Keeping it simple when it comes to our kids diet

As a mother of a two girls, aged 14 months and 4 years, my thoughts often turn to how difficult it is going to be to bring up a child in today’s society…and I’m only talking about their diet! 

The quality of a toddlers' diet today can be horrifying, with junk food extremely prevalent. A recent survey of parents has shown that nine out of 10 toddlers are allowed to eat junk food.  With a genuine interest and concern with today’s child obesity problem, my girls are providing me with hands on experience.  We are faced with time restraints and convenience of pre packaged and junk foods that are branded to be healthy until closer inspection, all to the detriment of our kids.  It was only the other day that I was thinking how things have changed since I was a child.  My mother prepared no ‘quick’ meals, with the help of microwaves, nor did she pop out for take away.  It was a daily process of being planned and providing the best that you could afford.

It is within the child’s first couple of years that determine if they are going to be ‘fussy eaters’.  This should be seen as a window of opportunity for you to show your child every possible different type of fruit and vegetable and have them accustomed to them.  Once total independence comes along, experiencing new foods is hard to achieve.  Even more so when they have been exposed to what is out there in ‘fat and sugar land’.

This brings me back to my situation with Summer, my youngest.  Recently we were at playgroup; it was 9am in the morning.  Summer had her milk and cereal with fruit for breakfast so we were happy until 10am when fruit and cheese would be offered.  There were some children that were about a year older and asking for cordial with their hundred’s and thousand’s biscuits (no, this wasn't a party).  Fair enough I thought and let Summer join in and have a biscuit with her water.  It wasn’t until the sugary icy poles came out that I was a little shocked and felt bad for not letting her join in on the sugar rush.

image via

Making the time to prepare fruit and make a shopping list of healthy staples for the cupboard is all part of being a parent, and I believe that ‘treats’ should be left for grandma’s house.  Salad sandwiches with trail mix were a standard in my school lunch box and I always felt the tuckshop was second best.  Fast food was not a huge deal as I was taught to be respectful to your body and treat it with healthy foods.

It is not a hard script to follow, keep it simple and close to nature as you can.  Make eating fruit and vegetables fun for your kids. Grow a vegetable patch in your backyard, and let them assist you with the preparing and cooking of meals.  Let them take ownership and be proud of what they have created, and then the ‘fruits of your labor’ will follow.

Do you remember what you used to eat when you were young?  Do you think it shaped your eating patterns for later in life?