‘It’s not a question of all or nothing, but rather small changes for a large and positive impact.’ – Eat Lancet Commission 2019
Adjusting our food choices to support healthier eating habits and protecting our planet’s future can feel a bit confusing and knowing where to start and what to prioritise, can be a great focus. Our mental and emotional well-being is as important as ever, and with the scale of the climate issues we face, it can be hard to know where to start, especially as we try to focus on positivity and hope. As busy parents and families, who are striving to keep our children healthy and nourished, we can adopt simple sustainable habits to make delicious, nutritious meals that the whole family will love. By making these simple changes, we can protect our children’s future, as well as the future of our planet.
Progress Over Perfection
Starting with simple, practical changes can be the best way to transition to a more plant-forward lifestyle. Collectively, we can all make a difference. Even small swaps and inclusions can have a powerful impact.
Sustainable Family Eating: Top Tips
- Start small: begin by adding an extra vegetable portion (roughly 80g/a handful) to each meal. We can adopt a more inclusive approach by adding more plant foods into our diets. This can be a big win for you and your family, making plants the star of the plate.
Top tip: children may need repeated exposure to new foods and textures, so keeping it positive and going slowly is a great idea. Adding a colourful salad to the table at meal times is another way to boost our intake of plants.
- Explore plant-based proteins: There are lots of innovative ways in which we can add more plant proteins to our meals…
- try adding green lentils to a chilli or Bolognese
- swap butter for hummus in a sandwich
- add chickpeas to a curry
- mash tinned and drained butterbeans to a tomato pasta sauce (or blend
- with a stick blender for a smoother texture)
- get creative with tofu coating it in smoked paprika, garlic powder and sea salt and roast in the oven until crispy. You can also try adding it to stir-frys or top a pasta dish for a plant-protein power boost.
- Embrace wholefoods: focus on whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, wholegrains (like oats), nuts and seeds. Foods in their natural state are packaged with fibre, vitamins and minerals and are important for our health.
Top Tip: try starting the day with a balanced, wholefood breakfast. For example, you can make porridge with ground flaxseeds (about 1 tablespoon per person) and frozen berries, and top with nut butter, and maple syrup for sweetness.
- Plan meals ahead: grab a chalkboard and ask the family what their favourite meals are and make a list for the week ahead. You can add healthy twists to family favourites with our first three tips. If everyone gets involved, it can be easier to plan meals and reduce food waste.
Top Tip: Instead of planning what meal you may have on Monday or Tuesday, it can be easier to have 5-7 meals in a list to select from, allowing you to be more flexible each day. This list could repeat for a week or two, then you can start with a fresh list to introduce new dishes and recipes.
- Get creative with recipes: Check out our family-friendly recipes here. Our recipes have been designed to be low-carbon and nutritionally balanced for children. They’ve also passed taste-testing in schools, meaning they’re enjoyed by children and adults alike. This can be a great way to introduce new recipes at home that your children may already be familiar with at school. They are also cost-efficient, meaning you’ll save more money through plant-based cooking than you would with animal-based dishes.
Top Tip: Try 1 new plant-based meal each week.
- Grow your own: create a small kitchen growing area or start out with a few pots if you’re limited by space. Start with chives, mint, rosemary, thyme and basil in the summer months. Encourage children to get involved and pick the tops of the herbs when cooking before adding to dishes. Remember to wash the herbs under cold water before using. Herbs are another great way to add more plants to your meals and are a fun and simple way to start growing at home. If you have a bit more space, try starting a raised vegetable bed with kale, salads, tomatoes or any veg you and your family enjoy. Check out No-Dig for Children here.
- Start composting: have a compost food caddy ready for after mealtimes that children can use for food waste. If you have a compost tub or compost area in your garden, children can take it in turns to add peelings and any uncooked waste vegetables or fruit to the composter. This way, food waste helps nourish soil and support biodiversity. This helps to improve the ecosystem balance, which is important for plant and human health.
- Mindful meal times: eating in a calm and relaxed way is essential for digestion and also helps you and your family absorb more nutrients from your food. It also helps to calm the nervous system and support a parasympathetic response; where our nervous system is in a rest and digest state. Relaxation is important for our digestion, health and longevity. It can also help create a positive and relaxing eating environment.
Top Tip: take a few slow, deep, long breaths before eating. Ask children to imagine they are blowing out a candle slowly on the out-breath. Then, when eating a meal, keep devices on silent or in another room so you can notice your food – we eat with our eyes too!
- Empower kids: one of the best ways to engage and empower our children to eat more plants and healthier meals is to learn to cook from scratch. It can often feel easier and quicker to cook on our own, but the benefits of getting children to help are incredible.
Top Tip: Try cooking a meal once a week where your children help with chopping, stirring, tasting, and mixing. Try to ignore the mess and embrace the memories you are helping to create.
- Don’t go it alone: access support from your community and schools. At ProVeg UK, we work with schools to improve access to healthy and sustainable meals for children. Join in with a tasting session if your children’s school is holding a School Plates tasting event for children and families. Or, if your child’s school or local authority isn’t yet working with us, speak to the school and encourage them to reach out to us. We’re here to support and create change for the planet and our children’s health.
