Mealtimes without meltdowns

Nutrition and healthy eating

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Nutrition and healthy eating

If mealtimes feel like a battleground, you’re not alone. Encouraging healthier eating can feel like a thankless task, even when you know how important it is. We’ve put together a few thoughts that might help.

Why is healthy eating so hard?

Getting children to eat their greens is nothing new – but modern life makes healthy eating even harder. Not everyone has the time or budget to create nutritious meals from scratch, and cheap, tempting, less nutritious alternatives are everywhere you look. Even when you do get something healthy on the table, getting children to eat your culinary masterpieces is another story.

Here are some reasons why that battle happens:

Fussy eating is biological. Children genuinely have a different sense of taste compared to adults. They’re more sensitive to bitter flavours and have a natural preference for sweet foods. Some children are also naturally cautious about trying new foods.
Children don’t always recognise hunger and thirst, so genuinely don’t think they need to eat or drink what’s in front of them.
Food marketing is relentless, and unhealthy foods are often more appealing than broccoli or an apple. And the marketing is clever, and everywhere – from bus stops to the supermarket to what they see their friends eating.

What's your biggest challenge with mealtimes
at the moment?

My child is a picky eater
Time and budget constraints
My child doesn't recognise when they're hungry
Competing with unhealthy food marketing
Getting everyone together to eat
All of the above
Not sure

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What are the benefits of eating together?

Out of 2,000 parents surveyed, 77% want to eat together more often, yet over 1 in 5 families never eat together, and only 43% do so daily¹.

Eating together as a family is one of the most powerful ways to encourage healthy eating habits. Often parents find that young children learn by watching others and how others are confident about eating different food, therefore role modelling is essential.

But it’s not always easy when everyone has their own timetable, and where screens compete for attention.

You could try some of these ideas to get everyone round the table together:

Make it part of your family routine, and stick to it. Even if you can only commit to eating together a couple of times a week, it still counts.
Have a ‘no devices’ at the table rule. Even one or two tech-free meals a week will help – but you’ll need to stick to it as well as the children for it to work.
It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Beans on toast at the kitchen table counts as much as an elaborate Sunday roast.
Get them involved. Let them lay the table, choose the crockery or be in charge of getting everyone else to the table.
Keep conversation light. Don’t dig into anything uncomfortable, such as bad behaviour or school gripes (unless they’re keen to chat these through, of course).

^{1. The importance of family meal times –}^{AXA Health}

Technology-free mealtimes support mental wellbeing by creating better communication, fostering stronger relationship bonds and reducing stress.

Dr Imren Sterno

Head of mental health &
Consultant clinical psychologist

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My child is a picky eater: how do I help them eat a balanced diet?

Here are a few strategies to try:

If you can’t do ‘healthy’, do ‘healthier’
If they’re not ready to swap crisps for carrot sticks just yet, think about putting half a packet in a bowl instead of giving them the whole bag. Or add a few crisps to a plate alongside cheese chunks and cucumber sticks with houmous. Children may also eat more overall when they have a choice.

Keep offering small bites of new food
It can take several encounters with a new food before a child will accept it, so don’t give up if they don’t eat it first time. Try adding a small amount of the new food (‘just a bite’) alongside food you know they’ll eat, so it’s not all new.

Involve them in the process
Children who help to grow, choose or prepare vegetables may be more interested in tasting them.

Avoid bribery
It’s tempting to offer sweet treats if a child finishes their vegetables. However, that puts pressure on them and teaches that vegetables are a chore and treats are a reward.

Try not to cook separate meals on demand
Cooking separate meals is time consuming and can increase fussiness. Try to offer a family meal with at least one thing you know they like.

Watch out for snacks
A child who’s snacked all afternoon won’t be hungry at dinner time, no matter how delicious it is.

Know what counts towards 5 a day
Tinned, frozen and dried fruits all count towards a child’s 5 a day, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables².

Be a role model
Let your child learn from your example – that includes trying new things as well as eating a wide range of favourites.

_{2. Early Years Foundation Stage nutrition guidance -}_{Department for Education}

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Stuck for ideas? Some new things to try…

Healthy snacks

Think about food that kids can ‘get involved with’:

Easy-to-eat, ‘small bite’ fruit and veg – such as blueberries, cherry tomatoes and peas.
Dippable sticks, like carrot and pepper sticks, paired with houmous or nut butter.
Plain popcorn – especially if you can pop it together.
Rice cakes or crackers – add nut butter or cottage cheese to make them interesting.

School dinners

If your child can eat school dinners, a lot of the work will be done for you: the government has proposed healthy food standards for all school dinners, avoiding deep-fried and sugary items (which are already limited) and increasing fruit, vegetables, wholegrain and fibre.

Your child may be able to get free school meals – you can apply easily online.

Lunchboxes

Try to include something from each of these groups to get a balanced box:

A carbohydrate such as bread, wraps, pasta or rice
A protein such as fish, cheese, meat, houmous, eggs
A fruit or vegetable such as carrot sticks, berries, cherry tomatoes, melon, raisins
A dairy (or dairy-free alternative) such as a small pot of yogurt or fromage frais
A drink, ideally water.

Check your school’s allergen rules – they may ask you not to pack nuts, or to avoid a particular food if they have a child with a known allergy.

If you need some more inspiration, we have some healthy snack ideas on our recipes hub.

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Do children need to take vitamins and supplements?

From age 5, most children can get what they need from a varied diet and don’t need any supplements.

The only exception is vitamin D. That’s because your body makes this mainly through sunlight on skin: UK winters don't offer much of that, and sunscreen can also block it. The UK government recommends that everyone should take a daily vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter³. That’s particularly important if your child has darker skin – they may need a
vitamin D supplement year-round.

Can I meet my child’s needs on a vegetarian, vegan or culturally specific diet?

It might require more planning, but a vegetarian, vegan or culturally specific diet can meet a growing child’s needs. If you’re concerned, ask your GP or a dietician about whether it might be sensible for your child to take iron, B12 and calcium supplements.

^{3. Vitamin D –}^NHS

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When do I need to seek help with eating problems?

Most fussiness is normal and will resolve over time, but it’s worth talking to your GP, school or a dietitian if you notice any of these:

Your child’s diet is extremely limited and isn’t expanding.
They’re losing weight or not growing as expected.
They show extreme anxiety or distress around mealtimes or specific foods and textures.
There are signs that they’re lacking nutrients – for example: persistent tiredness, paleness or frequent illnesses.
Their appetite suddenly lessens or increases.
Signs of an eating disorder, such as secretive eating, avoiding meals or anxiety about body image. These sometimes start earlier than parents expect. If you’re at all concerned about a possible eating disorder, check Beat’s website for information and support.

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Where can I find out more?

NHS Eatwell Guide	Shows how much of what we should eat for a healthy, balanced diet.
NHS better health, healthier families	Healthy recipes and nutritional advice, including: Healthier lunchbox recipes Healthy growth and weight Food facts
AXA Health family health hub	Articles and videos on navigating family life including: How to encourage your child to eat healthily Tips to getting your ‘5 a day’
BBC Bitesize Happy Family Eating	A guide to help parents take control of mealtimes, snacks and fussy eating.
Eat well, spend less	A guide to healthy eating on a budget from the Association of UK Dieticians.
Fussy eaters - NHS	Great tips for helping with young fussy eaters

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