Why Early Childhood Nutrition is Key - with Kelly Robinson
Why is children’s nutrition so crucial during early childhood?
What makes nutrition particularly important during childhood, is the rapid growth & development our kids go through. For example, there are some really important nutrients we need for brain development which we need at very specific ages/stages. So if we aren’t getting these nutrients when we need them, we can’t go back & ‘fix’ things by giving them later. Think of it like this - if you forget to add the baking powder before you cook the cake, you can’t go back & add it once it’s cooked, it’s too late at that point – the cake will never rise to its full potential.
We also know that eating patterns and behaviours established in childhood have a huge influence on our health & eating patterns as adults, so it’s super important to get into good habits from the beginning.
Why should these tools be taught in early childhood centres and services?
ECE services have a responsibility not only to provide healthy meals (for services that do this), but to help kids & parents learn about healthy, nutrient dense foods & build age appropriate life skills in this area.
I worked in this industry for nearly 15yrs before studying to be a nutritionist, so I know that culturally, there is a heavy skew towards ‘fun’ food experiences in ECE services. These are foods that are nutrient poor, high sugar & heavily processed. It’s really important we change this culture to more ‘real’ food experiences & establish these foundations when are kids are young.
What are the benefits that parents (and children) receive, if their early educators are taught about nutrition and fussy eating?
We know as parents the things we do & say around our kids influences their behaviour & the way they view the world – and it’s the same with the other carers they have in their lives. And the more all our kid’s carers are on the same page – the stronger those messages & influences are. That’s why I’m super excited to take these workshops to ECE services – not just for the educators to learn this info, but because parents & grandparents are also encouraged to participate in the workshops through the service!
What should I do if my child is a fussy eater?
Firstly, don’t panic and don’t give up! Kids are naturally attracted to sweeter foods & almost all kids go through ‘fussy’ stages at some point. If you aren’t sure how to help them through this stage, or find yourself getting triggered by it, reach out and find someone to help support YOU, so you can then support your kids.
If we are a parent with a fussy eater, do you have any practical tips for us to try?
Each child & family situation is different, so that’s where my workshop is great because it can help you work out which strategies are going to work best for you & your child.
To give a couple of general tips though:
Never turn it into a battle because you just can’t win. So keep things calm & keep your emotions in check (easier said than done when you’re an exhausted parent I know, but it’s really important.)
Keep exposing them to the foods you want them to eat – without pressuring them to eat/taste/try it etc. I go through this is heaps of detail in the workshop (and a step-by-step process), but frequent exposure without pressure helps normalise foods without fear or power struggles – and that’s when kids are more likely to try things off their own motivation.
In France, the early education system have chefs that design three-course meals for their little people, can you see what benefits this would bring to the children?
I don’t actually know a lot about this, but it sounds pretty amazing. I love that clearly there’s a big investment on the importance of food for kids. Without knowing exactly what sorts of meals they’re preparing it sounds like a great way to expose kids to a huge variety of foods, hopefully made from real, wholefood ingredients.
Please give us the details on your latest workshop and what other services you provide:
I run both Children’s Nutrition & Fussy Eating workshops which can be run privately, in small groups or delivered through ECE services & other community groups. You can find all the details for these on my website https://www.foundationsforhealth.com.au/workshops-webinars
As well as this I work as a clinical nutritionist to support people with health symptoms & conditions from a natural health perspective. I can support people with almost any health issue, but I have a particular interest in supporting people with auto-immune conditions.
And finally, what did you have for breakfast today?
Haha, this question is great! I have 3 kids & they take turns emptying the dishwasher each morning, so the rule in our house is whoever empties the dishwasher gets to choose (and make!) breakfast for everyone!
So this morning it was my youngest’s turn (he’s 10) & he always chooses Chocolate Buckwheat Porridge – so that’s what I had this morning. It’s gluten free, dairy free & made from nutrient dense ingredients (and has waaaaaaaay less sugar than just about everything in the cereal aisle!)