Hints and tips
60 minutes exercise a day 
Kids need to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity that gets their heart beating faster than usual. And they need to do it every day to burn off calories and prevent them storing up excess fat in the body which can lead to cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Find out what activities are happening locally to help you and your children get active.
Sugar swaps
More than a quarter of the added sugar in kids’ diets comes from sugary drinks. So swapping to water, milk (ideally semi-skimmed), sugar free drinks, sugar free squash, or unsweetened fruit juice really makes a difference.
Meal Times
Making time for regular family meals is important. Rushing, making do and eating on the go all lead to unhealthier eating habits like snacking, eating fast food, TV meals, fussy eating and so on. Skipping meals is also not good for children as they may miss out on essential nutrients.
Up and about
The solution is simple – get up! Simply being up, about and moving burns calories and helps fend off diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease or cancer. Many families are setting a limit of '2 hours max' of sitting still each day. It stops kids vegging out and helps them get their 60 active minutes everyday.
Cut back on fat
We all know too much fat is bad for us. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ways to go easy on the fat; simple things like comparing food labels, swapping certain foods for others and changes to the way we prepare and cook food.
Me size meals
Kids seem to grow up so quickly these days. They often like to be treated like grown ups, before they’ve really grown up. This can also be true when it comes to mealtimes, when kids often end up with the same amount of food on their plates as grown ups. But when they eat more than their bodies need, it converts to stored fat in their bodies. So many families are making a conscious effort to serve kids kid-sized portions. It’s common sense really.
Snack check
Many snacks can be high in sugar, fat, calories, salt and all the things we shouldn’t eat too much of. There are no hard and fast rules on exactly how many snacks are too many, but many families find that setting a limit on snacks and treats is a great way of keeping a lid on their kids’ snacking.
