Feeding children can be a challenging endeavour, especially in an age of rising costs, picky eaters and ever-evolving nutrition guidelines.
On Wednesday, September 6, La Trobe University addressed these concerns by hosting an event at the South Shepparton Community Centre.
The event, ‘Understanding children’s nutrition: making mealtimes fun, frugal and filling’, featured a panel of experts who explored practical solutions to normalise fussy eating and make meal preparation both enjoyable and cost-effective.
Parents and carers were encouraged to bring their children, with childminding services available, ensuring the event was accessible.
The evening included a live cooking demonstration and an interactive Q and A session centred on children’s nutrition led by La Trobe University lecturer in dietetics and human nutrition and renowned cookbook author Melanie Lionello.
The panel of experts delved into the essential aspects of children’s dietary needs, the factors influencing parents and guardians when making food-related decisions, and innovative community-based strategies to tackle common feeding challenges.
The panel featured:
- Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation healthy kids adviser Katie Thorp.
- The Flamingo Project founder Neha Samar.
- La Trobe senior lecturer and course co-ordinator in early childhood Dr Elise Hunkin.
- La Trobe clinical dietitian and lecturer in dietetics and human nutrition Sara Smilevska.
La Trobe students studying relevant food and nutrition studies were invited to the event to meet and mix with the experts.
Ms Smilevska said it was an excellent opportunity for the university to connect with online students studying in regional areas.
“Children’s nutrition plays a crucial role in their growth, development and overall health,” she said.
“And we’re increasingly discovering that nutrition patterns in childhood predict nutrition patterns in adulthood and have health implications in both current and long-term health for our kids.”
Almost half of parents and carers experience challenges with feeding their children, so while it’s an important issue to overcome, Ms Smilevska said it was essential to send the message that “fussy eating” was a normal stage in early childhood development.
She also said around a third of young children could be considered neophobic — afraid of anything new, specifically foods.
Defining their diets, what they do and don’t like, and rejecting food can also be a way for a child to exert their independence and affirm their sense of self.
Making mealtimes “fun, frugal and filling” is vital because positive associations with mealtimes for children lead to better nutritional outcomes.
Parents and carers are encouraged to do their best to make mealtimes engaging, embrace messy eating in early childhood and have consistent family meals, Ms Smilevska said.
“It’s about supporting young kids to be energetic, thriving and developing as well as they can be, with the support of the right nutrition,” she said.
“We want to keep the momentum of this conversation going.”