Health and nutrition
Food and nutrition can be an anxious topic for parents. We worry about whether they are eating enough or too much, and if they have a balanced diet. Of course, most of the food they eat is prepared by a parent, so understanding the basics of nutrition is important. Remember, too, that kids want to do what you do - so eat good, healthy food, and be a good food role model for your child.
Good foods for you and your children
Protein builds muscles and keeps us strong and healthy. Try beans and other legumes, (chick peas, kidney beans, alfalfa, lentils, and even baked beans), eggs, fish, chicken, meat, milk, yoghurt and cheese.
Vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, carrots, sweet potato, spinach, and cucumber (with skin) and fruits contain nutrients and fibre that are key for a healthy body. Try colourful fruits such as peaches, apricots, pears and apples. The more vareity and colour, the better.
Starchy carbohydrates provide energy. Slow-burning energy is best – try fibre-enriched bread, wholegrain rice, couscous, pasta, corn bread, pancakes and low-sugar cereals.
Good fats from foods like fish, avocado and vegetable oils build brain and nerve cells.
Tap water is the best source of fluids and it’s free! If you do give juice, always dilute it by mixing it half and half with water.
For more ideas on nutritional eating for you and your family, see the Kids Health and Raising Children websites.
Recipes and cooking ideas
For many of us, the term "healthy meal" brings to mind hassle, effort, and no taste, but there are lots of ways to prepare food that tastes great and is good for us. And while eating takeaways every now and then is okay, any meal that you prepare at home is going to be better for you.
There are plenty of resources to help us eat well and to transform our favourite foods and recipes into healthy meals. Try some of the links below for some great cooking ideas – you might be surprised how tasty healthy food can be!
- Everyday Meal and Snack Ideas, developed by Let's Beat Diabetes and Family and Community Services, has low-cost recipes and tips for healthy eating.
- The Help Guide has suggestions for preparing healthy meals.
- The Raising Children website has healthy food ideas for preschoolers and school age kids.
- Feeding our Futures is a New Zealand website with great ideas for economical, healthy family meals.
- Kid Spot has healthy recipes for the whole family that are easy, quick and cheap.
- The Healthy Food Guide has cooking tips and healthy recipes, including ways to make a healthier version of your favourite meal.
Get your kids in the kitchen!
Kids often enjoy cooking – it’s a legitimate excuse to make a bit of a mess! And, with supervision, kids can start helping in the kitchen from a young age. Your toddler can put the measured flour into the bowl or peel the bananas for fruit salad. Just make sure that your child follows your instructions about safety and hygiene in the kitchen.
There are a lot of websites with recipes for cooking with kids. Here is just a taste!
Growing a garden
Planting a vegetable garden can be fun and rewarding for the whole family. Apart from saving a few dollars at the supermarket, it can help everyone to learn about things like insects, food and the weather. It’s so satisfying to see tiny seeds sprout, then grow into something you can cook for dinner.
If you have a large enough section, set aside an area to grow vegetables. If you can’t do this, plant vegetables in with your flowers, check out the above-ground garden boxes, or a pot of herbs and lettuces on the windowsill. There might even be gardening groups in your community, who run collective gardening patches.
The NZ Gardener and Garden NZ websites have tips for beginners on starting and looking after a vegetable garden, starting with the basics. This article has advice for gardening on a budget.
Getting the kids involved
There are lots of ways to involve the children in the garden. It’s a great opportunity to spend time outdoors, getting your hands dirty together. Young kids like quick results (who doesn’t!), so fast-growing vegetables like beans, carrots and radishes are perfect. Children are experts at finding slugs and snails on the cabbages and pulling out unwanted weeds.
The Cool Kids Grow and Kids Life websites have ideas on what kids can do in the garden.
