Nutritionist Sara Stanner from the British Nutrition Foundation offers advice on preparing healthy meals on a budget, and gives diet tips to breast-feeding mums.
Meal times are a constant battle with my toddler. Can you help?
Most mums say this, so don’t think that your toddler is unusual. But establishing happy meal times from an early age will help to pave the way for good nutrition in the future. Whenever possible, sit the family down at a table for meals and make sure your toddler’s high chair is as close to the table as possible, so that he feels a part of mealtimes. This will enable him to learn from watching you. Provide your toddler with his own set of bowls and cutlery and allow him to feed himself, to give him a sense of control. Don’t spend hours shaping every sandwich with a biscuit cutter, or your toddler will expect all food to look this fun, but spend a few minutes to arrange food attractively on the plate, for example in the shape of a face. Most importantly, don’t force-feed your child – smile at him and give him lots of praise instead.
I’m vegetarian and recently gave birth to my first child. Is it safe for me to feed her a vegetarian diet when I start to give her solids?
A vegetarian diet for weaning is fine as long as you take care of a few essentials. In particular, ensure your child gets enough energy, protein, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamins D and B12. Vegetarian weaning should include foods containing protein such as beans, eggs and dairy foods (full fat), plus carbohydrates such as potatoes, bread and pasta. Because veggie diets usually contain lots of fibre, babies can become full before they’ve eaten enough to get the calories and nutrients they need. So try alternating white bread and pasta with wholegrain versions. Iron is important for babies, so use a food with added iron, such as baby cereals, and give a drink containing vitamin C with meals. All breast-fed babies should be given vitamin drops with vitamins A, C and D, from six months. Give bottle-fed babies vitamin drops when the amount of formula they receive falls below 500ml per day. Vegan diets are not recommended for young babies. To find out more visit vegsoc.org.uk.
I’m finding it hard to cook nutritious meals for my toddlers and keep to a tight budget. Any suggestions?
With a little forward planning and some smart choices in the supermarket, cooking nutritious food on a budget can be easy. Start by planning ahead. Go through your freezer and store cupboards and see what you already have. Next, make a plan of the week’s meals, where possible basing them around what you have in your kitchen. Finally, write out a shopping list of what you need and, most importantly, stick to it! Making meals from scratch helps save money – a large bag of potatoes can be used to make wedges, shepherd’s pie and jacket-potato boats, and a pack of mince can be split to make chilli con carne and spaghetti bolognese. The reduced counter is also a great place to pick up good-value meat and fish, but make sure you cook it or freeze it on the day of purchase. Substituting some of the meat in a dish with beans, lentils or pulses is also a good way to add protein, while keeping costs down.
I’ve finally got my little ones started on their greens, but I’m not sure I’m giving them enough. What portion sizes should I be offering?
There are no set portion sizes for 5-a-day for children, though by the time they are 10 years old they should be eating adult-sized helpings (roughly 80g). Take a look at 5aday.nhs.uk to find out more about what counts as a portion. Children under five should eat at least five portions of fruit and veg (try Sainsbury’s Basics range that comes in all shapes and sizes) but the amounts may be smaller. For under-threes, try giving them one-third of the adult portion, and for children aged three to six, half of the adult portion. But if they ask for more, be happy to oblige!
I’ve recently given birth to twins, who I’m breast-feeding, and the sleepless nights are getting me down. Can you give me any advice on which foods I should be eating or avoiding?
The first few weeks after a new arrival – or two! – are exhausting; so make sure you eat properly during this time. A healthy, varied diet is also important in helping to keep you in good spirits. Make sure you eat small amounts regularly to keep energy levels up, and keep meals simple so that they don’t take too long to prepare. Include plenty of water, fruit, veg and fibre, so that you’re less likely to suffer from constipation. Wholegrain carbohydrates like porridge will release energy slowly and give you the extra energy you need for breast-feeding. When breast-feeding, you need to drink more than your usual six to eight glasses (1.2 litres) of fluid daily. Water, milk, unsweetened fruit juices or decaffeinated tea/coffee are good options. Caffeine and alcohol can affect your babies as well as you, so have these only occasionally.
