As the school year kicks off, parents across Ireland are facing the same mealtime challenge: how to keep lunches and dinners healthy, affordable and kid-approved.
According to new research by SuperValu, this is much easier said than done, with over half of those surveyed admitting that nutritional information can feel overwhelming, and 42% feeling guilty about not cooking healthier meals.
So, how can parents make small, achievable changes that can improve family nutrition?
We asked performance nutritionist Daniel Davey, who partnered with SuperValu to help families navigate these back-to-school food struggles, for his top tips.
"It all starts with having space for thinking and putting together a process that feels sustainable," he explains. "Cooking is such an integral activity for long-term health."
His first tip is to invest in meals that you can 'cook once and eat twice' as a way to save time and money.
Batch cooking mince dishes like bolognese, mild chilli con carne, meatballs, and fajitas are favourites in his household, with much of the leftovers being gobbled up the next day, often being paired with different energy sources.
For example, beef and veg with tortillas on Monday night might turn into beef, veg and rice on Tuesday.
Chicken is another great source of protein that can be eaten in different ways throughout the week, whether it be in soups, sandwiches, pasta dishes, curries, burritos, or alongside some potatoes and veg.
"I've a young family myself and it's about making it as attractive as you possibly can," he says.
His second tip is to include children in the process.
Although it may take some time, discussing children's likes and dislikes, and sitting them down to make a shopping list each week can help in the long run.
"Most children understand energy and being strong and being more resilient," he insists. "It's about creating that positive language about food. There's enough negativity in the world around nutrition and what we need to cut out, but if you're repositing food in your home, [speak] about energy, concentration, and focus."
"Children start to establish that as food being positive," he adds, "and the preparation of food at home being a positive activity rather than a chore or there being stress or drama around it."
When it comes to building a plate, Davey said it should be about embracing colour and keeping things simple with an energy source, a nutrition source, and a protein source.
"Variety is great, but consistency is where it's at," he says.
When it comes to lunchboxes, Davey suggests adding homemade snacks alongside the usual sandwich or leftovers, as kids will likely get a kick out of eating something they helped make.
"It's about having little things that they're a part of," he says, adding that parents should try introducing new foods in small ways.
"Even if it's one grape or one small piece of fruit, over time, all of that is adding up to bring the fibre or the protein or the nutrients. That exposure and that overall process, and giving the lunchbox that little bit of extra attention and creativity, makes a huge difference."
