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Anyone who is responsible for raising children has a great task at hand.

In my opinion it is probably the most important thing that most people will ever do. Children are the future! And in their formative years they especially need human beings who will care for them, and care for them well.

Raising children encompasses so many different areas – from psychology to education, first aid to nutrition. Often you just learn ‘on the job’. It amazes me that so much is left for the parent to discover. It especially amazes me how much is left for the parents to discover in the area of nutrition.

Infant nutrition

During the infant years there is usually some help with nutrition. Parents might be given help with breastfeeding, or advised how to use formula and prepare bottles. Infants are weighed and monitored by hospital staff and then community nurses to check that they are gaining weight and growing.

In the early years, there are plenty of leaflets and educational pamphlets given out about when to introduce solids and what foods to avoid for the first year, when cows milk can be added, or when to introduce eggs or nuts. And while the best practise advice might vary from generation to generation, at least there is a framework for telling parents what is the current best thing to do for their child.

Lack of on-going advice about good nutrition 

Unfortunately, beyond the infant years there is very little advice for parents about good nutrition. The most advice that parents get after the early years is very general, like eat “2 fruit and 5 veg” or “ensure a balanced diet” or “avoid junk food”.

Often, this advice is far too general, coming across as “optional”, with no particularly bad consequences if it is not followed. The most confronting dietary advice is usually found in dentist waiting rooms, where graphic images show the damage soft drinks do to teeth, etc. Doctors seem less concerned about nutrition, and government messages about nutrition remain wanting.

Compounding the lack of official “message” is the way that junk food remains readily available, soft drinks and lollies and fast-food outlets are the norm in every suburb and little is done to limit the availability of foods that are indisputably bad if consumed regularly.

The two golden rules

While there are lots of different ideas about for what constitutes a good diet – from vegetarian and plant-based, to paleo and high animal protein – there are two golden rules that unite even these extremes.

The first golden rule is the shift from “processed” to “natural” foods. Avoiding processed foods and sticking with foods that are in their natural state is a trend that unites so many contemporary diets. It is in their unprocessed state that foods are their most nutritious, without anything added (eg salt, bad fats, sugar) or taken away (eg fibre).

The second golden rule is to source plants (and animals if you are so inclined) that have been cultivated in as natural a way as possible without chemical pesticides, growth hormones, or other contaminating processes. And if you can’t go completely organic to realise that eating something which looks like food is still better than eating a processed version packed with salt, or sugar or bad fats to aid its shelf life.

Thus sticking to “unprocessed” food and where possible using food “cultivated” in as natural a manner as possible are just two rules that parents can follow for their own, and their children’s, nutritional well-being.

Do your children eat organic? Share with us below.

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  • If you constantly feed your children fresh fruit and vegetables and cook their food yourself, then you will avoid the obesity trap – processed foods are the killer.

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  • Pretty sure eating healthy is basic stuff. I don’t understand how people can not know how to feed healthy and raise healthy children

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  • We eat as much organic food as possible. We grow some of our own vegies and have our own free range chooks, although we still leave room for the odd treat.

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  • I do like organic meat and most times will try to include some organic meat. As long as my kids are getting fruit and vegetables I am happy. When there is such a high “nugget and chips” diet or meals around, it is hard to make kids choose a good choice.

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  • Yes this is what I follow as much as possible

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  • This is a good reminder especially as i’ve got a little one who is starting to get picky with food. I don’t buy wholly organic due to price but do garden as organically as i can and hopefully my little one comes around trying things here and there.


    • I found that when my children were little,hubby put in a veggie garden & a strawberry planter,my toddlers would pick things from the veggie garden all day long & the strawberries,well,they didn’t last long,so hubby grew a few more planters full of strawberries lol It worked for us,as sometimes it’s hard to get little ones to eat enough veggies. A blender or nutribullet is good for making veggie puree/sauces for spaghetti Bol,or making soups etc….it gives them all the nutrients they need & they don’t even realise they’re eating veggies ;) you can disguise pureed veggies in lots of dishes. :)

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  • It is a confusing minefield of information out there, but these two rules make sense.

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  • Yes we eat organic and eat as natural as possible and keep processed ad refined foods as much as possible out of our cupboards.

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  • my children 9 and 5 eat everything in moderation – they have a healthy breakfast, healthy snacks in their lunch boxes and a treat afterschool and after dinner. I don’t do the whole organic and wholemeal full health end of it, but I make sure they have fruit and veg, milk, water and juice, yoghurt, cheese, healthy cereal options. I am not beating myself up about it because kids can be incredibly picky eaters and I feel as long as mine are eating/trying things and I think they are getting enough fruits and veg then I am happy, and they are happy. I don’t compare or judge other mums for what they feed their kids – as I believe it is our own individual choice, we all know the facts and figures about unhealthy eating and obesity in kid so it’s ultimately each parents choice of how they teach their kids to be healthy eaters.

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  • The FULL Paleo Diet is good if you need to lose weight, but not permanently.
    High Protein, low Carbohydrate can effect your kidneys. I was told that by 3 medical professionals, including a dietician. I also had energy level problems.
    The original nutritionist who gave me the diet did not have a Medicare Provider. What’s more his fees were high, only one visit anf 14 days support via email. I asked several times for a receipt which was supposed to be but never received one (he was also connected to a gym/ personal trainer. Tip: make sure the person you see has a provider number. I couldn’t claim via private health either.

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  • We do our best to healthy with fresh fruit and veggies.

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  • No, I don’t buy organic. I find it still too expensive. But I try as much as possible to avoid processed food.

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