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5 a Day

Fruit & Vegetables - Five a Day

The recommendation for children is the same as for adults: 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day, with a small difference in serving size. For children, one serving of fruit or vegetables is roughly the same size as a child’s hand (i.e. the amount that the child can hold in his hand). Children should not be given more that five handfuls a day since their bellies are small. Filling up on too many fruit and veggies will take the place of other food needed to grow healthy and strong, such as grains and legumes (fruit is high in water and vegetables are high in fibre, which can both make one feel full :-).

Bread
If you are buying bread in Scandinavia, please choose a Grade 2 or 3 on the bread scale. In North America or other parts of the world, stick to bread with an outer crust that is not too rough for children to digest. A wholegrain option like sprouted grain is an excellent choice (arguably the best!). Avoid over-processed breads like white bread, which lack nutrients.
Added Sugar
Many children eat too much sugar, simply because many children’s food products are high in sugar. Please exercise caution by reading labels before buying food for your child. Unfortunately, many food producers are often more concerned about their own profits than children´s health. Fun and colourful kid´s products are not synonymous with nutritious food.
Sweeteners
Children should not drink light soft drinks and other things that are added sweeteners, until they are at least 3 years old. These drinks contain artificial substances and additives, which have simply not been around long enough to conclude they are safe to consume. In fact, some studies suggest they are far from safe, so you may want to leave them completely out of your child’s and your family’s diet altogether.