The confronting truth on children's nutrition

 

As well as being a nutritionist and naturopath, I’m also a mum. So when I say children’s nutrition is paramount, you know I really mean it.

Food is a foundation of health and nutrition is the cornerstone of a thriving digestive system, strong immune system and is key to a child’s growth and development.

But if we take a step back at look at the stats, we’ll see that:

  • 8 out of 10 children DO NOT eat the recommended serves of vegetables per day

  • 1 in 4 children are overweight or obese

  • 1 in 5 children attend school without eating breakfast.

With so much confusion and misinformation around health and food, and yet an abundance of processed, sugar laden and preservative-filled foods, It’s fair to say a lot of children are overfed yet undernourished.

We’re seeing more and more children with nutritional deficiencies. Unhealthy diets in early years of childhood are associated with dental cavities, insulin resistance, weight management issues and gastrointestinal problems.

The earlier we can teach, educate and empower children to develop healthy eating habits, the better health outcomes they are more likely to have. This is one of the reasons I work with childcare centres, preschools and businesses; creating a nutrient-dense and varied diet at childcare centre is crucial to children’s health, development and lifelong relationship with food.

Research shows that 85% of children's taste preferences is due to the foods they are exposed to early on in life, which is why facilitating a healthy relationship with nature, gardening, cooking and eating so early on in a child’s life, is paramount.

So, if you’re a parent and you’re thinking “where do I start”, we can work together to create simple healthy meal options and ensure your kiddos are getting all their vitamins and minerals. You’ll also learn about strategies for dealing with fussy eaters and ways to empower your kids in the kitchen. Consultations available here

If you’re a preschool, childcare centre or buisness and you’d like to work with a nutritionist to review/create menus + recipes, support and educate cook, staff and families and offer webinars/cooking demos, please do reach out to me directly - you can email me:

hello@oliviamcfadyen.com

 
Olivia McFadyen