Nourish Little Lives | 91��ý for Kids – The Ultimate Family Guide | Kids in 91��ý

Back to school lunch ideas, that are not processed meat (and why to Avoid It)

Nourish Little Lives — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 00:17:37 +0000

Processed meat is a food that I find is not often talked about in infant or childhood nutrition guidelines (or not talked about enough) and I am yet to find a child who doesn’t like processed meat. So, what are the current recommendations and should we include processed meat in our children’s diets? Processed meat is any meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes; this includes hot dogs, ham, turkey, salami, fritz, prosciutto as well as canned meat. Processed meats are certainly convenient and most kids love them, but they high in salt, high in fat, and they also contain chemicals that are confirmed to cause carcinogenic compounds when consumed (YUCK!).

– The Australian Cancer Council recommends “Cut out processed meats altogether or keep them to an absolute minimum. Processed meats include bacon, ham, devon, frankfurts, chorizo, cabanossi and kransky.”.
– The Australian Dietary Guidelines for children recommend “limiting consumption of foods high in saturated fat, including pies, processed meats and commercial burgers, among other foods.”

So here are some great sandwich filling ideas to serve instead of processed meat:

Cheese and Tomato Sandwich
Grated cheese and grated carrot wrap
Vegemite and cheese bagel
Tinned tuna, mayo and cucumber sandwich
Tinned salmon, avocado, and cheese sandwich
Left over roast chicken (or chicken schnitzel) and lettuce sandwich
Falafel wraps with hummus, tomato, lettuce, avocado
Brioche with veggie burger, tomato and avocado
Flat bread ‘sushi’ wraps – avocado, tuna and mayo, and cumber
Lunch Burrito – tortilla with scrambled egg, tomato and cheese
Pizza top English Muffin – English muffin cut in half spread with tomato paste, melt cheese, sliced olives and pineapple
Egg sandwich – boiled egg, mayo, lettuce
Cream cheese and tomato bagel
Peanut butter and sliced apple sandwich (one for the weekend as most schools in S.A are nut free)

Falafel wraps with hummus, tomato, lettuce, avocado

Lunch Burrito – tortilla with scrambled egg, tomato and cheese

Cream cheese and tomato bagel

Tinned tuna, mayo and cucumber sandwich

For more information, ideas and recipes for all things baby, kids and family nutrition follow Anna on

How not to be a tiny person’s snack slave (and 5 great snack ideas)

Nourish Little Lives — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 00:37:18 +0000

Firstly, it is normal for children from 12 months of age and beyond to require snacks. Typically, most toddlers and children need 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and 2 snacks per day (morning tea and afternoon tea) with an optional bedtime snack. This meal pattern is helpful right through childhood, so we are not totally off the hook for snacks 😁. However grazing patterns and constantly preparing or getting food on demand for your tiny person can create stress, unhealthy meal patterns and even contribute to fussy eating.

The trick to getting out of the kitchen and only serving food when you are ready (not on demand) is to have a meal routine. A meal routine helps children, especially younger children, recognise hunger cues, learn to feel fullness and establish good eating habits (for example sitting down to eat).

Some tips to make routines work:

Stick to 3 main meals and 2 snacks/day from 12 months of age with an optional bed time snack for older children or those who are still up at least 2 hours after dinner.
Each child is unique so work out a schedule that suits their age and stage.
It is okay for a child to refuse a snack or meal. Appetites can vary from day to day and even from meal to meal. If they don’t eat much at a meal or snack time, the next meal is not far away
Be consistent with the routine but allow for some flexibility around times. If you can see your child is hungry but morning tea is 30 minutes away, serve morning tea a little earlier then you planned.
Children are very good at knowing how much they need to eat, allow children to choose how much they want to eat – they can always ask for more!
Use a meal planner – have a plan for what meals and snacks you will serve during the day
Choose snacks that will keep kids full and nourished until their next meal by including foods with fibre, fat and protein

5 simple snack ideas:

Fruit, veg and cheese platter (make it age and stage appropriate)
¾ cup of Greek yoghurt with chopped berries and 1 x tablespoon of chia seeds and a sprinkle of cinnamon
Rice cakes topped with nut butter of choice and banana slices
Hummus or avocado dip with pita bread triangles and cucumber sticks
Ricotta and Banana pikelets

For more information, ideas and recipes for all things baby, kids and family nutrition follow Anna on

Nourish Little Lives | 91������ý for Kids – The Ultimate Family Guide | Kids in 91������ý

Back to school lunch ideas, that are not processed meat (and why to Avoid It)

How not to be a tiny person’s snack slave (and 5 great snack ideas)

Nourish Little Lives | 91��ý for Kids – The Ultimate Family Guide | Kids in 91��ý