Kiddipedia
Leading dietitian Susie Burrell says that whether you’re a meat eater or vegan, incorporating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet is essential.
But as a mother of twin boys, she knows how fussy children can be and the challenges of trying to introduce new foods into their diets.
“Introducing plenty of fruits and vegetables to your children from a young age is the best way to overcome this hurdle quickly,” Susie says.
“It also helps to incorporate meat-free meals or days into your family’s weekly meal rotation and at family functions.
“However, when preparing meat-free meals it’s important to spend a bit more time planning to make up for the potential loss of nutrients that are more easily consumed from meat and other animal based foods.
“Look to add additional sources of iron, zinc and calcium from foods such as beans, legumes, chickpeas, nuts, seeds and leafy green vegetables.”
So, here are some simple ways to ease more plant-based meals into your family’s meal rotation.
Swap chips for raw veggie sticks and fruit
Whether it’s in the lunch box or part of the after-school snack plate, veggie sticks and bite sized fruit pieces are a great option for kids.
Uncooked vegetables have a higher nutritional content and to increase the protein content on a meat-free day (after school), get your kids to dip their veggie-sticks into a 100% natural peanut butter like Mayver’s.
Try new flavour combinations
Implementing a meat-free day or meal into your weekly meal rotation is a good way to ease more plant-based meals into your household and over time can increase in frequency.
The great thing about beans, legumes and pulses is that they can be eaten and cooked in so many different ways and are easily substituted for meats like mince. Experiment with some of your children’s favourite flavours and if you let them get involved in the process they’ll be more interested in trying the finished product.
Frozen fruit for sweet treats
While sugar is technically vegan, a lot of other sweeteners or ingredients that go into sweet treats aren’t actually vegan friendly.
For a summer treat that can be enjoyed by vegans and meat-eaters alike and has a serve of hidden fruit, Mayver’s Peanut Butter Banana Choc Tops go down a treat.
They’re sugar and dairy free and use bananas, coconut cream, vegan chocolate and nuts of your choice to create a frozen delight that’s sure to be a winner with everyone in the warm summer months.
About Mayver’s
Mayver’s is an Australian family owned natural spread company. All Mayver’s natural spreads are vegan and contain absolutely no added oil, sugar, gluten, dairy, cholesterol or hardened fats and are nothing but goodness for your family.
Mayver’s products are available at Woolworths, Coles and independent retailers Australia-wide. For more information or recipe inspiration visit mayvers.com.au
Susie Burrell is a qualified dietitian with a masters in coaching psychology.
