We are seeing a whole generation of children grow up to be junk food junkies. This habit is firmly established in childhood, although parents often do not see that their child is really affected. Suzannah Olivier, author of Healthy Food for Happy Kids, tells us how to minimise the junk

It is easy to think that giving in to crisps or sodas is OK because, say, your child does not have a weight problem and so it really doesn't matter what he eats, or he's growing just fine, or it's better to eat something rather than nothing. But occasional habits become frequent ones and before you know it you have a teenager on your hands who will eat nothing but junk and you are throwing your hands up in despair.

Of course it doesn't mean that you need to be such a purist that your child never has even one taste of junk or fast food - this is also probably not practical given that they will be going to birthday parties and visiting other people's houses. But if you find that these foods dominate, your child is likely to be losing out in the health stakes.

Health problems
Children are getting taller (and wider!) because they are getting more than enough calories for their growth. But they are not getting healthier, because, while junk foods provide plenty of calories, these calories are depleted of the nutrients needed for basic good health. Junk food habits are contributing to a number of health problems in children:

• Tiredness, listlessness and lack of energy
• Lack of enthusiasm about physical activity
• Mood swings, irritability or restlessness
• Unpredictable behaviour
• Constipation or loose bowels
• Weight problems
• Pale skin, dull hair, dark shadows under eyes
• Tummy aches, nausea, headaches
• Frequent colds, infections or other illnesses
• Poor concentration

All things in moderation
It is commonly said by nutritionists that there is no such thing as a bad food, just a bad diet. What they mean is that any food can be incorporated into a diet as long as it is in the right proportion. A little sweetie won't do any harm if the main diet is focused on healthy foods. But any parent who has been faced with a child attempting to eat a whole packet of jelly-filled, sugar-coated marshmallows washed down with a cola, knows that there is such a thing as really bad food.

With a young child you have the advantage of a blank sheet and you can educate that child's palate, habits and mind set. Even as they grow older and more independent, by establishing a taste for real food early on you have done valuable 'programming' which can be relied upon to create a healthy framework, even if they stray from time to time, or for whole chunks of time, later on.

If you have only recently overhauled the family's eating habits, however, and older children are being 're-educated', you may have more of a struggle on you hands. The trick is not to give up and to be consistent in your approach. If you keep going, eventually you will make a difference. You will just need to go slowly and keep praising any positive changes that are made.

What can you do?
Stock the house with real food If there are no packets of junky snacks around then the choice to eat them is not there. Instead fill your larder with enticing wholefood options.

Do not force new foods Encourage and praise. When a new food is accepted reward with a compliment. Research tells us that it can take up to ten exposures to a food for it to be accepted, but parents usually give up after two or three attempts. If the food is rejected, simply remark that perhaps next time it will be enjoyed. Find interesting ways to introduce the food.

Be a role model There is no point in asking your child to do what you do not. Without pressure, simply eat a nutritious diet as a family and your child will, eventually, follow suit. Be prepared to experiment with new foods and tastes yourself.

Junk food tastes Spell out, whenever you can, what you think about Ugggghh foods. Keep repeating the mantras without being 'preachy', but just pointing out how it is for you when you taste it. Remark on how salty a snack is and how it makes you thirsty, or how something is so sweet that it is cloying and sickly, or how another food is like eating a greaseball, or the fatty taste is sticking to the roof of your mouth, or even if something tastes of chemicals.

Do the opposite with real foods and comment, for instance, on how the strawberries have a sweet and sharp taste, the fish has a delicate taste, the subtle blend of spices in another dish give it a delicious aroma and taste.

Instant gratification One of the easiest ways for your children to fall back on junk food habits is to satisfy urges for instant filling and strong-tasting food. The only way to beat this is to always have really delicious quick snacks and meals readily to hand that are also nutritious.

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