Natremed

A guide to preparing children's food.

Encouraging a child to eat healthy foods can be a difficult task, especially if that child is a fussy eater. Knowing that childhood obesity is now occurring in epidemic proportions and that other childhood illnesses such as eczema, asthma and behavioural disturbances are on the rise, the importance of eating for health, especially in childhood.

Your child’s health begins at home, in the kitchen, with what you put on their plate and this does not have to be an arduous task.

It is becomming more common for parents to let fussy children rule the kitchen and this has lasting effects on the whole family's nutritional status.

See the tips and recipe ideas below to help improve the nutrition and food enjoyment of your family.

TIPS:

  ENCOURAGE children to help in food preparation and lunch box selections. They can choose recipes from books and have input into the daily menu for the family.

 HIDE those “yucky green things” in soups, smoothies, casseroles and pies.

 FILL the fridge and pantry with homemade goodies and fruit and vegetables. That way no one is tempted by the “easy” option of chips and lollies.

 COLOURFUL fruit salads made with seasonal fruit are just as likely to catch children’s attention as “junk” if served to them.

 STEWED fruit can be used to jazz up a homemade muesli or porridge.

 NUTRITIONAL STATUS: check your childs nutritional status: when a child is low in zinc for example their taste buds may be impaired and low iron and other minerals can lead to poor appetite and energy.

 WATER:

 ADVERTISING: have you noticed that after school TV is being flogged by fast food advertising? Children are just as vulnerable to ads as adults. Encourage children to play sport or music and develop their skills. Added benefits include vitamin D exposure from the sunlight and increased fitness.

 GO SHOPPING for groceries together with your children so they can learn the names, shapes, colours and varieties or fruits and vegetables. This makes eating the food more exciting becuase they helped choose it.

 LEAD BY EXAMPLE: If children see you eating chips, there is NO way they will be satisfied by an apple!

 After School Snacks and Lunchbox Fillers

Smoothies: Smoothies can be a great way to get fruit and vegies into your childs diet. They make a fabulous liquid snack and won't ruin the appetite for dinner.

Icey-poles: Frozen fruit juice or frozen pieces of fuit like orange, pineapple or banana.

Museli Bars: For an after school snack or to keep the energy levels up at playlunch. These muesli munchies are sure to be a hit!

Fruit Salad: A mixed platter is much more appealing than one apple. Stick to seasonal fruits and slip in some vegetable sticks with hummous too.

Fruit Skewers: These fun and easy to make fruit skewers are a great snack.

Celery Sensations: Fill celery with delicious fillings and watch the kids loving them.

Homemade muffins: Make them together and fill them will all your favourite vegetables or fruits. Eg carrrot, banana and ginger, apple and cinnamon.

Soups: Soup is a great way to hide many vegetables and kids generally love them becuase they are so easy to eat. Make your favourites or try some new ideas from the soup section. Great in a thermos on a cold winters day at school.

Get Creative by making snacks colourful and exciting.

By: Sophie Atkin