Family Food Therapy

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Lytham St Annes
Family Food Therapy

My name is Sophie and I am a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist based in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

I have a great passion for the impact food can have on individuals and laying down the foundations of healthy habits from an early age.

07/07/2022

I can't remember where I saw this quote but I absolutely love it and it's stuck with me ever since. 😁

A smile at mealtime is so much more important than how many bites of a veggie your child has.

It's so important as parents to support the development of a positive relationship with food and around mealtimes. You should be enjoying that time together as a family rather than worrying about what or how much your child eats.

29/06/2022

Happy International Mud Day. Yep it’s a thing. 😆

We whipped up some muddy ice creams this week in preparation. And of course Daisy attempted to eat hers. 🫣🍦

What recipes does your kiddo like cooking up in the mud kitchen?

Idea inspired by summer activities. 🌿

27/06/2022

I find that when I sit down for half an hour a week and gather up a few recipes I'm less likely to rely on processed foods to get us through the week and we save money too as we have far less food wasted as a result!

Although it seems like a faff it does reduce the stress and worry of "what to cook" each night.

This is how our weeks shaping up so far. 👇

Monday - Chicken Stir-Fry
Tuesday - Thai Green Curry
Wednesday - Sausage Bake with Gnocchi
Thursday - Salmon, Leek and Potato Traybake
Friday - Quick Broccoli Pasta
Saturday - Pizza
Sunday - Fish Goujons and Home-Made Wedges

Are you a meal planner or do you prefer to just wing it?

23/06/2022

🥔 Supertato Activity🥔

I am such a huge fan of food play. It's a great way to introduce new foods to kids without ANY pressure to eat it. Especially for kids with sensory issues and those that are nervous when trying new foods.

I trialled this Supertato activity out recently and it when down a hit with the girls. After creating our veggie characters, I hid some Evil Peas around the garden for them to hunt down and get back in the freezer.

Is your little one a Supertato superfan?

21/06/2022

When dessert is the prize for eating dinner, children naturally place more value on the dessert than the main.

I know it's not easy but try to stay neutral about foods.

You're going to have to trust me on this one, but a couple of times a week, serve dessert alongside the main meal and you might find yourself surprised by what your child reaches for first. 🥘🍦

17/06/2022

Letting go of food guilt and eating what you want is the healthiest food move you can make.

It's nearing the end of and as much as I'm for eating healthily, I think what's most important is having a healthy relationship with food and teaching my kids to have the same values.

Kids model what they see and hear. If you talk about yourself or food in a bad way it can influence your child’s perception too. So when you say something like "no pizza for me to day, I need to keep an eye on my figure" they may see a larger body as something to be ashamed of and it could impact their relationship with that food. 🍕

Here's some areas that you can work on to help improve your own relationship with food and in turn your childs.

✅❌ Avoid putting foods into “good” and “bad” categories. No food should be seen as good or bad... unless it's raw chicken. 😋
🤚🏼 STOP using food as a reward or punishment.
🍲 Let finishing the plate be a thing of the past. I don't know about you, but I was always brought up that if I didn't finish my plate I can't have any dessert. By doing this we're ignoring our internal hunger and fullness cues.

Some of this advice may seem backwards to the way you were brought up but I promise you in time you can start building a healthy and positive relationship with ALL foods. 🙌🏻

01/06/2022

Neophobia ➡️ the rejection of foods that are novel or unknown to a child.

Many parents mistake neophobia for "picky eating", however it is normal behaviour that usually begins at the age of one and peaks between 18 to 24 months and eventually resolves. So keep trucking through and introducing new foods. 👍

It can take 8 to 15 times without pressure for food to finally be accepted. Even then, they still might not enjoy eating it but don't let this deter you!

31/05/2022

That look of despair when you tell your child it's soup leftovers for tea.😋

What meal does your little one turn their nose up at?

📸 Photo Credit: Jemima

30/05/2022

I love getting the girls involved in the kitchen. 👩‍🍳 It is utter carnage don't get me wrong but they are learning skills, exploring ingredients and building their confidence.

Do you cook with your child or do you find it too stressful? 🫣

26/05/2022

I love a Thursday as both girls are at nursery so it’s always a great opportunity to cook them something a little more adventurous. Usually they are pretty full from their 4pm dinner but I still like to serve something up when we get home.

I’ll offer a portion for them to try and as usual there’s no pressure for them to eat it but they can explore it/prod it/ taste it whatever they want to do.

Exposure to new meals and ingredients is key when encouraging positive eating behaviour. If you can, include a couple of opportunities each week to introduce new flavours. 🌶🌿🥘

25/05/2022

By safe foods I don’t mean serving up food safely. "Safe food" is a food that you know or at least expect your child will eat. It gives the adult confidence when serving up something new that if your child is hungry there is something on that plate that they can fill up on.

"Safe foods" are a great tool to have to encourage a child who isn't very adventurous, but safe foods can soon become very repetitive. ❌

There are simple ways to add variety to your safe foods to help bridge the gap between the familiar and the new 👇🏻

⭐️ Change the shape e.g. shredded carrots, carrot batons, circular carrot
🍳 Change the way you cook it e.g. roast, steam, boil, serve raw, blend into a sauce
🌿 Change the seasonings e.g. rosemary, garlic, paprika, thyme
🔀 Change the toppings e.g. scrambled egg on toast, nut butter on toast, marmalade on toast, mashed avo on toast

You don’t have to “rethink the wheel". A few small changes can transform the exact same foods into two totally different meals 🙌🏻

24/05/2022

Ok I hate the term fussy eater, because what even is fussy?🤷🏼‍♀️ But just so we're on the same page, fussy eating usually describes someone who has feeding difficulties and may be very selective about what they eat.

Having a fussy eater does not make you a bad parent. In fact many children go through a fussy eating stage in the early years and it is a normal stage of development.

So stop right now (🎤thank you very much) comparing your child to others. Your role isn't to choose whether or how much your child eats.

I repeat. 📣 It is not your responsibility to get your child to eat. 📣

Trust your child’s internal hunger cues and as a parent focus on the environment when serving your food. Is it a relaxing environment for them to eat? Is there any pressure to eat? Are you crossing any boundaries?

Address

Lytham St Annes

Website

http://fitfoodtherapy.co.uk/

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