How to ensure your kids enjoy healthy meals

Packing lunch for your little one may be a headache because your child comes back home from school with their food untouched. This can be frustrating and confusing for any parent. In a world where junk food and take-aways are cheap and easily accessible, as a busy mom who is trying to strike a balance between work and parenting, you may struggle to give them a balanced meal every day and opt for the easy way out. Indulging in junk food as a treat is alright, if their daily diet is balanced and nutritious. Maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle is essential to fostering development of all kinds in children. As unpopular as the concept of nutrition may be with children, it is a critical aspect of physical well-being and not only makes a child healthier, but emotionally secure and mentally healthy too.

Give them a breakfast packed with proteins

Your child may refuse to eat breakfast citing that they are still full from last night’s supper. You need to teach your child the importance of having breakfast, because it is the most important meal of the day. Your children must have breakfast ahead of a hectic day to fuel their brain and get them ready for heavy duty learning. A hearty breakfast that is high in nutritional value sustains energy levels until lunchtime.

A balanced diet

Kids love choice so offer two, equally nutritious options including whole grain carbohydrates (breads, waffles, pancakes, fruit and dairy) and proteins (low-fat cheese, turkey, scrambled eggs and vegetarian sausage). A breakfast buffet with sliced fresh fruits and whole-wheat muffins and fruit shakes and smoothies made with milk, ice shavings, vanilla and honey are an added complement. Protein is not only filling but keeps blood sugars regulated for a longer time as opposed to serving carbs on their own.

Make lunchtime exciting

You can motivate your little ones to eat by filling lunch tins and bags with fresh sandwiches (tuna fish topped with lettuce, sliced cucumbers, grated carrots, hard boiled eggs and chopped celery) and using biscuit cutters to get them into fun shapes. Add fruit salad or fruit slices into containers and add drinking yogurt. Lighter snacks could include popcorn, dried fruit, pretzels, mini-cheddar, bacon bits and crackers stuffed with cottage cheese spreads. For after school snacks to be enjoyed at home, post a “what’s inside for a snack” list on the refrigerator door and let your child choose between fresh juice  and fruit shakes prepared from milk and frozen fruit like mangoes and berries, blending a little protein powder into the milk for an added nutritious boost.  You can also create a snack box by filling compartments with cheese portions, raisins, a variety of nuts, chocolate, and peanut butter for them to choose their favourites from and mix and match a variety of options.

Make supper super

If your child has been snacking throughout the day on lighter meals then flexibility might be the order of the day come supper time. Try developing a family supper-time menu that involves the input of your young ones but try sneaking blended vegetables into cottage pie, stews, sauces or meatballs. Allow your youngster to serve themselves, they are able to decide the size of the dinner portion based on how hungry they feel.