Do Children Eat a Balanced Diet

Do children eat a balanced diet?

By Rhiannon Oldershaw

Some background ideas

I think children’s health is important because young children are putting on lots of weight on and not eating healthy food. Parents aren’t bothered about what some children eat and when they aren’t eating healthily. And sine children don’t eat more than one piece of fruit a day. I want to find out if children in my school do eat healthily.

In my school children might get picked on and called names like skinny bones and fatty and this might upset them. They then might end up getting into trouble.

Methodology.

In this research I will take photos of 17 year 3 and 4 lunch boxes to see if children eat healthily. I think taking photographs is a good idea because children might think it’s a good idea because might think it is ok just to take a quick photo, than me writing down what they have in their lunch box. I think they are more likely to agree because they can get on with their dinner. I will take photos before the children are eating.

I will also ask 7 children to keep a one day food diary for me. This will show what they eat on a weekend day.

School dinners

I asked the secretary how many children there are in years 3 and 4 and there are 90 children. 36 children have school dinners. 61 children had packed lunches. 7 had school packed lunches. Most children have packed lunches.

I took 17 photographs of children’s packed lunch boxes.

None of the photos were of school packed - lunches. I know that in a school packed lunches children have:

1. Sandwiches
2. Piece of fruit ( Apples , Pears, Bananas)
3. Yoghurt
4. Water

THIS WHAT I FOUND OUT!!!

13 out 17 children had crisps.76%

13 out 17 children had sandwiches. 76%

11 out of 17 children had a drink.

One child had flavoured water.

The others had sugary juice.

64% had a drink in the packed lunch boxes. Then other children who did not have a drink can use the water fountains.

I wonder if there are some children how don’t have a drink all day.

I think sometimes children might not got to the water fountain because they don’t what to be separated from their friends

Only 8 children had yoghurt. This is 47%

Only 6 children had chocolate. This is only 35%.

I thought this would be a higher %.

Food diary results.

Children’s breakfasts.

Most children have a sugary cereal for breakfast. For example, Coco Pops, Honey Loops, Sugar Puffs and Cookie Crisps. Most children do not have a healthy breakfast. Only 2 children had something different for their breakfast. One child had chappati and another child had crumpets.

Fruit and Vegetables

Do children eat 5 fruit and vegetables a day?

Only 2 children had 5 or more fruit and vegetables a day. I noticed lots of children have crisps. 5 out of 7 children have crisps during the day.

How can children’s diets be improved?

I think children should think about when they are older. They need to remember what they eat now will affect them in the future.