Ingredient 1 - Fuelling your family

As children’s life coaches, we coach using 7 key ingredients, these ingredients in a child’s life ensure that children have the foundations to become the most amazingly confident, content and lovely humans they possibly can be. Over the next 7 months we will be going through each ingredient and delivering tips on how to meet this need with your children.  But, because it's January and we are all feeling it after the Christmas period, we are going to start with ingredient number 1 – EATING.

Now, I have been on my own nutrition journey recently with the help of Arron Nee a qualified, evidence based nutritionist who is an online fat loss expert and also happens to be my brother in law. Aaron has opened my eyes to the purpose of food, the science behind it and the importance of a balanced diet, something a lot of us struggle with and no matter how much we try and fight against it, let’s be honest, nine times out of ten our children will end up with the same eating habits as their parents.  So what should our children be eating and what can we do to get them there?

Balance is everything – As I have been told a lot recently, you do not have to stop eating ‘bad things’ and only eat a bowl of vegetables to lead a healthy lifestyle, you just need to make sure you are eating everything in moderation. That means enough carbs, enough protein, enough fats.  The same goes for our children. As they grow they need to be eating enough of the good fuel to allow them to run around like busy bees and enjoy a fun filled day of learning the wonders of life. Now that being said, they can also eat chocolate, ice cream and any other ultra processed foods they want as treats just in moderation. Cutting out these foods out is unrealistic and can cause them to crave and want these ‘treats’ more. If you find yourself in an endless cycle of beige dinner plates then this year I challenge you to change it up.  Make homemade chicken nuggets and add some veggies in there, switch the chips for carrot fries, anytime you can try an add a little more good fuel into their little tummies is a win. My son loves a smoothie, so every time I make him one I add in a load of spinach!

Eat together as a family – Children do as you do, not as you say.  Try and eat with your children as much as possible, eating the same food as they are.  This not only gives the children the chance to see their parents eating a yummy nutritious meal but it also gifts you time to be able to debrief about your days and discuss any concerns moving into tomorrow. If you have younger children, I’m not suggesting that you start having dinner at 4.30pm ever night, but you could start by making sure you have breakfast as a family discussing the layout of the day ahead.  

Don’t make a thousand meals – Children will start refusing food if they know that you will make them whatever they want if they don’t eat it.  Make sure your child knows that this is dinner and there isn’t anything else coming.

Get your children involved in food – Children LOVE being ‘grown up’ and helping their parents around the house IF, and this is a big IF, it is made fun and inviting.  Cooking can be messy and children love getting messy, so why not get them involved.  This allows them to see what is going into the food they are eating and gives them a sense of achievement when the meal they have helped prepare is served up to them for their dinner. A Saturday or Sunday is always a really good opportunity to make a big meal for the family which the children can not only enjoy but actually get involved in the cooking process and then get to watch their parents eat a plate of food that they have prepared!

Give your children some control – Children are so used to having food thrust upon them and told to eat it, but why?  Allow them choices, within reason of course but maybe on a Sunday night sit with your children and discuss meals for the week, throw some ideas out there and they can help plan the shopping list.  Dare I say, they can even do the shopping with you.  This gives them back a sense of control with food and the feeling that they have contributed to the family routine.

Most of us love food and want our children to LOVE food too.  So hopefully with some self-love and patience put into the process from the shop to the table you and your family can enjoy some nice nutritious mealtimes!