Links to Useful Resources on Childhood Nutrition: A Guide for Parents and Teachers

This factsheet provides useful information on websites, leaflets, healthy eating guidelines and books with reliable nutrition and physical activity information for children and their families, and anyone interested in childhood nutrition.

GENERAL WEBSITES

Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI):

www.indi.ie

• Professional association for dietitians in Ireland providing dietary information with free to download factsheets including factsheets on childhood nutrition.

British Dietetic Association (BDA):

http://www.bda.uk.com/

• Professional association for dietitians in the UK providing dietary information with free to download factsheets covering basic nutrition information.

Safefood

http://www.safefood.eu/Home.aspx

• North/South body committed to promoting healthy eating and food safety. Provides free to download resources on a range of childhood nutrition topics, including healthy lunchbox ideas and a guide to reading food labels.

Health Promotion Department

www.healthpromotion.ie/

• General healthy eating leaflets, including new food pyramid and healthy eating advice for children.

Department of Health

http://health.gov.ie/

• A useful website with lots of information on various health topics including publications on child health such as the Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study 2010

WEBSITES FOR TEACHERS

Incredible Edibles

http://www.incredibleedibles.ie/

• Agri Aware and other sponsors encouraging primary and post primary schools to learn about agriculture and food (including Dig in! resource pack with 32 lesson plans).

British Nutrition Foundation

http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/

• Food a fact of life provides a wealth of free resources including podcasts about healthy eating, cooking, food and farming for children and young people aged 3 to 16 years. Includes lesson plans, worksheets and interactive games.

Nourish Interactive

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/

• Nourish Interactive is an American website and provides free resources for fun nutrition games for kids, interactive nutrition tools and tips for parents and health educators to use to promote healthy living for the whole family.
• Created by nutrition and health care professionals, Nourish Interactive's nutrition education gives children and families the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices.

Food Dudes

http://www.fooddudes.ie/html/parents_healthy.html

• Food Dudes is a programme developed by the University of Wales, Bangor, to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables both in school and at home.
• It is based on positive role models (the Food Dudes characters), repeated tasting and rewards.
• In large-scale studies in schools in England and Wales and pilot studies in schools in Ireland, the programme has been shown to be effective and results long lasting across the primary age range, regardless of gender, school size, geographic and socio-economic factors.

Irish Heart Foundation (IHF)

https://irishheart.ie/schools/primary-schools/bizzy-breaks/

• The IHF have developed a resource for primary school teachers called 'Bizzy Breaks' containing a series levels of short (5-10 minutes) physical activity breaks for the classroom.
• Information on other school programmes including: Action for Life Resources, LIDL Fit Factor and Active School Flag

HEALTHY EATING POLICIES IN SCHOOLS

Department of Health and Children published the following guidelines for schools on developing and implementing a healthy eating policy.

• Food and Nutrition guidelines for Pre-school services 2004

http://health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Food-and-Nutrition-Guidelines-for-Pre-School-Services.pdf

• Food and Nutrition guidelines for Primary School 2003

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/484f17-nutrition-standards-for-school-meals/

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INFORMATION

Get Ireland Active website

http://www.getirelandactive.ie/

• This website provides help and advice on increasing physical activity across the lifespan.
• There is also a search tool that enables you to find out about different sports and events taking place in your area.
• Free activity diaries also available as well as a section on dealing with excuses for not being more physically active.

The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP)

http://move4health.ie/

• The ISCP have developed a resource on increasing physical activity for children from 2 years of age upwards.

LEAFLETS

Bottle feeding your baby

https://www.indi.ie/images/public_docs/1620_New_Guide_to_Bottle_Feeding.pdf

• This booklet gives general information on how to bottle feed your baby.
• However, all babies are different. Contact your public health nurse, doctor or dietitian for information that suits your baby’s needs or if you are concerned about anything to do with feeding your baby.

New Food Pyramid

http://health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/YourGuide_HealthyEating_FoodPyramid.pdf

• Your guide to healthy eating using the food pyramid for adults and children over 5 years of age.

Safefood - A healthy lunchbox guide

safefoods: school lunchboxes

BOOKS

101SquareMeals

SafeFoods: 101 square meals

• Free basic cookery E-book, compiled in conjunction with the HSE, Safefood, Little Steps Healthy Eating Campaign and the Money and Budgeting Service (MABS)
• Provides easy-to-prepare, low-budget, tasty, yet highly nutritious meals

New Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner 

Author: Annabel Karmel; Ebury Press

• Sensible and practical advice about nutrition and the introduction of new foods and textures for babies and toddlers, including 200 recipes.
• Also endorsed by Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London.

Created by the Paediatric Dietitians’ Interest Group (PDIG) of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) November 2015. Reviewed: September 2023

© 2015 Irish Nutrition and Dietetics Institute, INDI. All rights reserved. May be reproduced in its entirety provided the source is acknowledged. This information is not meant to replace advice from your medical doctor or individual counselling with a dietitian. It is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

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