Nurturing healthy dietary habits among children and youth in Singapore.

Healthy diet is a key tenet in the prevention of many chronic diseases. Nurturing healthy dietary habits is especially important in childhood as this is a critical period of growth and development. Furthermore, dietary habits are shaped from an early age with many of them forming even below the age of 5 years. Therefore, the importance of nurturing healthy dietary habits during a child's formative years cannot be underestimated. Reducing fat, salt and sugar intake and at the same time, advocating the consumption of adequate whole-grains, fruit and vegetables among the population remain the cornerstone of the Singapore Health Promotion Board's (HPB) key nutrition initiatives. To achieve this, HPB adopts a multi-pronged approach comprising various strategies to promote healthy eating among children and youth in Singapore. This article provides an overview of these strategies and the broad range of nutrition education efforts targeted at the young.