Even for those of us who don’t consider ourselves “foodies”, eating, planning and preparing food takes up a huge part of our day, and even more so when you’re cooking for kids who are rather picky. And not only does what they eat require a lot of thought, but trying to stick to a schedule that sees them eat at the same time every day is critical. After all, you’ll know that they can get awfully cranky when dinner arrives late!

And those aren’t the only things that make feeding kids a challenge.

Why is feeding kids trickier than just feeding myself?

Not only will you end up cooking more food, which requires more preparation and takes longer, children are also a great deal fussier than most adults (though certainly not all). And this fussiness means that without your help, they won’t always eat the foods they need to continue developing at a healthy pace.

So you end up asking yourself a whole series of questions, something along the lines of:

Are they eating enough fruit and veg? Are they getting enough protein with all the growing they’re doing? Are they having too much sugar? Can I let them have a soda once in a while? Are they eating too much?

And it doesn't just stop at what they’re eating:

How should meals be structured? Do we all need to eat together at the same time for dinner and breakfast? When will I give them snacks?

It’s very easy to second guess every little chunk of food your child puts in their mouth, so we want to encourage you to try not to worry and to think of keeping things simple. Chances are your child is getting just what they need.

But what exactly are the nutritional needs of kids aged 5 - 7?

There is no one magical diet that everyone needs to follow to be healthy and happy. In fact, one of the very best things about food is that there’s so much variety! But you’ll no doubt know that kids need their fill of fruit, veg, proteins, carbohydrates, and dairy (though there are also plenty of foods that offer the benefits of dairy products if you’re raising vegan kids). And so long as they’re full of energy and smiles, they’re probably getting exactly what they need. But since you’re here, let’s go into a little more detail.

While the nutritional needs vary from child to child, generally speaking, children aged 5 - 7 need between 1,200 and 1,800 calories a day – depending on their age and how much activity they’re getting in. Roughly a third of their meal should be made up of fruit and veg, another third made up of carbohydrates (such as bread, pasta, and rice), and the last third will be split between proteins (from pulses, meat, eggs, fish), dairy products (milk, cheese yoghurt), and fatty or sugary foods (oils, dessert foods).

So, we know what they need, but how can we make giving it to them easier?

How can I take away some of my concerns surrounding nutrition for my kids?

Now, how you provide the relevant foods is really up to you, but to make mealtimes work for you, you can try the following:

When it comes to food and drink, make your own rules and stick to them. Ultimately, a healthy diet is all about variety and balance, so you want to see your kids have some of everything but not too much of anything. Have a think about some of your concerns in regards to the nutritional needs of your child, and then try to accommodate them. And once you establish rules that work for your family, stick to them.

Decide how you want to structure meals. If you set a meal and snack structure in place sooner rather than later, you’ll find that your kids respond well to the regularity it brings to their day. Again, think about how you would like your family meals to go, and come up with a system that works for you.

What are the nutritional concerns for my child?