"My child's day on a plate: I'm the first to admit it - there's nothing Instagram-worthy here."

I’m the first to admit it – my children’s meals and snacks would never be ‘Instagram’ worthy. There aren’t any smashed avocados on toast with accompanying Chia smoothies at our place on any morning. And this isn’t because I don’t want to give them this kind of goodness. No, please don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-healthy foods. If anything, I’m really trying to be the complete opposite of this. But, the reality of actually doing this consistently vs. what actually happens? Well that’s a different story.

If I had to show you my child’s ‘day on a plate’, would it pass a nutritionist’s stringent tests? Would they frown and tut or would I get at the very least, a pass? Well let’s test it, on a completely random day on a weekday when I have to be in the office by nine in the morning and deliver three children to three completely different schools by half past eight, in Melbourne CBD.

Let’s see, shall we?

This is my son’s ‘day on a plate.’

Breakfast.

In our household, breakfast is the easiest meal of the day. Why? For two reasons:

1) They love it and,

2) It’s dead easy.

Pour some cereal into a bowl, add some milk and they’re already on their way to fulfilling their day’s nutritional requirements. Sure, by the time he’s eating this he really should be in his school uniform but I’m not exactly up to fighting him on this before I’ve had at least two cups of coffee myself…

Lunch.

Here’s where I admit that there was a point in time, and out of pure desperation, that I filled his lunch with dry taco shells as I’d run out of bread or sufficient foodstuffs. This is how it is sometimes as a parent, especially towards the end of a school year. BUT, seeing as this is the beginning of a new school year, I am (sort of) on the ball. I’ve been shopping and although yes, that’s white bread with vegemite, and no the muesli bar is probably not all that great for him, this is his morning tea and lunch.

Okay, I might have snuck a rollup into it after I took the photo.

Afternoon Snack.

Often my son comes home with his older sister before either myself or his father arrive home. Which means he grabs an ice block from the freezer. I present this ice-block without comment.

Dinner.

We have, as a family of five, what I like to call a ‘rotating menu.’ Basically it consists of dishes I have found that all of my children will eat. This is no easy feat as most have an issue with at least one foodstuff. I know, I know, in OUR day, we ate what was put in front of us but in THIS day, parents are full of working parent’s guilt and need to just FEED our children so, yes, we cave a little.

Below is my traditional ‘chicken curry.’ Which consists of chicken, a few veggies and a big jar of store-bought sauce . And some fancy bow pasta. Don’t hurt yourself in your rush to join us for dinner.

Nutritionist review:

Every parent can relate to the morning struggle of getting kids up out of bed, fed, dressed and out the door – it’s not easy. So when you find something they actually enjoy for breakfast, like Nutri-Grain, there’s one less struggle you need to have.

Your son’s lunch box is ticking off a serve of dairy and his two pieces of fruit for the day, which is great. A convenient way to add more nutrients to his lunchbox could be by adding in a source of protein to his sandwich – eggs, chicken, tuna, roast beef and cheese are all great options. You could also add some salad into the mix or consider serving some vegetables sticks on the side. This will help your son ensure he is meeting his five serves of vegetables for the day and both the protein and the salad will keep him feeling fuller for longer. 

To help boost your family’s dinnertime fibre intake, try adding a side salad and switching to a wholegrain pasta (you might be surprised how good some of them now taste). You could also trial different grains like quinoa, brown rice, barley or wholemeal couscous. Pleasing five different sets of tastebuds is no easy feat so excellent work in coming up with a menu that appeals to everyone.

What does your child’s ‘Day on a Plate’ look like?

This third party nutritionist is not affiliated with any of the companies we partner with.