ASK A NUTRITIONIST

What are your top tips for parents in regard to a child’s nutrition?

1. Teach your kids about healthy eating

Teach, not tell your kids about nutrition – just as you would teach them math, manners or etiquette. Understanding nutrition should be an essential lifestyle skill, which begins at home.

2. Cook balanced meals

We use the ‘five finger method’ to ensure young people have a balanced meal. Each finger represents a type of food – energy-giving carbohydrates, cell-repairing protein, body-insulating fats, vitamins and minerals (both of which are required for immunity, growth and energy).

3. Cut down portion sizes

Desi mothers love to overfeed their kids, but it’s time that we cut down our portion sizes. Children these days are not as active as kids of previous generations. Don’t focus on feeding them ‘enough’ food. Focus on feeding them the right food.

How to improve your diet if you’re on a budget?

Many people face a challenge right now when it comes to their nutrition. Perhaps they have lost their jobs, been laid-off, or experienced salary cuts. How can they improve their diet while cutting back on their budget? We recommend some simple swaps that can help you stay on your budget while eating healthier. Don’t skimp on fresh veggies and fruit, but rely on the most affordable options, which may include produce from your local farmer’s market, produce that’s on sale, or even store brand frozen options where the only ingredient is the veg or fruit itself. Meat can rank as one of the most expensive items on your grocery list. Change that financial concern by replacing meat with pulses, the term for the food group that includes beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas. And if you’ve never experimented with pulses, prepare to be pleasantly surprised at the benefits. Pulses are probably the most underrated superfood group in the market. They’re very inexpensive and provide high quality protein in addition to fibre, antioxidants, key vitamins and minerals, and they’re versatile. You can choose either canned pulses that you drain and rinse, or bags to be boiled or cooked in a crock pot. To cut down even more on the cost, we recommend seeking out store brands or bulk sections for healthy staples, like oats, brown and wild rice, and nuts.

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