TOP TIPS FOR HAPPY MEALTIMES

1

Let kids eat what you eat We have really encouraged Indie and Marley to eat what we eat and for the most part they are happy to. As a result we all eat the same foods together, and that involves a lot of curries, pasta, burgers and morning pancakes.

2

Don’t stress over fussy eaters Indie and Marley have both gone through phases of saying no to certain foods and we try not to get too stressed about it. We’ll usually leave that food for a while and try it again later on, cooked in a different way or incorporated into a different recipe. The best thing we have found is sitting down with the little ones and letting them watch us eat and enjoy the food that we are giving them. Often if we don’t put too much pressure on them, they will eventually pick up a fork and join in.

3

Get little ones involved One of my favourite ways to encourage healthy eating is by involving children in making the food itself. We’re not quite chopping with knives yet, but Indie will help me put the spices into a dish and get food out of the fridge ready to prep. Seeing how the food is made and understanding where it comes from can give you a big appreciation for healthy food at a young age.

4

Meal prep is so important If you’re on the go or a very busy parent, prepping meals ahead of time can change your life. Even if you’re just prepping some oats for breakfast, some sweet potato for dinner and some protein for throughout the week, you save yourself so much thinking and cooking time. I also love to cook big batches of food in the evening and save the leftovers for lunch. Curries, pasta sauces and burger/veggie burger patties are all great things to prep ahead and are easy to freeze. We always have those in our freezer. 5

Stock up on staples Some staples in our kitchen are salmon, broccoli, noodles and soy sauce for a super quick stir-fry, or pasta, spinach and fresh pesto for a lovely green pasta dish. Those always go down well in our house.