I am so tired of fad diets and restrictive meal plans. I always thought it was a poor choice for children to be restricted in the food department, unless necessary, and now I am a Mum I feel I can say it. There is no need as parents to put our food restrictions on our kids and there is no need for us to eat as adults and them to eat as children either.
There is a new food movement in town and it’s called just eat real food. Real, whole, fresh, delicious food. Let’s all move towards eating together with the best possible health outcomes in mind. This will come from moderation, variety, seasonal food and REAL food.
Where to start?
Put a selection of food on your plate rather than just 2 or 3 options. For breakfast, lately I have been having 1 piece of nut and seed loaf, half a cut up carrot, a dollop of homemade labna, 2 scrambled eggs, a few cherries and half a mango. This might sound like a lot of food but you get the idea. Variety and moderation, not restriction.
This is how I used to eat as a child and while writing my new book for family meals I have been going back to it more and more. It is interesting how fulfilling it is and how I have noticed when I am full more effectively. Eat it with your hands as well as your fork! Touching food helps us keep in touch and sense when we are full, it lights up our joy and connection to what we are doing and eating. It brings us into that moment.
Eating like a kid is fun and nutritious filling our plate with colours and textures!