Tanya Leung is a dietitian and clinical instructor for UBC’s Food, Health and Nutrition program in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems
What makes a good breakfast for children to stay focused at school?
A balanced breakfast that has at least three out of the four food groups will help your child get more of the nutrients they need to stay energized, alert and ready to learn. Children who are well nourished tend to perform better academically. Some healthy breakfast examples include whole grain pancakes topped with strawberries and vanilla yogurt or apples with cinnamon oatmeal and milk.
What are some mistakes parents make when it comes to their children’s diet?
Sometimes children need up to 15 tries to accept new food, so it’s important to remember to continue offering a new food even if your child refuses at first. The more exposure the child has, the more likely they will eat it. Serve the food with a familiar food item.
Juice, even the 100 per cent kind, is often touted as healthy. but actually getting children to eat the whole fruit is a much healthier option for more fibre and less sugar.
What are children not getting enough of in their diet?
There is some concern that children and adolescents are not getting enough fibre and potassium. The best place to get both is from fruits and vegetables. The secret to eating more fruits and veggies is to have them cut up ahead of time so that they are easy to eat and readily available.
Leung is also able to comment on healthy eating for university students and young adults.
Tanya Leung on how to pack a healthy lunch