What do my kids eat?

People are very keen to know what a nutritionist feeds her two growing boys.  I have 2 sons under the age of 5 with my eldest currently at Kindy (year before school starts) and my youngest doing pre-kindy.

Have a read of my article here about what we eat as a family.

Here are some lunchbox ideas that my eldest enjoys (he does like some of the same foods every time) on his Kindy days:

Green olives marinated in garlic and lemon, grape tomatoes, black grapes, button mushrooms, marinated tofu, green beans, snow peas, baby cucumber, red capsicum and homemade waffles (see The Yummiest Waffle recipe)

Green olives marinated in garlic and lemon, grape tomatoes, red grapes, strawberries, red capsicum, green capsicum, baby cucumber, green beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, organic beef sausage, rye mountain bread wrap with jam, date and coconut roll

Green olives marinated in garlic and lemon, grape tomatoes, red grapes, strawberries, red capsicum, green beans, snow peas, cucumber slices, mushroom, marinated tofu, date and coconut roll, organic cranberries and popcorn snack bar

Green olives marinated in garlic and lemon, yellow beans, red grapes, strawberries, yellow capsicum, snow peas, roast potato, roast parsnip, green beans, marinated tofu, homemade besan pancakes, fresh peas

Green olives marinated in garlic and lemon, green beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, red capsicum, corned beef, cucumber slices, fresh peas, black kalamata olives (this is a lunch at home)

As you can see lunches consist of salad ingredients and some form of protein requested by Mr 4.  Other proteins that are added to lunches include tinned salmon/tuna, BBQ chicken, nitrate organic ham, left over meat from dinner, falafel, nut cheese, rarely regular cheese.  Marinated tofu is the keen lunchtime favourite and easy to have at school.

My boys differ in their breakfast choices that aren’t the family breakfasts I have noted in my article.  Most days my youngest has overnight oats soaked in coconut kefir with various toppings plus organic wholegrain rye toast (or spelt/kamut) with butter and honey (other spreads includes Everymite, jam, nut spread).  My eldest son no longer likes oats and only eats toast for breakfast the days we don’t share a cooked breakfast.

I usually make something each week for a snack whether it’s biscuits, muffins or a slice using whole foods and no refined sugar (the only sugar we have in the house is coconut sugar).  I have fallen in the trap of having some packaged snacks on hand as these boys can eat!  Anything packaged is usually organic and low in refined sugar or uses cane sugar alternatives and mostly wheat free and dairy free (often gluten free).  Definitely no colours, flavours or preservatives.  I usually look very closely at the ingredients of packaged foods I buy.

Some of their favourite packaged snacks include:

1. Seaweed snacks
2. Organic amaranth slice
3. Fruit straps
4. Organic coconut milk yoghurt pouches and fruit pouches
5. Organic spelt biscuits
6. Gluten Free Popcorn snack bars
7. Chips/corn chips
8. Rice crackers
9. Messy Monkey “chips”
10. Dark chocolate coated rice cakes
11. Yoghurt covered cranberries
12. Bounce balls
13. Paleo style bars
14. Roasted fava beans/chick peas

They eat a few serves of fruit a day ranging from whatever is their favourite and in season.  Grapes, strawberries, apples and watermelon are always the most favoured.  But I usually have 2-3 more fruit options a week.  They enjoy some of the other snacks I have mentioned that I eat too.  They love a good carrot stick and hummus or any dip.

We all eat dinner as a family and I don’t make different meals for the boys.  See my article for examples of dinners we have.  Their favourite dinners include organic gluten free sausages and vegetables, lamb chops and vegetables, spaghetti bolognese made with lots of vegies  (only when I use bean pasta – black bean pasta is the all time favourite – My boys are not overly excited for pasta), marinated honey soy chicken wings with vegetables.

I was going to be that nutritionist that didn’t let her kids eat anything that I didn’t feel was healthy and I managed this quite well until my eldest was around 2 years.  But at the end of the day I have to be realistic and I don’t want them to develop food issues.  They are allowed to eat party foods at parties and have the occasional treat foods we wouldn’t normally eat as a family eg cakes/pastries, lollies, commercial chocolates, iceblocks etc.  But I am very limited in what I do allow them to have and they are learning that some foods are for some times and other foods are for all of the time.  I am teaching them the difference between healthy and not so healthy foods, but in a way that I hope they learn to decide what they prefer to put in their bodies.  So far, they both acknowledge they don’t feel great after a party and often will choose to have the healthier options.

They both know they have to try a food before they can decide they don’t like it.  Taste buds change every 2 weeks, so it’s crucial to get kids to keep trying foods while still young, before it becomes more psychological.  My eldest always says  when he doesn’t like a food “Don’t worry, I will like it when I am older”.  They do chop and change with what they like, so always keep at it.

If you need some advice on getting your child to eat or want to investigate food intolerance testing, contact me at megan@balancingnutrition.com.au

  06/08/2020     Articles     0 Comment(s)