Healthy Eating - SY
We understand the importance of providing nutritious meals and snacks to support their growth and development. In this guide, you will find valuable information and practical tips to help your child maintain good health. Let's dive in!
Be a Good Role Model
- Involve your children in food preparation and enjoy meals together as a family.
- Encourage regular physical activity and find activities that the whole family can enjoy.
- Listen to your child's hunger cues and avoid forcing them to eat.
- Incorporate nutritious meals, drinks, and snacks into their diet, aiming for a variety of foods.
- Limit screen time and ensure they get enough sleep.
Just scan the barcodes of your family's favourite foods, swipe to see the healthier options available, and make a swap next time you shop!
Foods can be surprisingly high in salt, fat, saturated fats (saturates) and sugars, but many people struggle to understand nutrition labels on food packaging. FoodSwitch UK is a revolutionary, award-winning, free smartphone app that helps you make healthier food choices.Action on Salt and Action on Sugar, in collaboration with The George Institute for Global Health (TGI), have brought to you a free and easy-to-use app to help you find out what’s in the food you’re eating, so you can make simple switches to healthier options.
Fruit & Vegetables
- Engage your child in the process of choosing and exploring different fruits and vegetables.
- Make it a fun challenge to try new types of food and include them in various forms.
- Encourage your child to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables for a diverse range of nutrients.
Food Shopping
- Whenever possible, involve your children in grocery shopping to spark their interest in healthy foods.
- Explore different products together and let them have a say in what your family buys.
- Consider frozen fruits and vegetables as a cost-effective and nutritious alternative.
Cooking
- Visit our recipe section for fast and healthy meal ideas that the whole family can enjoy.
- Get the whole family involved in cooking by assigning different tasks.
- Cook in bulk to have homemade ready meals available for quick and healthy dinners.
Packed Lunches
- Ensure your child's lunchbox contains a balanced meal from the five food groups.
- Include starchy foods, protein foods, a dairy item, vegetables, and a portion of fruit.
- Opt for finger foods like chopped raw veggies with dips or wholemeal crackers with cheese.
Sugar Intake
- Limit the consumption of sugary drinks and snacks, including pure fruit juice.
- Check food labels for hidden sugars and aim to stay within the recommended daily limits.
- Replace sugary treats with fresh fruit and encourage your child to try new fruits.
Sheffield is sweet enough
Find out how much sugar is hiding in the foods we eat and how to make healthier food choices for your family.
Checking Weight and BMI
- "How much should my child weigh?" is a common question for parents. Our children are weighed regularly as babies, but as children grow and develop at different rates it's not always easy to tell if they are a healthy weight.
- For children and young people aged 2 to 18, you can check their weight by working out their body mass index (BMI) using NHS BMI calculator.
- Regular height and weight checks are conducted at school as part of the National Child Measurement Programme.
- Seek professional advice if you have concerns about your child's weight, whether underweight or overweight.
When should you worry?
Advice and Guidance
Help with cost of food
Welcome to our food support section, where we're committed to helping you access affordable and nutritious food. If you're finding it hard to cover your food costs, we've got a variety of options that can help. From local food banks providing essential supplies, to social supermarkets offering discounted groceries, there's support available. We also have information on free school meals to ensure children get a healthy lunch on school days, and details about the Healthy Start program for qualifying families to buy basic foods.
Food Banks
If you need a little extra help with groceries, food banks are here for you. Each council area has its own way of doing things, but no matter where you are, you'll need to get a referral from local agencies like schools, doctors, or social services. To find out the specific steps for your area, just click on the link that matches where you live. Remember, lots of families are feeling the squeeze from the cost of living these days, so reaching out for a bit of help is nothing to feel uneasy about—it's a smart step for taking care of yourself and your loved ones. Let's get you the support you need.
- Barnsley
The most important step is to get a foodbank voucher.
In order to provide the most appropriate help for the circumstances of your situation, we work with local agencies. If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a foodbank voucher number. We provide emergency food parcels to individuals in financial crisis, including families and over 65’s. The local agency can also provide long term support if needed. Agencies we work with include:
Citizens Advice,
Housing Welfare Team,
Barnsley Family Services,
Barnsley Social Services,
local schools,
Mental Health Teams,
Humankind,
Romero Communities,
Housing Associations,
Housing support officers,
BSARCS,
health visitors,
GP surgeries and
local charities.
Call Barnsley Foodbank
01226 593782
- Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw has a number of foodbanks.
Bassetlaw Food Bank directory
In many cases, you will need a third-party who is already supporting you (such as a GP, Social Worker, or tenancy support worker) to make arrangements on your behalf to access a food bank.
- Doncaster
The most important step is to get a foodbank voucher.
In order to provide the most appropriate help for the circumstances of your situation we work with local agencies. If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a foodbank voucher. The local agency can also provide long term support if needed to help address some of the issues behind the reasons for your crisis.
Agencies we work with include:
Citizens Advice,
housing support officers,
children’s centres,
health visitors,
social services and
some local charities.
If you call or email our foodbank we can talk through your situation and put you in touch with a relevant local agency.
07568 247 288 / 07519 430980
- Rotherham
The most important step is to get a foodbank voucher.
The Foodbank operates by referral only so you do need to have a foodbank voucher before coming in to us. If you are unsure of who to call please email us on office@rotherham.foodbank.org.uk and we will try to link you in with the most relevant agency. If you have a key worker or support worker they can also issue vouchers if they call us directly.
Agencies we work with include:
Citizens Advice,
Rotherham Family Services,
Benefits support,
Housing 01709 336009
CGL / Substance Misuse 01709 917649
RMBC Benefits support 01709 255526
- Sheffield
Sheffield has a number of foodbanks.
In many cases, you will need a third-party who is already supporting you (such as a GP, Social Worker, or tenancy support worker) to make arrangements on your behalf to access a food bank.
If you don't know who to turn to for help, please think about contacting Sheffield Citizens Advice
or calling 0808 278 7820
They can offer support with the issue(s) that is causing your food crisis.
Free School Meals
If you are eligible, you will be able to apply for Free School Meals.
Visit the following links:
Your claim will be automatically processed if you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support and get any of the qualifying benefits.
If your child attends a state funded infant school and is in Key Stage 1 (FS2, Year 1 or Year 2), they are entitled to ‘universal infant free school meals’ regardless of your income. Please contact your child’s school to tell them you would like to have ‘universal infant free school meals’.
Social Supermarkets
Buy high quality food, drink and household products from well-known brands at deeply discounted prices. Surplus products, donated by top retailers, manufactures and brands mean you can feed your family for less and help make sure perfectly good products don't go to waste.
Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go is the free app that makes it easy to make a positive impact on the planet while saving money on your favourite foods. The #1 app for reducing food waste, you can save tasty unsold snacks, takeaway meals, and ingredients straight from shops, cafes, grocery stores, and restaurants in your area - all at an unbeatable price.
Olio
Olio is a sharing app for local communities, making it easy to give away the things you don’t need to someone else who would value them. When we first started out, we fought food waste. Today, we fight any thing going to waste. From food to furniture and clothing to books, Olio is the feel-good way to declutter.
In addition to these apps, you can find social supermarkets in these places:
Barnsley
Doncaster
- Lakeside - Hyde Park
- The Copper Pipe - Barnby Dun Road DN2 4RG - Email Beth Campbell
Rotherham
Sheffield
- Central - S2 5BQ
- Central - St Marys - S2 4QZ
- The Food Works - Handsworth, Upperthorpe, Sharrow & Partner hubs across Sheffield
Healthy Start
Healthy Start
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. We’ll add your benefit onto this card every 4 weeks.
You can use your card to buy
- Plain liquid cow’s milk
- Fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- Fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- Infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
You can also use your card to collect
- Healthy Start vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years old
Taste, texture and food fussiness
Food fussiness is when young children are selective or hesitant about what or how they eat. Some children may refuse certain foods, have a limited range of food preferences, or even refuse to eat altogether.
To help with fussy eating, consider the following tips:
Communication
- Avoid excessive worry or fixation on your child's eating habits.
- Try not to show your concern or make negative comments in front of your child.
- Give your child lots of positive praise when he or she does eat and ignore any food refusal.
- If your child stops eating at a meal, try once to encourage him or her to take a little more. If this is successful, show that you are pleased and give positive verbal reinforcement.
Consistency
- Have meals together as a family and offer the same food to everyone.
- Offer regular meals and snacks at set times, as this is better than letting your child ‘pick’ through the whole day.
- Avoid cooking separate meals. If your child doesn't eat everything, simply remove it without comment.
- Make sure your child is sitting in an appropriate chair and is sitting with the rest of the family.
Introducing new foods
- Keep introducing new foods in different ways (e.g., cooked, uncooked, grated, mixed in a sauce).
- Encourage and praise your child when they try something new.
- Offer new foods in a predictable pattern, e.g. once a week for 8 weeks. Intersperse new meals with old ones.
Mealtime environment
- Ensure a calm, relaxed environment for eating and drinking. Some children may benefit from background noise.
- Use brightly coloured bowls and plates. These may make the meal look more appealing.
- Limit mealtimes to 20 minutes. Try not to rush a meal, but also try not to let it drag on for too long.
Fluid intake
- Avoid fluids just before and during meals, as this will reduce your child’s appetite.
- Try to avoid giving more than 1ó pints of fluid during the day.
- Children over the age of one year should only be offered milk or water; and not be given drinks during the night.
Weight monitoring
- Only check your child’s weight once every 8 weeks. Most fussy eaters maintain good growth despite their apparent lack of intake.
Important reminders
- Involve your child in meal preparation and cooking.
- Never leave your child unsupervised whilst they are eating or drinking.
- Do not worry if they make a mess, this is an important part of your child’s development.
- Never use food as a reward.
- NEVER force feed your child.
Explore resources such as NHS advice on fussy eating and Family Lives for additional guidance.
Local Support
Eat Smart Sheffield
We hope you will join us on our mission to help give children, their families and the wider community the confidence, skills and knowledge they need to cook, grow and enjoy good quality affordable food.
Ultimately, we want to encourage and support Sheffield to ‘eat smart’!
Eating Well Barnsley
The health benefits of enjoying a healthy and balanced diet, and maintaining a healthy weight include:
- More energy to do the things you love
- Improved mood
- Improved heart and joint health
- Longer life lived in better health
Additional Support
If you need further help and support, consult your health visitor or GP.
NHS Better Health - NHS resource with recipes, support, activites and food facts (Previously called Change4life)
Check if you are eligible for Healthy Start Food Vouchers, which provide assistance in buying healthy food and milk.
Self care and Prevention
Video Showcase
Related Conditions
Further Information
