NEW PRODUCT ALERT: Lunchbox Stickers!
Introducing our specially designed lunchbox stickers for children who take medications that impact their appetite. These stickers make it easy to communicate your child’s needs to educators, teachers, and caregivers.
Each sticker reads:
"I take medication that affects my appetite. Please let me eat as much as I want, in the order I choose."
Sticker features:
➡️Waterproof and oil-resistant
➡️Made from durable vinyl
➡️Fits most lunchboxes
➡️Circle sticker (75mm x 75mm) fits most lunchboxes, except Yumbox and Munchbox
➡️Rectangle sticker (50mm x 75mm) designed for Yumbox and Munchbox lunchboxes
Available now for just $6.00 each (postage included)!
Click the link below to purchase your lunchbox sticker today.
https://www.zestfoodandfeeding.com.au/shop/
Many young kids dislike mixed dishes or foods that touch each other. A simple solution to cater to this preference is to embrace deconstructed meals.
In a deconstructed meal, each component is kept separate.
Make your own (MYO) meals like tacos, burritos, fajitas, nachos, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, loaded potatoes, and salads naturally make great deconstructed meals.
Many other meals can be deconstructed too, such as stir fries, noodle dishes, pasta dishes, roast meats and vegetables, and soups.
Benefits of deconstructed meals:
👉 You only need to prepare one meal for the entire family, eliminating the need for 'short-order cooking'.
👉 You can enjoy a variety of foods that your children may not have developed a taste for yet.
👉 You can accommodate specific dietary needs without preparing a separate dish.
👉 Complaints are minimised because everyone can pick and choose from the components available and create their own combination.
👉 Children may feel less pressure to eat and become more willing to try new foods.
👉 Less food waste because people choose what they want to eat.
Concerns about piles of dishes are easily addressed too! 😊
➡️ Use a chopping board, platter, large dinner plate, or muffin tin to present meal components.
➡️ Serve meal components directly in the pots, pans, or trays used for cooking.
➡️ Serve meal components in reusable containers. Any uneaten portions can be conveniently stored in the fridge.
Share your favourite deconstructed meals in the comments below.
📸 by Madelyn Holmes Photographics
Finding meals that the WHOLE family enjoys can be a tough gig sometimes 😩
One of my favourite catchphrases for planning and cooking family meals is to ‘be considerate without catering'.
This catchphrase (and concept) comes from the internationally renowned eating and feeding expert, Ellyn Satter.
Being considerate without catering involves:
✔️ Being aware of your family’s needs and preferences.
✔️ Serving foods you enjoy while ensuring at least one component of the meal is something your child typically eats.
✔️ Preparing one meal with inclusions or additions as needed.
✔️ Adjusting meals to suit people’s skill level or palate.
In this video I prepared one meal (spaghetti bolognese) and adapted it to fit my family’s individual preferences.
🍝 Plate 1 (husband) – Spaghetti with bolognese sauce one top.
🍝 Plate 2 (me) - Zucchini noodles and a small amount of spaghetti with bolognese sauce on top [I wanted more veg]
🍝 Plate 3 (son) – Spaghetti and bolognese sauce separate [Sometimes he likes it separate, sometimes he like to mix it together]
Garlic bread 🥖 and parmesan cheese 🧀
Have you heard of the “considerate, but not catered” approach before?
If you’re new to family meals here are some ✨tips✨ to help you get started.
❇️ A family meal (at least one adult sitting with a child and eating food together) can be any meal or snack.
❇️ Determine which days and times work best for your family to eat together.
❇️ Schedule the days and times your family will eat together.
❇️ Start slow and be realistic – you can begin with just one family meal per week.
❇️ Gradually introduce more family meals as you build the family meal habit.
Family meals benefit kids in lots of AMAZING ways.
There are numerous research studies that link family meals to:
✔️ Better academic performance
✔️ Improved self-esteem and resilience
✔️ Reduced risk of substance abuse
✔️ Reduce risk of depression
✔️ Greater fruit, vegetable, and nutrient intake
✔️ Reduced risk of developing an eating disorder
A ‘family meal’ is at least one adult sitting and eating with a child. Family meals don’t need to be limited to dinner – they can be any meal or snack!
We know that family meals don’t work for every family and that they can be really hard to fit into our busy lives. But it’s worth making the effort to have family meals as often as possible.
Does your family have family meals? When do you find it easiest to sit down as a family for meals?
Do family meals sound overwhelming or impossible for your family?
A ‘family meal’ might be simpler than you think.
Family meals = an adult 👩 + child 👦 + food 🍝
And they can be any meal or snack.
Does this definition of a ‘family meal’ surprise you?
Tomorrow we're kicking of the February Family Meals Challenge!
Watch this short video to find out what this challenge is all about and how your family can get involved.
Check out our previous post for the full FFMC calendar.
🔥 Hot tip 🔥 Pack lunchbox foods that are quick and easy to eat.
Why? Because at school, kids only have a short amount of time to eat and they’re usually super excited to play with their mates.
Here's some ideas:
✅ Fresh sandwiches, wraps, burgers or rolls
✅ Toasted sandwiches
✅ Crackers and crispbreads
✅ Crumpets, croissants, pancakes, pikelets, waffles
✅ Sweet or savoury baked goods (cakes, muffins, mini muffins, breads, loaves, biscuits, scrolls, scones, donuts, slices)
✅ Muesli or granola bars
✅ Pretzels
✅ Popcorn
✅ Whole baby vegetables (carrots, corn, cucumber, capsicums, cherry tomatoes)
✅ Vegetable sticks (carrot, capsicum, celery, cucumber)
✅ Roasted legumes and beans
✅ Whole fruits (apple, banana, pear, mandarin)
✅ Sliced fruit
✅ Dried fruit
✅ Cheese slices or sticks
✅ Bliss balls
✅ Frittatas, fritters or quiches
✅ Mini pizzas or pizza slices
✅ Sausage rolls
✅ Sushi
Can you think of any more quick and easy-to-eat foods?
Do your kiddos complain about brown apples in their lunchboxes? Try the citrus juice method to stop apples from turning brown.
🌟 Tag your fellow lunchbox packers in the comments to share this lunchbox hack 🌟
Wondering what to pack your kids for lunch tomorrow? Check out this reel - it might be simpler than you think! 🌈
@supportlocalrockhampton
Looking for the perfect lunchbox gear for your little ones? Check out our top 3️⃣ tips for buying lunchbox gear.
@supportlocalrockhampton
Platters are one of our go-to snack or lunch options, especially during school holidays.
Do you 💚 them too?
