A healthy balanced diet is important for preschool children as healthy eating in childhood reduces your child’s chance of developing health problems as they get older.
The key to healthy eating is to consume a variety of nutritious foods from each of the 5 food groups. If you eat a variety of foods from each of these groups, your body will receive all the nutrients and vitamins it needs to function daily.
Each of the 5 different food groups has different nutrients in which your child’s body needs to grow and work properly. That’s why we need to eat a range of foods from across all the five food groups. These groups include: Fruit, Vegetables, Grains, Proteins and Dairy.
Fruit
The fruit food group provides vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and many phytonutrients (nutrients naturally present in plants), that help your body stay healthy. It gives your child energy, vitamins, fibre and water.
Vegetables
Vegetables should make up a large part of your child’s daily food intake and should be encouraged at every meal, even snack times. They provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and phytonutrients to help your body stay healthy. These nutrients help to protect your child from diseases later in life, including diseases like heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
Encourage your child to choose fruit and vegetables at every meal and for snacks. Good options include fruit and veggies of different colours, textures and tastes, both fresh and cooked.
Grains
Grain foods include bread, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals, couscous, rice, corn, quinoa, polenta, oats and barley. These types of foods give your child the energy they need to grow, develop and learn. Grain foods with a low glycemic index such as whole grain pasta and breads, will give your child longer-lasting energy and keep them feeling fuller for longer.It is important to always choose wholegrain and/or high fibre varieties of bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, etc. Refined grain products (such as cakes or biscuits) can be high in added sugar, fat and sodium.
Dairy
Dairy foods are a great source of calcium, which is essential for strong and healthy bones. Not many other foods in our diet contain as much calcium as these foods.Key dairy foods are milk, cheese and yoghurt. Try to offer your child different kinds of dairy each day – for example, drinks of milk, cheese slices or bowls of yoghurt.
Protein
Protein is important for our bodies to build, maintain and repair the tissues in your child’s body. Protein-rich foods include lean meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and nuts. These foods are important for your child’s growth and muscle development. These foods also contain other useful vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin b12, zinc as well as omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients from red meat and oily fish are particularly important for your child’s brain development and learning.
Foods and drinks to limit for your child
“Sometimes foods” are foods your child should only enjoy once in a while, like cookies, chips, sodas, and snacks high in sugar, fat, and salt. It’s best to limit the amount of ‘sometimes’ food your child eats.
This means your child will have more room for healthy, everyday foods. These types of foods include fast food, takeaway and junk food like hot chips, potato chips, dim sims, pies, burgers and takeaway pizza. They also include cakes, chocolate, lollies, biscuits, doughnuts and pastries.
There are many Healthy alternatives for snacks and desserts. A great snack would be Fruit and vegetables, for example, thinly sliced carrots with dips like hummus, guacamole or tzatziki.
The same goes for dessert at the end of a meal. Sliced fruit or yoghurt are healthy options. Save the seriously sweet stuff, such as cakes and chocolate, for special occasions every once in a while.
Our Ignite Nutrition program teaches children about balanced nutrition. Using age-appropriate food pyramids, spontaneous to ensure your children are empowered to make healthy and nutritious food and drink choices. We value the importance of food and nutrition and aim to establish healthy eating habits for your child. Your child will enjoy delicious whole foods, healthy snacks and meals at our Ignite Early learning centre.
Here’s what parents and
carers are saying
carers are saying
My children have been attending Ignite since the centre was opened. The educators and management have been very caring and involved in their job. The owner and the director are amazing and attend very promptly my all requests. The educators are very lovely and caring. I strongly recommend this childcare.
I would highly recommend families to enrol their children in this beautiful service. Ignite Early Learning Centre has a very warm and inviting environment for all families and children; the learning rooms are all filled with great resources and programs designed for the children’s developmental needs. I have been in the centre because I have friends who work there and I am very impressed with the pleasing and friendly educators working with the children and the management who are kind, down to earth and willing to help families at all times. It is also amazing to see the children’s daily activities and experiences which will help them grow as confident, responsible and caring children.
We have been going for almost a year now. Much much better than other centres such as the ones next door at bardia. Attitude to customer service, parents requests and concerns are the standouts. Staff are well trained and professional. Thry don’t whinge and have an attitude like many centres. Recommended by a parents who goes there as well. We recommend as well. Centre itself looks great, safe and tidy. The owner is the key. She is active in managing the centre.
Ignite ELC acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first Australians and custodians of the land. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.