Nature's Aid #Nofilterfeeding plus giveaway!

Today I wanted to share with you some research conducted by Nature's Aid highlighting how parenting stress peaked over lockdown with parents becoming concerned that their children were not getting enough nutrients at meal times. In the article, Nature's Aid highlights the parents' concerns as well as clever methods they employed to encourage their children to eat well. 

HERE COMES THE CHOO CHOO PAIN

Parenting stress spikes during lockdown over picky eaters

· 67% of parents say stress over infant nutrition has increased during lockdown

· 71% were more concerned about how to support their child’s immune systems as lockdowns lift

· Parents go to great lengths to avoid teatime tantrums, from serving pink broccoli, creating food sculptures, and inviting favourite toys along to tea.

As if the pandemic wasn’t enough for us to get our heads around, it seems the effects of lockdown have also turned up the pressure on children’s mealtimes with two-thirds (67%) of parents stating they now feel more stressed about their little ones eating properly, according to new research1 out today from Natures Aid.

With a second spike on the cards, laws on local lockdowns fluctuating and schools, nurseries and other childcare services getting prepped for September returns, almost three quarters (71%) say they’re feeling more concerned about their child getting the right level of nutrients to support their immune system; particularly mothers (73.9%) and those living in Greater London (79%).

The research, which targeted parents of children aged between six months and five years, revealed that 25 to 34-year-olds (74%) experience the most stress, with Northern Ireland (84%), Wales (81%), and the South East (79%) home to parents who panic the most. Despite growing anxiety, parents across the UK are already employing alternative ways to ensure their youngsters are getting enough goodness, with more than half (58%) of those surveyed using nutritional supplements, such as vitamins and minerals, to improve nutrition.

And it seems parents have continued to be rather creative and cunning to tempt testy toddlers towards nutritious options. Their tactics include creating entertaining names for fruit and vegetables (23%) to make them more appealing; getting other family members or even neighbours to take over feeding their toddlers at the table (18%), as well as disguising utensils as something else or using puppets (both 6%) – to name just a few examples.

Other weird and wonderful ways that deserve a special mention include enlisting help from the family’s furry friends, with one parent feeding their child from a beloved cat’s bowl, and another employing the family cat as a food taster. Last but no means least, another parent instilled fear into their child by indicating their arms would drop off if they wouldn’t eat what’s in front of them.

As part of the research, Natures Aid also asked parents to share what real, #NoFilterFeeding looks like and here are some of the strategies they shared:

1. Encouraging the child to role play: ‘When the wide mouth frog opens his mouth put the food in’, or role playing themselves: ‘I dress up like an animal’ or ‘… her favourite cartoon character to try to get her to eat her fruit’

2. The old fashioned ‘consequence’ approach: ‘if you don’t eat your food you won’t get any pudding’

3. The creative solution: ‘I decorated the plate with fun faces and made shapes out of the food’ or ‘cut carrots into hearts’ or ‘using food colouring’, like ‘dying cauliflower pink’

4. Using psychology: ‘giving choices e.g. do you want your carrots sliced or in strips?’ or ‘using reward charts’

5. Using distraction: ‘I give my 1 year old a tablet and put YouTube on it, he will eat anything while distracted by the table’

6. The sneaky approach: ‘I blend vegetables, so they are incorporated into the sauce’

7. The two-pronged attack: ‘I dance and make him laugh while someone else puts the food in his mouth when he laughs’

8. The downright lie: ‘My son likes bacon, so we say everything is called bacon to try and get him to eat it’

9. Inviting favourite toys along to tea: ‘I feed her dolls to encourage her, and say “one for the doll and one for you”

10. Creating food sculptures: ‘I have made their shepherd’s pie into a monster, with vegetables for the legs, arms and hair’

11. And if all else fails and sheer desperation sets in: ‘I plead with them’

Natures Aid Nutritionist and mum of one, Jenny Logan, comments: “Because of the current pandemic, now more than ever, people are concerned about getting all the vitamins and minerals they need, particularly nutrients like Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Zinc, which support a healthy immune system. Given not all food goes where it’s supposed to, my advice for those struggling parents is stay positive and keep developing an arsenal of tricks to tempt them to eat and therefore help them thrive. Like most, I’ve endured mealtime battles with my own child – you could say it’s one of the ‘joys’ of parenthood – but remember this is just a phase, and that every parent has been there.

“There’s lots of routes for advice; family, friends, child nutritionists or parenting bloggers. It’s important to remember, there is no ‘one size fits all’ mealtime method, and what works for some will not work for others, so don’t be too hard on yourself. I often recommend bridging the gap between what you would like your little ones to eat, and what ends up on the floor (or the walls) by adding vitamin and mineral drops to their food or drink. These fuss-free supplements provide the peace of mind that comes from knowing your little ones are getting the suggested daily intake of the vital nutrients they need to help them thrive. Mealtimes don’t have to be perfect, there is fun to be had in devising novel ways to introduce tastes and textures, to give them the balanced, healthy diet they need – no matter how messy it ends up.”

For more information, visit https://www.naturesaid.co.uk/children-c3/mini-drops-range-c7 or join in the #NoFilterFeeding discussion on Facebook or Instagram.

In addition to this research, Nature's Aid are giving away a fabulous prize to one lucky winner! You can win a £50 Nature's Aid voucher and the full range of Nature's Aid Mini drops! Just enter below. Good luck!

Win a £50 Nature's Aid gift voucher and the full range of Nature's Aid Mini Drops!