Every parent wants their child to be healthy and happy and of course, a big part of ensuring this has to do with their diet and the balance of foods they’re eating. However, figuring out the right mix of healthy foods that are right for the whole family to eat each day can be a real puzzle, it's a little like trying to crack a code, especially when it comes to feeding ourselves and our little ones.

I’m sure we’ve all heard the Australian Dietary Guidelines that say we should aim for 2 servings of fruit and 5 servings of veggies daily. But what does that actually mean? It's not as straightforward as it sounds. We need to know the right portion sizes, and have a variety of fruits and veggies. Plus, age, activity levels, and all other individual needs play a role too. 

Working this out on our own can sometimes feel like an added layer of stress and anxiety to our already growing pile sitting over there in the corner, definitely not what we need, there has to be an easier way!

Well, lucky for us there is and our special guest today is here to help us understand and explain what that is using scientifically backed strategies.

Today I am so excited to welcome one of our partners here at Kiddipedia Dr Flavia from Food Is Cool. 

We ask Dr Flavia questions including:

1. (2:48) I understand you’ve focused your research and advocacy work on promoting a food-first approach to address public health’s biggest problems, especially among children. Where did this passion come from and Why is this so important to you?
2. (4:17) You’ve mentioned that the norm in society around food and nutrition is not the evidence-based way, can you expand on what you mean by that? 
3. (5:48) You’ve also mentioned that you’re here to re-think and re-work (almost) everything we thought we know about food and nutrition and throw quite a bit out the window, please explain why this is. 
4. (8:33) What are some of the more common questions and concerns parents ask to ensure their children's diets are healthy and balanced?
5. (11:51) In your article you mention that 99% of Australian children aren’t eating enough vegetables every day and that more than 1/3 of their daily intake comes from foods that are not nourishing their bodies and their mind. That’s an alarming statistic, can you expand on why the statistics are so high and why this is happening?
6. (13:56) I understand Dr Flav’s research team published a world-first study last year proving that there are benefits to eating the rainbow that goes beyond just the fruits and vegetables. What can you tell us about your findings? 
7. (15:26) In your article you list your top 5 tips on adding colour variety to your plate, can you go through them with us now?
8. (19:23) You mention in the article to eat the rainbow plus brown and white, what foods do you mean by that? 
9. (20:38) You mention that the more variety you are offered, the more you eat. This is called the ‘buffet effect’, can you expand on this?
10. (21:44) Does Colour variety also leads to greater food consumption, if so how? What is the 
11. (22:53) How can parents make it fun to involve children in making rainbow meals every day? 

For the full article, please go to: https://kiddipedia.com.au/why-we-need-to-ditch-the-go-for-2-and-5-message-when-it-comes-to-children/

Research article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35807307/

Socials:

@drflavs (insta/twitter) 

facebook.com/drflav

linkedin.com/in/drflav

@foodiscool._ (insta)

facebook.com/foodissocool 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/foodiscool/