Healthy Meals for a 5 Year Old

pukkamum

Hi cheese string info

The ingredients of cheese strings are processed cheese, colouring when orange (usually [COLOR=#1183c9 !important][COLOR=#1183c9 !important]annatto[/COLOR][/COLOR], which is the most common colouring added to all [COLOR=#1183c9 !important][COLOR=#1183c9 !important]orange[/COLOR][/COLOR] cheeses), and salt (up to 0.75 g per package). Processed cheese is a mix of different cheeses and other dairy products (such as whey), melted and mixed with emulsifiers (salts that change the texture and get them all to mix together) and reformed into another shape. Emulsifiers are very common [COLOR=#1183c9 !important][COLOR=#1183c9 !important]food [COLOR=#1183c9 !important]additives[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] that help keep oils from separating out of a mixture; the best known emulsifier is probably egg yolk; the most common emulsion mixture eaten is probably mayonnaise.

The only really (potentially) scary thing about cheese strings is their salt content; some sources reckon that children aged 4-6 years shouldn't have more than 3 g of salt per day; obviously, one cheese string coming in at 0.75 g of salt is a lot of salt for the small amount of calories

Angel1978_2

JBD wrote: »

Her diet actually looks fine to me [apart from the cheese strings], perhaps you need to look at portion size and increase her exercise a little. Remember she probably doesn't need to actually lose weight but just to remain stable for now so that she grows into it.

Maybe. She always has the smallest plate with the smallest amount of food. I don't think anything of adding extra vegetables to her plate though. Is this wrong?

Definitely need to increase her exercise. I have a meeting at the school Friday morning regarding activities and thought i'd get her a hula hoop and a skipping rope. Good idea?

pukkamum wrote: »

You say she likes sausages and beans well how about turning that into a sausage cassserole add loads of veg half a can of beans tin of toms, that way you can lower the amount of sausages needed.
Serve with rice.
Pasta salad with tuna etc.

Sausage casserole! She'd probably love that! Not sure about the rice but I can certainly try it! She loves tuna but doesn't particularly like pasta. Although she might like it cold. I shall try it! Thank you!

izzybusy23 wrote: »

I have a 5 year old DD; my problem is that she is mega tall for her age and quite skinny!

My DD has for her packed lunch:-

Ham on wholemeal roll
Cheese String
Frube
Carrot sticks
Crisps such as quavers, wotsits etc, not the really bad ones
Squash

I try to get my DD to eat healthy with a couple of cooked dinners in the week containing peas, carrots, broccoli etc; which she does eat after some moaning. I think its quite difficult to get a child to eat healthy; they just always seem to want something quick and get on with their day!

Good luck

Not just me with the cheese strings then? I feel like a terrible parent now! I honestly didn't think there was any harm in them.

I'm finding the difficulty in creating a meal that she will eat. The whole thing. Once I can establish some ideas I can then shop for those items and get the ball rolling. It's all in the planning right? :eek:

NJW69

A healthy diet is about moderation and balance.

Spaghetti bolognaise can be either healthy or unhealthy depending on how you make it.

Lean minced steak, dry fried, chopped onion, peppers, celery, carrots and tomatoes.

Tomatoe puree, mixed herbs and some garlic.

Serve with wholemeal pasta.

Get a slow cooker so you can bung everything in first thing and leave it all day.

Cheese is okay but not everyday and you don't need to buy cheese strings just buy cheese and cut a piece off.

Generally you want to decrease your processed foods and increase fruit, veg and wholemeal/wholegrain produce.

Try porridge for breakfast for a change.

Boiled egg at lunch time.

Tuna salad, chopped up cooked meat, pasta salad, rice salad, cous cous.

Don't get obsessed.

Shelley84

Yeah I'd like to know whats wrong with cheesestrings. My son has them about 3 times a week in his lunchbox. As far as I could tell it's only cheese, nothing else in it.

izzybusy23

Angel1978 wrote: »

Maybe. She always has the smallest plate with the smallest amount of food. I don't think anything of adding extra vegetables to her plate though. Is this wrong?

Definitely need to increase her exercise. I have a meeting at the school Friday morning regarding activities and thought i'd get her a hula hoop and a skipping rope. Good idea?



Sausage casserole! She'd probably love that! Not sure about the rice but I can certainly try it! She loves tuna but doesn't particularly like pasta. Although she might like it cold. I shall try it! Thank you!



Not just me with the cheese strings then? I feel like a terrible parent now! I honestly didn't think there was any harm in them.

I'm finding the difficulty in creating a meal that she will eat. The whole thing. Once I can establish some ideas I can then shop for those items and get the ball rolling. It's all in the planning right? :eek:

I know most of the kids in DD's class have the naughty foods such as cheese strings and frubes!! They are made with real cheese after all not all processed.

Its hard, especially if you work. I work a 30 hour week and don't get home til gone 4 after picking DD up from after school club; so if we do a 'proper' meal we don't sit down to eat it til 5.30 ish. I try to meal plan each week, but it doesn't always pan out!

I would say if your DD does like pasta etc; swap it to the wholemeal variety. It doesn't taste too bad; my DD will eat whatever pasta gets put in front of her.

I think the key element really is less salt as salt retains water and try to go for low fat options, but I know doing that on everything will be hard and create one very boring packed lunch for your child!

Angel1978_2

NJW69 wrote: »

A healthy diet is about moderation and balance.

Spaghetti bolognaise can be either healthy or unhealthy depending on how you make it.

Lean minced steak, dry fried, chopped onion, peppers, celery, carrots and tomatoes.

Tomatoe puree, mixed herbs and some garlic.

Serve with wholemeal pasta.

Get a slow cooker so you can bung everything in first thing and leave it all day.

Cheese is okay but not everyday and you don't need to buy cheese strings just buy cheese and cut a piece off.

Generally you want to decrease your processed foods and increase fruit, veg and wholemeal/wholegrain produce.

Try porridge for breakfast for a change.

Boiled egg at lunch time.

Tuna salad, chopped up cooked meat, pasta salad, rice salad, cous cous.

Don't get obsessed.

HI NJW

Thank you for replying. Lots of useful stuff in there for me to take on board!

I mentioned this in the school playground to the other mothers and their reply was 'I wouldn't worry about it, she'll grow out of it'. But if she's overweight now then obviously there needs to be changes. They say she has a BMI of 99%. She weights 3st 12lbs and the weight ratio for her height should be between 2st 8lbs and 3st 7lbs. So I did freak out ever such a little!

My main worry is that there is diabetes in the family and obviously I don't want her to have weight issues that could lead to diabetes which is what they have warned me against. Not to mention heart problems.

It's a little difficult to not get obsessive. I know I shouldn't but I just want to do the right thing. You know?

delain

Hmmm. Cheese strings, yes that I understand. Frubes are just yogurt so I honestly don't see the issue there! Plus they are so small it's actually a good portion size for a child as it's easy to bung huge yougurts in without thinking about it!

My DD1 (7) takes salads in, chopped cucumber, chunks of cheese, ham, tomatoes, and another container with grapes and strawberries and maybe a bread roll. She is underweight though despite eating like a horse.

gingin_2

Well done for getting on top of this

My parents are the same, they overfeed the kids when they have them. They took them away on holiday last year and we could definitely see that ds had put on a few pounds.

We don't eat sausages, I find them far too fatty ( yes, even the posh ones) so we just cut them out.

Non potato meals mine like are

Stir fry add loads of veggies, beansprouts and grated carrot to the noodles and they really don't know they are there. I make my own stir fry sauce of soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic and chilli ( all lazy stuff in a jar) and it's cheaper and healthier than the bought stuff.

Tuna pasta bake, I add a tomato layer as my dd loves tomato sauce.

Pesto pasta

Fish of any kind. Salmon topped with pesto is a favourite

Stews

Spaghetti bolognese ( I use less than 10% fat mince and make sauce from scratch)

Any kind of soup - lentil and tomato or lentil and bacon are favourites, as is butternut squash. DD takes this to school for lunch, with bread and fruit - that's all she has and loves it.


Got to get dinner now ( spaghetti bolognese) but will come back in a bit and add some more.

Angel1978_2

izzybusy23 wrote: »

I know most of the kids in DD's class have the naughty foods such as cheese strings and frubes!! They are made with real cheese after all not all processed.

Its hard, especially if you work. I work a 30 hour week and don't get home til gone 4 after picking DD up from after school club; so if we do a 'proper' meal we don't sit down to eat it til 5.30 ish. I try to meal plan each week, but it doesn't always pan out!

I would say if your DD does like pasta etc; swap it to the wholemeal variety. It doesn't taste too bad; my DD will eat whatever pasta gets put in front of her.

I think the key element really is less salt as salt retains water and try to go for low fat options, but I know doing that on everything will be hard and create one very boring packed lunch for your child!

It is hard work what with working full time as well but I have tried to actively encourage their meals. Even if I am a bit lax with my own.

I'll certainly try the pasta idea as I do think she might like it given the right ingredients.

I also don't add salt to anything. I've never been one for salt in meals and therefore never add it. I figure she gets that from the normal foods that she eats and doesn't need me adding extra. Is this wrong too? Is there a daily quota I need to be looking at? Because she really doesn't eat much salt at all!

delain

Angel1978 wrote: »

It is hard work what with working full time as well but I have tried to actively encourage their meals. Even if I am a bit lax with my own.

I'll certainly try the pasta idea as I do think she might like it given the right ingredients.

I also don't add salt to anything. I've never been one for salt in meals and therefore never add it. I figure she gets that from the normal foods that she eats and doesn't need me adding extra. Is this wrong too? Is there a daily quota I need to be looking at? Because she really doesn't eat much salt at all!

No that's a good thing

Switch from full fat to semi skimmed milk if you haven't already.

Well done, by the way for getting the ball rolling even before you've seen anyone!