Q. My children are very active and sometimes when we're out they get exhausted and cranky after playing. What can I give them to boost their energy levels?

Dr Pat's answer:
It's always good to hear about energetic kids getting out and about. All that exercise and fresh air is great for them and means that you can afford to relax a little when it comes to treats and snacking.

If your children are in need of a quick pick-me-up then a small snack to tide them over is essential to rebuild their energy levels. And now that so many companies provide sweets and snacks in smaller bite-sized packets, it's much easier to offer children a nice treat that gives them instant energy.

It's also important not to think of children's diets in the same way that we look at adult diets. Grown-ups need to keep an eye on the carbohydrates and fat that they eat. By contrast, children have quite a high calorie need in relation to their size, burning up a lot of energy even in general day-to-day activities. Young children (aged up to 4 or 5) in particular can have trouble getting enough calories into their small stomachs. That's why they need to eat a higher fat diet (as fat is less bulky than carbohydrates).

If you're at all confused on what you and your kids should be eating – then Guideline Daily Amounts [GDAs] are just the thing. A GDA chart can show you at a glance what a grown-up, child or teenager should be consuming every day when it comes to carbohydrates, protein, fat, salt etc. For more information click here.

And while there was a time when eating in between meals was very much a nutritional no-no, many nutritionists now believe that eating little and often - three main meals with small snacks in between - is a much healthier way of eating.

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