Are you tired of trying to make dinner for your kids, only to have them turn up their noses and ask for snacks instead? As a parent, I know how frustrating it can be to try and get your kids to eat a wholesome meal, and wholesome food in general! However, we all know how crucial it is to provide our little loves the nutrients they need to ensure they grow and develop optimally, but also, hopefully balance their moods, prevent even more meltdowns and tantrums, better sleep, and more. In today’s blog, we are going to get into what a nutrient dense diet looks like for a little one, why it’s important, and how to improve, manage, or potentially investigate why your child is potentially being a little more of a problem feeder than we hoped for!
Children are growing so rapidly, and to keep up with this they need an abundance of healthy fats and proteins (e.g. grass-finished red meats, pasture-raised eggs, wild caught fish and seafood, organic dairy, ghee etc) to ensure their blood sugar is regulated (hello less tantrums!), and so their brain has the nourishing fats and amino acids that it requires to create neurotransmitters, retain memories, make decisions, sleep better, and reduce oxidative stress.
Processed foods, on the other hand, are usually high in various types of sugars, foreign additives, vegetable oils, and low in essential nutrients, that also can lead to symptoms we may not usually recognize actually pair with the food they’ve eaten. For example, a recent study on children showed that artificial colours and/or a preservative in food (sodium benzoate) increased hyperactivity in 3 and 8/9 year olds. Essentially, a wholefoods diet can not only set your child up for a much better quality of life and longevity, but also make your life much easier in the long run!
Now, as a nutritionist and mumma of seriously wild men (let's include the adult one, too), I too experience the insanity that comes when they avoid your delicious dinner that you put your heart, soul, energy, love, sweat and maybe even tears into.
Whilst it is completely normal for a child to go through phases of being fussy, testing boundaries, attempting to become the boss of the house, avoiding particular foods they just aren't into etc, there also can be some underlying causes of this which can contribute to these behaviours becoming long term. Sometimes, situations can become quite severe and lead to your child lacking variety and perhaps living off potato chips or alike, because in the moment, you just want a child that has SOMETHING in their stomach to get through to the next moment with a little more peace - I absolutely get it!
But, let’s dive deeper. Some root causes behind picky eating, tools that can help navigate varying phases:
-
Problem feeding.
Before we dive into anything else, whilst the below may help in the meantime and give you some underlying causes, tips or tools, it is important to distinguish whether it is a normal phase that many children go through, or more serious where one may need to seek support from a team of specialists such as a paediatrician and/or a nutritionist. This may look like a child consuming less than 10-20 foods, which may mean that there is something else going on, such as digestive, physiological or psychological issues which once you feel you have done everything and intuitively as the parent you feel something isn't right, it is a great idea to seek help with this. Our team of nutritionists and our naturopath may also be able to dive deeper in this with you via our online clinic to help navigate, provide tools or assist on whether it is necessary to be referred to a specialist. What may be considered as enhanced textural sensitivities, often present with cases of neurodivergence, can be supported via professional guidance. -
Nutrient deficiencies.
For example, iron, zinc and magnesium can contribute to major appetite, taste and textural sensory food aversions. See more on this below, however I personally find serving The Children's Blend (or The Mother’s Blend!) a or a combination of the ingredients within it a saving grace due to it assisting with the prevention of or support in boosting iron and zinc, and therefore, works on a potential root cause to one’s eating habits. -
Microbiome imbalances.
Dysbiosis of the microbes in our gut that include a variety of yeast, bacteria, parasites and viruses whereby the growth or undergrowth of varying microbes can dictate you and your child's food preference, cravings, aversions, like and dislike of foods. -
Stress or fear.
A dysregulated nervous system whilst dining can play a part in your child's eating behaviours and food desires. Creating an eating routine and wholesome eating environment as a family can be beneficial here, as well as modelling your behaviours as caregivers. -
Intuition.
Babies, and surprisingly even toddlers, can be much more intuitive than adults. If they are fighting a virus or bacteria, their body may be communicating to not consume food and instead focus on healing. If you suspect an illness, then you will just need to support them in the best way possible during this time. Make each mouthful as nourishing as possible! -
Tummy pain or discomfort.
Consider food intolerances and/or the consumption of food not prepared correctly (such as grains, nuts or seeds not soaked, sprouted or fermented). As you have experienced as an adult, when you consume foods that you do not tolerate, it is hard to then feel like eating more food or be adventurous with your choices. Consider investigating personal food intolerances or ensure you're preparing foods as nature and tradition intends us to by cooking, soaking, sprouting or fermenting where necessary.
So after considering this, how can we minimize your time in the kitchen, but maximise taste and nutrition?
Here are my top tips and things that I have learnt as a Nutritionist with a 4 and 5 year old...
Firstly, remember that your job is done by supplying and offering the food, it is up to them to eat it!
I know this can be a hard pill to swallow, but truly, there is not much more you can do, you cannot force them to eat! However, you can continue to consider the below to encourage them to try.
Keep offering! Never give up.
Continue adding the food to the table or their plate, if it is something you’d love to be normalised in your home and that is particularly nutrient dense.
If you’re concerned or nervous about them not consuming, trying or enjoying the meal you’re offering, ensure it has one or two foods on the plate or table that they will enjoy.
For example, if I am serving something I know they don’t like or that is new to them, I will ensure that at the same time as serving there is also something nourishing that they do really like. This way, they may try the new food or food they have been avoiding, but still be satisfied with their favourite foods. This ensures you don’t feel you need to get up and make something new, and ensure they don’t get into the habit of expecting you to do that.
Choose a different environment to eat. We love beach dinners or park dinners.
Take your dinner or lunch, a rug or towel, and serve up the meals there! They love the excitement of being in a new environment, and there is no other option available, so they generally realise that they have to eat what's there if they are hungry enough.
Without leaving them ravenous, consider reducing snacks in between meals.
This is the hardest part, but when they’re begging at your feet for something before a main meal, try encourage waiting for the main meal and if they eat that, then they can have it after their main meal, or even better, just avoid it all together and allow them to gain the understanding that what is on the plate is what they are getting tonight. Most children LOVE a good snack, so I get it, but if you’re in the thick of trying to encourage a better meal time experience and a well-nourished child, reduce or avoid the snacking and aim for them to be satisfied at dinner.
Ensure they are feeling calm and lacking surrounding stressors.
Try to make meal times fun, calm, interactive, and without distraction. Food can be a great way to connect, experience joy, honour the senses, and express gratitude. Creating the environment for your child to do this is important for their ongoing relationship with food. Removing screens, limiting external distractions, and sitting down together to be present with food can set their little nervous system up for successful meal times.
Choose nutrient-dense items that fill the missing links.
I love filling nutritional gaps with additions like The Children’s Blend from Foraged (or the Mothers Blend if that’s what you have!), collagen into smoothies, sneaking anything into gummies, organ powders into smoothies or bolognese, fermented foods in anything possible to boost a healthy microbiome, bone broth into wraps, curries, soups etc. Keep in mind that when we are aiming to fill nutritional gaps where we can, it can also help reduce issues with the child craving some of those known 'wrong' foods and instead encourage the consumption of healthier, more diverse foods. This is because it will assist in enhancing nutrients like zinc and iron that have been shown to increase fussy eating when there is a deficiency present, but will also broaden their palate to ensure their taste buds are used to these types of foods, rather than artificial flavours and sweeteners.
Keep their blood sugar regulated.
By consuming adequate proteins and fats, children (and adults) have much more regulated blood glucose levels and therefore avoid the highs and lows of the blood sugar rollercoaster that can drastically impact mood, sleep, energy, and food cravings - this benefits everyone involved! Offer savoury foods as much as you can, leaving sweet things till after fats and proteins if possible.
Lead by example.
Eat with them! Demonstrate that you love the food, and that it isn’t scary to try the new or rotated foods. This can be enhanced by eating as a family, and all eating versions of the same meal, rather than the adults having lamb chops but the kids having mac and cheese, which doesn’t encourage healthy eating habits as they grow older.
Know your child’s time window.
Ensure you are offering the meal before they get too tired and are desperate for bed! Their appetite declines rapidly once they hit severe fatigue. They will become irrational and find it difficult to regulate emotions, especially if you are presenting them with a new food or a food they typically aren't comfortable with.
Enhance and aim to rebalance their microbiome.
Consider introducing probiotic rich, raw fermented foods or trusted probiotics recommended by your practitioner (or, us!). Lucky for us, The Children's Blend includes some fermented foods, so if that is all they are consuming at the time (which we get many messages thanking us for the blend when their child is being particularly fussy!), then it is better than nothing and doing some of the work for you! This will assist in rebalancing their microbiome, which will encourage diverse eating and craving healthier foods, rather than only sugar laden or infused with artificial flavours. Their microbiome will also begin to rebalance even by consuming more real foods and less processed foods. An array of whole food sources of fibre, fats and proteins is what we are aiming for, and this is the beginnings of better gut health, and therefore an increased chance of consuming healthier foods due to a better composition of healthy gut bacteria.
Get creative.
Another way to maximise taste in a nutrient dense diet is to get creative with meal ideas. Instead of sticking to the same old recipes, try new and exciting combinations of ingredients. Incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into your child's diet by experimenting with different recipes or by adding them to familiar dishes.
Educate them.
Initially, you may want to 'sneak' foods into their meals in order to rebalance their microbiome by supporting them with fibre, probiotics, fats and proteins. Once you discover that they enjoy it, tell them exactly what is in it so there is no fear surrounding foods they are actually enjoying! For example, if you are spiking their food with organ meats/powders, allow them to grow up to know how nourishing this is, rather than having a skewed opinion on organ meats being ‘gross’ (a new view that only came about a few decades ago!).
Involve them.
Involve your little one in cooking when you can, but we are all aware of how tiresome and lengthy this can be, so choose the right time for you or plan ahead so you can safely involve them when you're not so rushed. Try to involve your kids in the meal-planning process. When kids are involved in choosing and preparing their meals, they are more likely to eat them. This can also be a great opportunity to bond and educate your kids about healthy eating habits and the importance of a well-balanced, nutrient dense diet.
And to help you - work smarter, not harder.
Double everything you cook! I am absolutely no guru at meal prepping, but if I allowed the time for it, it would make my week much easier, less stressful, financially supportive, and save time. One way to minimise your time in the kitchen is to not only plan ahead, but always make 2-3 batches of whatever you’re making in that moment. To meal prep, set aside an hour or two each week to plan and prepare meals. This can include creating a shopping list, prepping ingredients, and even cooking some meals in advance. Meal prepping can be a lifesaver for busy parents because it saves time during the week and ensures that healthy, nutritious meals are always on hand.
And to reiterate, seek support.
If you are in any way worried about their tummy pain or discomfort, possible problem feeding, don’t be afraid to ask for professional guidance. Further investigation may include testing for nutrient deficiencies, the gut microbiome, hair tissue mineral analysis, or further answers may come from visiting a specialist or your trusted health professional.
Some speedy favourites that you can try offering your little ones that are also amazing for YOU:
- Our recent beach meal was a mixture of canned wild caught salmon, nori sheets, turmeric rice (linked below), osso bucco (also linked below), gluten free gnocchi, a little salad and avocado. We all chose what we wanted to eat from the spread, tasted all the things, loved all the things. There was less food refusal and more food celebration. We rinsed off, popped their pyjamas on and went home more nourished than ever.
- Green Eggs (you can call these Hulk eggs or Dinosaur eggs)
- Turmeric Rice and Osso Bucco
- The best lamb shoulder
- Chicken soup (serve with rice or noodles)
- Foraged Gummies
- Gut Loving Zucchini Pancakes
- Almond Choccie Collagen Cookies
- Anti-inflammatory Healing Curry (ensure it isn’t too spicy for your audience!)
- Cassava Pancakes + Foraged Chia Jam
- Foraged Choccy Milkshake
- Cassava Turmeric Wraps
- Banana Bread Muffins
- Chocolate + Caramel Ice Blocks
-
They also love grass-finished or pasture-raised snags, loaded bolognese, and a ‘no cook platter’ with plenty of quality salt-only meats, wild caught fish, olives and cheese.
I really hope this helps, allows you to feel less alone and keeps you slightly more sane!
Sending you an enormous hug and good luck for your next meal time.
Sheridan x
Nutritionist and Founder of Foraged For You
