The food children need to be healthy and strong

By CATHERINE MASTERS

From the age of two to 12, children need:

* Plenty of suitable snacks.

* Plenty to drink, especially milk and water.

* Treat foods (occasionally).

* Vegetables and fruit. These have carbohydrates (sugar and starch), fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Pre-schoolers need at least two servings of vegetables and two of fruit each day. School-age children need at least three servings of vegetables and two of fruit.

* Breads and cereals (such as rice and pasta, high in carbohydrates and fibre). Preschoolers have small stomachs, and cannot eat the same amount of fibre as older children or adults. Increase fibre gradually with a variety of vegetables, fruit, breads and cereals.

Pre-schoolers should eat at least four servings a day, school children at least five and older children at least six.

* Milks and dairy products. These are needed for calcium and protein. Pre-schoolers and school children should have at least two or three servings a day.

* Lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs and dried peas, beans and lentils. These foods have protein, vitamins and minerals, including iron and zinc, which is important for growth and development and maintaining body tissues.

Young children need iron. Lean red meats, fish and chicken are good sources of iron.

Another form of iron which is less readily absorbed is in cereals, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fruits.

Fish and other marine foods such as shell-fish and seafood are good sources of iodine, which is important for growth and development of the nervous system.

Iodine deficiencies in the soil (and therefore in plant and animal foods) were traditionally countered by adding the mineral to table salt.

But a pilot nutrition survey for the Ministry of Health found two-thirds of children under five had never had salt added to their food.