinks.