When it comes to healthy eating, kids need guidance from the adults around them. Here are three easy ways to give your child a chance to try and enjoy fresh, nutritious foods, from Karina Savage.
This afternoon we have yet another kids party. It’s wonderful because we all get to connect – the kids love catching up and so do us mums …especially when there are bubbles involved! But how do we navigate yet another afternoon of “party food”, when the kids have already had a weekend full of parties, not to mention the “treat” with grandma and the marshmallow from the lovely lady at the coffee shop (whilst you were getting your much-needed coffee!!)
Here are 3 tips to get more plant foods into them (and nourish their gut health!):
- Insist on plant foods daily in the lunch box and teach them that they need to eat it. How do we do this? The deal is they do not get to eat anything else for afternoon tea until they have eaten the vegies/fruit in their lunch box. You have my permission
- Be creative with snacks. Aside from the regular chopped carrot, cucumber, capsicum, think outside the square with black or green olives, baby gherkins (cornichons), roasted capsicum (jar), baby corn, baked beans, tinned beetroot, frozen peas or even dried legumes such as chick peas and fava beans (happy snack company). Pestos and hummus (look for ones with highest % of chickpeas) are other good options, also avocado on rye cruskits. For more healthy lunch box ideas, click here
- Kids love FUN, we all do….so make plant foods fun!
Example: Make a colourful chopped salad (capsicum, cucumber, avocado, olives ec) put it in a bowl with yummy dressing on it (Extra virgin olive oil and a nice vinegar) then play the game of lucky dip (my kids love it)
How to play: the bowl of salad is placed in front of the child, the child then covers their eyes with one hand whilst the other hand holding the fork dips into the salad to see what comes out on their fork – lucky dip!! Then it’s the next child/persons turn etc.
Think about other fun games that you can play whilst enjoying your food together (and I’m not talking about spaghetti fights across the table!)
Remember: Celebrate the small wins! Every small win, is a win for their immune system, and they all add up.
