Food groups

Drinks: as much water as you like!

Water is the only recommended drink. You can drink as much water as you like during and between meals, as well as before, during and after exercise. It is also the least expensive drink. Tap water in Luxembourg is inspected, and is guaranteed to be safe and healthy.

Sugary drinks (including cordials, sodas, fruit juice-based drinks and fruit nectars) should only be consumed occasionally and not more than 3 times per week, as they contain a lot of sugar and calories, and do not quench your thirst.

• Don't serve these types of drinks with meals.

• Avoid getting into the habit of adding cordial to your water.

• Do not confuse sugary, fruit-based drinks and nectars (which contain mainly sugar, without the benefits of fruit) with "no added sugar" fruit juices, including fruit juice from concentrate. You can have half a glass of no-added-sugar fruit juice or freshly squeezed fruit juice with breakfast or an afternoon snack. Remember that juice contains a lot of sugar, and is less filling than a whole piece of fruit. By drinking juice you can very quickly consume the same quantity of sugar as 4-5 portions of fruit.

Watch out for stimulants

Tea and coffee can have a stimulant effect, so you should limit how much your children consume. Older children can have tea and coffee, but this should be an occasional treat. This is also the case for colas or tea-based drinks, which contain stimulants such as caffeine and theine, as well as large amounts of sugar.

Fruit and/or vegetables: 5 portions per day

Fruit and vegetables, together with cereals and potatoes, form the basis of our diet. Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. They are low in calories, and their beneficial effect on our health has been widely proven. They also help to prevent many diseases in adulthood, including certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, etc.

Fruit and vegetables should be included in every meal.

They can be eaten in a variety of ways, including: raw, cooked, in a salad, soup or gratin. Try to eat fresh fruit and vegetables where possible, although frozen and preserved fruit and vegetables still have nutritional benefits. They are quicker to cook when you are short on time, and keep for longer. Try to opt for simple and unprocessed preserved and frozen options.

Cereal products and other cereals and potatoes: with every meal and depending on appetite

You should include cereals and potatoes with every meal, in quantities that are suitable for your child's appetite and physical activity.

These types of food provide the complex carbohydrates your muscles and brain use for energy.

Unlike sugary foods (sugar, sugary drinks, sweets, cakes and pastries, and dairy-based desserts etc.), which are rich in simple carbohydrates, cereals and potatoes provide energy which is released slowly into the body. Eating these helps to prevent grazing and hunger between meals.

You can choose from:

• bread;

• cereal-based foods such as: pasta, rice, semolina, wholewheat or cracked wheat, maize and breakfast cereals (opt for cereals with a lower sugar content);

• potatoes, sweet potato and tapioca, etc.

Milk, yoghurt and cheese: 3 portions per day (or 4 depending on the portion size and calcium content)

Milk, yoghurt and cheese are crucial for bone growth and mineralisation. Together with proteins, they provide our main dietary source of calcium. As they are more filling, they also help prevent grazing.

These products include milk and milk derivatives: yoghurt, buttermilk and fermented milk, quark and cream cheese, soft and hard cheeses.

If your child won't drink milk, they can consume it in any other form.

A glass of milk (150ml) can be replaced by either:

• 1 yoghurt;

• 3 tablespoons of cream cheese or cottage cheese;

• 20g of hard cheese (such as Emmental);

• 45g of soft cheese (such as Camembert).

Watch out for advertising traps

"Milk chocolate" bars should never be counted as milk, yoghurt or cheese. They are desserts that should be consumed in small quantities and in moderation.

A small milk chocolate bar contains around 4 times as much fat, twice as much sugar and 4 times less calcium than a large glass of milk. Treat them like other confectionery products and only let your child have them occasionally.

Can soya milk be used as a substitute for milk, yoghurt and cheese ?

Soya-based products and their derivatives cannot fulfil a child's growth needs, and should not be used as a substitute for dairy products.

Useful information

Vitamin D plays an essential role in helping your body use calcium and absorb it into your bones. The body creates most of its vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin. It is essential that children do outdoor physical activity every day, but without too much sun exposure.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which requires a minimum fat intake to be able to work. Therefore, opt for semi-skimmed rather than skimmed products. 

Meat, poultry, fish or eggs: 1 or 2 portions per day

This food group provides high-quality proteins. Meat, poultry and fish also contain iron.

A portion of these foods with lunch or dinner should be adjusted to your child's day-to-day needs, based on their age and appetite.

Which protein is best?

Meat and poultry: maximum 2-3 times per week.

All meats provide virtually the same amount of iron and protein. Whichever meat you choose, look for the leanest cuts, e.g. skinless chicken, lean roast meat, poultry or veal steak, lean pork fillet, flank steak, 5% fat beef mince or cooked ham.

Fish: 2-3 times a week.

Fish contains fats that protect our health, so where possible opt for oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring, etc.

Vary the types of fish you eat and how you cook them (baked en papillote, steamed, etc.). If you are short of time, try plain frozen fish fillets or steaks, as they are quick and easy to cook. Don't forget tinned fish, such as tuna in brine or sardines in oil.

Cured meats: maximum of once a week.

Cured meats (with the exception of ham and sliced chicken/turkey) are very salty and high in saturated fat, and should not be used routinely for family meals.

You should stick to eating them once a week.

Eggs

Eggs are inexpensive and can be cooked in so many different ways, including: boiled, fried, omelette and in salads, etc.

How many eggs constitute a portion ?

Daily quantities, in 1 meal or spread over 2 meals.

Around 4 years: 40-50g of meat, poultry or fish or 1 egg

Around 7 years: 50-70g of meat, poultry or fish or 1 large egg

Around 10 years: 100g of meat, poultry or fish or 2 eggs

Fats and nuts

Added fats and nuts: use moderation, variety and imagination.

Fats and nuts are crucial to your child's development, but must be consumed in suitable quantities. They are all very high in calories, whether plant-based (oil, mayonnaise or margarine), or animal-based (butter, crème fraîche, lard or goose fat).

Opt for plant-based fats where possible, and vary them as they all have different properties.

Which types of fat should I use ?

• Cook with olive oil or groundnut oil.

• Use rapeseed oil, olive oil or sunflower oil to dress salads and raw vegetables.

• Restrict animal-based fats such as butter and cream.

• Only eat butter uncooked in a thin layer on bread for breakfast.

• Use a small amount of cream to sweeten the taste of vegetables, cereals and potatoes to make them more palatable for children. Opt for tomato- or yoghurt-based sauces.

How can I use less fat ?

For meat, poultry and fish alternate cooking with sauces or lots of fat with lighter cooking methods, such as baking in the oven or en papillote, grilling or roasting.

Try to steam vegetables, adding flavours such as spices (curry powder, cinnamon, etc.) to your child's taste. or aromatic herbs (herbes de Provence, basil, parsley, coriander, etc.).

Only use salt in moderation.

Hidden fats and nuts

Read the labels on ready meals: they sometimes contain large quantities of added fats.

Sugary products: from time to time, in sensible amounts

Sugary products include:  sugar, sugary drinks, sweets, cakes and pastries, cream desserts, ice creams and soda, etc.

Consume in moderation, as

• large quantities can contribute to obesity and other diseases in children, adolescents and adults;

• particularly if you don't brush your teeth regularly, they can cause dental cavities.

It is possible to eat sensible amounts of sugary products from time to time (a maximum of 2-3 times per week) and still maintain a balanced diet.

Salt

Teach your child to eat with little or no salt. They will quickly get used to it and enjoy their food as much as they did before.

If you do use salt, opt for iodised salt.