At some point, your children will be asking for junk food (sad reality), but homemade alternatives are much more nourishing and contain no harmful additives.
As part of a balanced diet, choose alternatives to ultra-processed foods - use the 20/80 rule and the 5/20 rule.
The 20/80 rule when eating a balanced diet
The 80/20 rule is a guide for your daily diet: eat nutritious food 80% of the time and eat a portion of your favourite treat in the remaining 20%. The ‘80%’ part of the plan involves drinking plenty of water and eating nutritious foods that include: wholegrain cereals, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables.
The 5/20 rule when checking nutrition labels for Ultra-processed foods
The 5/20 method involves checking the Daily Value percentages of nutrients such as saturated fat, sodium and sugar.
This is a simple way of determining whether a food is generally rich or poor in a particular nutrient.
If the percentage is 5% OR LESS, the food is generally LOW in that particular nutrient.
If the percentage is 20% OR MORE, the food can be considered RICH [in that nutrient].
The recommendation is to be cautious and avoid systematically consuming foods that are very, very high in sugar, salt or saturated fats as part of a healthy diet.
Alternatives to junk food
BURGERS - kids love getting their hands dirty! Try making burgers with beans or tofu. Serve with a homemade tomato sauce and a green salad. If you're using bread rolls, prefer sourdough bread with grains and seeds. CHIPS - The best alternative is to offer your children roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas or even kale chips - they will love them!
PIZZA - Homemade pizza made with a wholegrain base, fresh vegetables, a good source of protein and cheese.
BISCUITS, CAKES - Try not to introduce them in the first place, as even home-made biscuits and cakes are often a source of concentrated sugars and fats. If you do make them, you can reduce the amount of sugar in recipes by replacing wheat flour with oat flour. For cakes, use bananas or sweet root vegetables such as parsnips, carrots and sweet potatoes, which reduce sugar needs. Pick up a good vegetarian cookery book - it has some excellent recipes! Chocolate mousse with tofu or avocado, homemade granola bars for instance!
YOGURT WITH ARTIFICIAL SUGAR - replace by fruits and nut smoothies.
ICE CREAM - mixed frozen fruit on sticks or in an ice-cream container.
CHOCOLATE, SWEETS - give your children fresh, whole fruit to satisfy their sweet tooth, or use 70% dark chocolate on a wholegrain bread and reduce sugar cravings. Dried fruit such as walnuts and almonds can also be used, as they contain all the vitamins and minerals that artificial sweets lack (always check the label and avoid preservatives).
SODA - try sparkling water instead!
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