Memories…

Wonderful workshops at Jones the Grocer!

What a great morning with nourishing food for the soul. When explaining about all the nutrient dense ingredients it was so heartwarming to feel the deep interest of all the participants. Gathering with like minded people and preparing these dishes all together was so empowering. And as we could all feel and taste, all dishes were made with love!

We focused a lot on ingredients as close to nature as possible, as this brings you the energy from nature right on your plate. Using whole foods means they aren’t laden with extra ingredients such as artificial preservatives, and they haven’t been subjected to intense processing such as baking. As a result wholefoods taste delicious because they’re free from the chemicals and added sugars which often get in the way of great tasting food.

Participants got inspired to start adding more whole foods into their diet.

And with this post I want you also to go for that! If you do so, you’ll quickly realise how great they make you feel and just how tasty natural foods are. And before you know it your pallet will have adapted to the natural taste of food and all the processed ‘junk’ becomes far less appetising! Here are some examples:

Nuts, seeds and whole grains

Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas

Fruits such as dates, berries, oranges, apples, raisins

Don’t hesitate to get into contact with me if you have more questions!! I would love to help

A special thank you to the team of Jones the Grocer and Gate to Wellness for making this morning so special.
​Thank you to all the participants for being there and showing your interest, inspiring talks and much more! 

Aiyal Film Festival

What an amazing event at Katara, Doha, Qatar!! With the panel we were promoting healthy food at the Ajyal Film Festival. We were talking about how to motivate families towards a healthy lifestyle and nutritious food. Always so good to be surrounded by like-minded people from all over the world.

An amazing team prepared all healthy snacks for all the visitors.

I just want to share some of the topics we were discussing during the panel.

It’s really important to start good food habits early—not just by focusing on the food kids eat—but by teaching them to have a good attitude toward food and eating, as well. I see countless clients who don’t have a good relationship with food because of how they were raised, and to undo this later on in life is difficult. Starting young is key!

Here are some of my favorite dos and don’ts in terms of how to present food and eating to kids…

Do: Model Good Eating Behavior

If we want our kids to eat healthy foods, it’s important for them to see us eating them, too. It’s not a “do as I say, not as I do” sort of thing; kids really do take their cues from us.

Make sure to include vegetables and fruit daily in your own diet, as well as your childrens’. Sit down to tech-free family meals whenever possible, and enjoy a wide variety of new healthy choices. When your kids see that you are open to trying things, they’ll want to explore their options, too.

Don’t: Force Or Play Games

One of my biggest pet peeves is when parents try to trick kids into eating vegetables. Hiding veggies doesn’t teach kids good habits, it breaks trust. It also doesn’t teach kids how to love vegetables!

I know it’s hard when your kids don’t love to eat vegetables and fruits, but be persistent. Give them the produce choices that they love, then build on those by preparing them in different ways. Offer new choices alongside ones that kids like, so they have a familiar food with a new one.

Don’t: Say How Much You Hate Certain Things

Proclaiming that you hate a certain food may influence your kids’ feelings about it, too. Try not to let your own food biases sway your kids—let them decide for themselves.

Do: Bring Kids To The Grocery Store And Into The Kitchen

One of the best things you can do to help your kids become healthy eaters is to engage them in the selection and preparation of their food. Bring them grocery shopping and get them to choose one fruit and one vegetable they’d like to try. Then prepare those foods together! Nothing gets kids more invested in their food than when they choose and make it themselves.

Do: Let Things Slide

If you make a big deal about things, they’re going to be a big deal. Sounds easy in theory, but as a parent, it’s not so simple. Kids pick up on your cues, so when you hover around them and comment constantly on whether or not they’re eating (or whether or not they’re eating how you want them to eat), this can really perpetuate the situation.

Hope this helps all moms and dads out there!