The term ‘healthy eating’ is often used and so it is worth exploring what it actually means. Healthy eating is about making food choices that will provide the body with what it needs to keep healthy. At a simple level, the human body is a machine that needs certain nutrients and energy to keep it going. Nutrients and energy all come from food and drink.

To help families and also early years settings provide healthy foods for children, there is a range of different initiatives. Some have been organised directly by the Department of Health; others by organisations such as the School Food Trust, which has been partly funded by the government, as well as ones that are funded by local authorities.

Providing information for families is actually quite difficult and when evaluating initiatives it is worth considering some of the following points:

Families may not have internet access or may not know to visit the websites or pick up the leaflets. 

• The style of the websites or leaflets may not be sufficiently interesting. 
• Not all parents may have the literacy skills to understand the information. 
• Some of the suggestions for recipes or food may not be suitable for families on a tight budget. 
• Some families may not be in areas where shops stock the types of food shown on the websites.

Food labelling – traffic light system To help families make healthier food choices, supermarkets and food manufacturers have introduced food labelling systems. There is a variety of different food labels, but the one that is most common is called the traffic light systems. On the front of the packaging, the amounts of sugar, fat and salt are labelled as red, amber or green. The idea is that families can see whether or not a food is healthy. From 2016, there will be regulations in place that make it compulsory for nutritional information to be provided on food packages.

Community food schemes In some local areas, there are opportunities for families to buy fruit and vegetables at a reduced cost. These schemes are often funded by the local authority, but are organised by volunteers. 

Growing food In some areas, residents are being encouraged to grow their own food. There are often community garden and allotment projects.