Back-to-school nutrition

From tackling fussy eaters to creating healthier lunchboxes, our experts share practical tips for helping kids to thrive

The return to school often means busy mornings, packed lunchboxes and the challenge of keeping children well fed throughout the day. While every parent wants their child to eat a healthy diet, convincing them to try new foods or swap sugary snacks for healthier options isn’t always easy. Fortunately, healthy eating doesn’t have to become a source of stress. With a little planning, creativity and understanding, it’s possible to build positive eating habits that can last a lifetime.

Make food fun
Kristin Bohan, assistant manager at the Natural Health Store in Wexford, says that parents often ask in-store for advice on how to improve their children’s nutrition when the new school year begins. She says: “As the new school year approaches, many parents are thinking about lunchboxes, healthy snacks, and how to encourage better eating habits. In store, I’m often asked the same questions: How do I manage picky eating? How can I cut back on sugar without causing arguments? What healthy snacks will my children actually eat?”

Kristin’s advice is to take the pressure off. She says: “Healthy eating doesn’t have to become a daily battle. While it’s easiest to build good habits from a young age, it’s never too late to make positive changes.”

Instead of forcing children to eat unfamiliar foods, encourage them to become involved in the process. Kristin says: “One simple strategy is to encourage children to try just one bite of a new food, without pressure. Involve them in planning meals, shopping for ingredients, growing herbs or vegetables, and cooking together. Children are often much more willing to taste foods they’ve helped to prepare. Why not let them choose and create one family meal each week? Whether it’s a favourite dish, an international recipe, or something completely made up, giving children ownership makes food exciting.”

The building blocks for growth
A healthy diet should provide children with the nutrients they need to support growth, development and learning.

Liz O’Byrne, a nutritional therapist who works with the Aloe Tree in Ennistymon, Co Clare, says the first thing to consider is the balance of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates. She says: “For healthy growth and development in children, we need to firstly consider their macronutrients as these are the nutritional building blocks required. We need to ensure adequate quality protein as this helps to build muscle and organ tissues in growing children. Good sources are meat, eggs, fish and pulses. We then need to consider healthy fats for brain development and nerve function. Great sources are oily fish, seeds and avocados. We also have to consider healthy carbohydrates as these are the primary energy source for active children. Sources include wholegrains and fruit.”

Liz also recommends making water the drink of choice. She says: “Water should be their main drink, followed by milk. Don’t keep sugar-sweetened drinks in the house, yet don’t demonise them either. I tell my children that water is for thirst and other drinks are for fun. Fun reusable water bottles can encourage children to use them.”

Rather than labelling foods as “good” or “bad”, Liz believes that education is the key.

She says: “I feel it’s best to explain why certain foods and food groups are important (using age-appropriate language) so that children can be educated about nutrition from an early age. This is both educational and empowering for children. It’s also important not to demonise any foods but explain that certain foods are just for fun. This will contribute to them having a healthy relationship with food as they grow up.”

Beyond the basics
Protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates are all essential for growing children, but there are a few other nutrients that deserve a place on the menu too. Calcium is vital for healthy bones and teeth, as well as supporting proper nerve, muscle and heart function. So try to include dairy foods or fortified alternatives regularly. Iron helps to support energy levels, prevents fatigue, and supports normal cognitive development and healthy red blood cells. It can be found in foods such as lean meat, beans, lentils, eggs and fortified cereals. If your child follows a mainly plant-based diet, serving iron-rich foods alongside vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables can help to improve absorption. Finally, don’t forget fibre. Wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses all help to support digestive health while encouraging healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime.

One nutrient that deserves particular attention is vitamin D, which helps to build strong bones and teeth, and also strengthens the immune system. Liz explains: “When it comes to supplementation, vitamin D is recommended throughout the winter by the HSE. It is recommended that children aged 5 to 12 years living in Ireland are given 10 micrograms of vitamin D3 from Halloween to St Patrick’s Day.” She advises parents to seek professional advice before introducing additional supplements such as multivitamins.

The importance of omega-3
Another nutrient that’s particularly important during childhood is omega-3. Olive Curran, director and nutritional therapist of PPC in Galway, explains: “Omega-3 fats play an important role in a child’s healthy diet. They include DHA and EPA, found mainly in oily fish, and ALA, a plant-based omega-3 found in foods such as flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts. Because the body can only make limited amounts of DHA and EPA from ALA, it’s important to include a variety of omega-3-rich foods in your child’s diet. Together, these foods can help to provide key nutrients to support growth, learning and development throughout childhood.”

She adds: “The richest food sources of EPA and DHA are oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring – think S.M.A.S.H. In Ireland, the FSAI recommends one to two portions of fish each week, including one portion of oily fish. In reality, picky eating, busy family routines and a simple dislike of fish can make that difficult for many children. Try salmon fishcakes, homemade fish fingers, fish tacos or flaked salmon stirred through pasta instead of serving a large fillet. Chia seeds, ground flaxseed and walnuts provide the omega-3 ALA. Sprinkle them over porridge or yoghurt or blend them into smoothies for an easy nutritional boost.”

Small changes, big rewards
Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean preparing complicated meals or expecting perfection.

Kristin believes creating positive experiences around food is far more important. She says: “Healthy snacks can be fun too. Add protein powder to homemade pancakes, freeze blended fruit into colourful lollies, or make energy balls using nut or seed butter, oats, raisins, and a few dark chocolate chips. Think outside the lunchbox, lose the pressure, and add a little fun. With patience, creativity, and involvement, you’ll be surprised how quickly children become excited about trying new foods.”