This is a follow on from last week’s column for APN on how to feed your child healthily.
Now let’s take a moment to look at our globes current heath status: Right now in our developed countries, we are in obesity epidemic due to many thing’s, but often originating as poor eating habits developed in childhood and often involving the consumption of over abundant portion sizes and of the wrong types of foods, so keep this in mind for the next few paragraphs.
Feeding your child healthily is a massive challenge, even for those of us who know how to eat well. And our little darlings can also be so so so persuasive, so as parents, there’s a few challenges to face.
1) Firstly, let’s look at breakfast and keep it simple.
Whatever you eat here sets the tone for the entre day.
The sweeter your child’s breakfast is, the more they crave sugar for the whole day and are usually more moody and poorly behaved to boot.
So while we have been marketed towards to believe the cereal isle in the super market is the right place to shop, it’s not always the case.
2) Be firm, kind and patient.
Stick to your guns, don’t let them push you out of the boundary you’ve set but you can do it without losing your temper- I’ve noticed with my own children that they take more notice and respect more this way.
3) Remind yourself when you hear your child complain they are so hungry and need more snack foods: We are in an obesity epidemic; unless your child is in a third world country, don’t fall for this one. Instead, limit snacks to whole food vegetables or fruits and encourage them to eat their main meals more thoroughly. This covers all the bases and saves you money and limits wastage too.
Healthy Breakfast Ideas:
-Boiled/fried/scrambled or poached eggs with organic/gluten free toast and coconut oil/avocado.
-Smoothies: Milk of choice, ice or frozen banana, mango, berries, vanilla, honey, oat meal, lecithin granules, LSA (linseed, sunflower, almond meal), cooked quinoa, raw cacao (go slow, can make them a bit hyper).
-Unsweetened muesli with yogurt.
-Eggs and bacon with toast.
-Gluten free pancake mix; add in egg, cooked quinoa, cinnamon and vanilla extract.
-Gluten free Weetabix with milk, LSA, lecithin.
-Toast with coconut oil, vege spread (tastes like vegemite) and chia seeds.
-Raw chocolate chia pudding. (My book)
Healthy Main Meal Ideas:
-Spaghetti Bolognese (see A Diet in Paradise version-hide veggies)
-Stir fries with brown rice, quinoa or just veggies and a meat and natural sauces such as Organic Tamari sauce and toasted sesame oil (Spiral brand).
-Steak with salad or steamed veggies.
-Roast chicken, lamb, etc…
-Meatballs with veggies
-Stews
-Soups
-Tacos with lots of veg
-Curries (if they tolerate a mild spice).
Snacks
Fruit
Veggies
Nuts
Hummus with sakata rice crackers or unflavored ones. Seeds are ok, just not BBQ flavor, chicken flavor, etc…
Protein balls
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