Let's Talk About Positive Food Environments - What Are They Really?
As a Dietitian turned busy executive and mum of three, I've been through the rollercoaster of introducing solids to my kids. Despite my professional background, I was just as overwhelmed as any parent.
The early days of feeding your baby can feel like navigating a maze. Once those initial mothers' groups end, you're pretty much on your own. The advice from health professionals? Often inconsistent and confusing. Even as a Dietitian, I found myself freaking out about everything from choking hazards to food temperatures, while juggling well-meaning (but sometimes unwanted) advice from grandparents and partners.
But here's what I had already learned from working with adults' nutrition and health my whole 20-year career: the most important thing is not only what food you give your child - it's also creating a positive relationship with food from the start. We want eating to be about nourishment, not comfort or stress, habits, distraction or boredom. Fostering that is a key point - that we under-rate or can forget in all our busy-ness.
Good news? The actual food part - what to introduce and when - that's actually pretty straightforward. We've got you covered with our Free Introducing Solids Guide. It's in a pop up on our front page "Food Guide". So please get it and forget the stress on that element.
The real challenge? Creating positive mealtimes. This means:
- Setting up a safe space for food exploration (minus the overwhelming mess)
- Encouraging healthy food choices naturally
- Finding quick, simple meal ideas that let you actually enjoy family time
- Getting reassurance that you're doing just fine
Every day, every human problems that need to be taken seriously
Speaking of mess - let's talk about BIBS. I got fed up with tiny, ineffective plastic bibs that barely lasted through one child. The mess was driving me crazy, and those hot, smocks with distracting prints full of microplastics weren't cutting it either. That's why we created a better solution - a BIB that actually works and supports positive feeding experiences.
Want to make this journey easier? Check out our full collection of feeding tools, including our kids' Fruit and Vegetable books. Because sometimes the simplest solutions make the biggest difference and any time and stress we can save each day creates happier, healthier babies and mums! We exist to help you, so please follow us and share our pages with your friends and loved ones.