Research shows that kids early eating habits affect their future risks.  These risks include obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.  Why wouldn’t we as parents give our kids the best start we can!!

One way to minimise the sugary foods our kids eat is to not buy them!!  If you are the main shopper – think about alternative types of healthy foods so we can get our kids off on a good start in life.

Here’s some options for you:

Breaky – Try porridge or low sugar wholegrain cereals instead of the sugary cereals.  Use fat-reduced milk, yogurt & add some fruit.  Try an egg – poached, boiled, scrambled – on wholegrain toast.  Buy foods that keep them fuller for longer.  This helps with their concentration at school as well.

Snacks – there are so many fruits available that it is just a matter of finding the ones your kids like.  If you don’t have the pre-packed options available for them, they will either go hungry or eat a piece of fruit.

Lunch – sambos, wraps, rolls are all great fillers – wholemeal or wholegrain is best.  Fill it with foods like chicken, egg, cheese, lean meat and finish off with a fruit salad.  Cut up fruit & vegies in different ways, pop them in little contains and make it interesting.  Let them build their own sandwiches at school (this minimises those horrible soggy sandwiches that end up in the bin!!)

Afternoon tea – if you can’t get your kids to take fruit to school, now’s your best time to fill them up with it.  Get some yogurt, fruit pieces and dip the fruit into the yogurt or make a yummy fruit smoothie or juice the fruit - that’s filling!!  Have a fun tall cup & funky straw to serve it in – make it fun and appealing.

Dinner – Load them up with vegies - again there is a huge range out there.  Find the ones the kids like and also encourage them to try a little of the ones they don’t like.  You can steam, stir-fry, bake or barbeque the vegies for different tastes. 

A little piece of information I found from a Woolworths flyer the other day – very interesting …..  Approximately 11% of 4-14 year olds suffer from ADHD.  They are not born with it although preliminary studies in Perth have found that poor diet during pregnancy and in young children is associated with identifiable behaviour and emotional problems during childhood.

Studies have found that omega-3 fats (mainly in fish and seafood) could possibly reduce the problems such as ADHD.

Some food for thought anyway.  

Anybody have any suggestions that can help other mum’s with kids who won’t eat fruit & vegies?