16/10/2026
Healthy eating habits don't suddenly begin when children are older. They start from DAY ONE. 🥦🧡
And often, it's the simple things we do consistently that make the biggest difference.
As a nutritionist, mum of three and someone who has spent years working with families, these are four foundations I keep coming back to:
🥦 1. Vegetables first. In volume AND variety.
From those very first foods, prioritise exposure to a wide variety of vegetables. Familiarity takes time, and repeated opportunities to explore different flavours and textures matter far more than whether your baby finishes every mouthful.
🤎 2. You provide. They decide.
As parents, we provide the structure — what food is offered, when and where. Our children learn to navigate that structure without pressure to eat or finish everything on their plate.
🧡 3. Respect their appetite (and their NO!).
Children are born with an innate ability to respond to hunger and fullness cues. Our job is to support that, rather than override it with pressure, rewards or expectations around how much they should eat.
And yes, children can absolutely say no to a food while still learning to communicate their preferences respectfully. Boundaries and respect go both ways!
🌿 4. Model food and eating being positive.
Children learn so much from watching us. Eating together, enjoying a variety of foods, speaking positively about food and our bodies, and keeping mealtimes as relaxed as possible all help build a healthy relationship with food.
The goal isn't to raise children who eat perfectly. It's to raise children who feel confident, capable and comfortable around food.
These foundations start with solids, continue through the toddler years and can shape our relationship with food for life.
I've got so many FREE resources on my website covering starting solids, toddler eating, food refusal and family nutrition, alongside my bestselling book The Nourished Baby.
Save this one for a reminder of what really matters. 🧡
