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Junk food, often termed as “sometimes” foods, is known for its high “empty kilojoules,” meaning it provides lots of energy with minimal nutritional value. These foods typically contain unhealthy fats and added sugars, contributing to childhood obesity—a significant risk factor for various health issues later in life. Their irresistible combinations of salty, sweet, and greasy flavors often lead children to overconsume, leaving little room for nutrient-rich foods crucial for healthy growth and development. Regular consumption of junk food can also establish unhealthy eating patterns and preferences that persist into adulthood.
Encouraging children (or anyone) to reduce their reliance on these go-to snacks can be challenging, often accompanied by resistance, battles, and tears. Simply removing junk food from their diet can create a void in their eating routine. Equally important is focusing on introducing healthier eating habits to replace the less nutritious ones.
Here are five straightforward tips you can implement at home to transition your children away from junk food and towards healthier, nourishing alternatives!
Start introducing different fresh foods, flavours and textures from a young age. Familiarise your children with fresh fruits and veggies as well as different textures such as wholegrains. This trains kids to be more open to give new foods a try. It will also help combat fussy eating down the track. If you missed the window of opportunity in their early years, don’t worry. Now is as good as any other time to start! Take it step by step and introduce one new food at a time. Make it fun and interesting – try one of our delicious veggie recipes here. Most importantly, constant exposure is the key. It may take many tries (sometimes up to 15 times), but offering healthy foods without an alternative and when kids are hungry increases the chances of the food being eaten.
Show kids how fresh wholesome ingredients look, feel and smell before it all ends up on the plate.
Getting them to measure out ingredients for a recipe, crack the eggs and toss the salad will help them practice important life-skills and being more savvy with handling foods makes them more likely to eat it! Letting them help you plate up the food will also let them visualise portion sizes. Getting them involved in putting together their own lunch boxes can increase the chances they’ll eat what’s inside, too!
Junk foods can slip into our diet when we are caught unprepared and need a quick fix. When hunger calls, always have something healthy and nourishing to offer. That way, the sneaky drive-thru and takeaway temptations don’t seem so shiny after a long day. Stash frozen vegetables, canned fish and microwavable rice for speedy low-cost meals that you can whip up even after a late soccer game. Be armed with healthy snacks when kids are nagging for nibbles and be firm about the options you offer. The family-pack chips and Tim Tams are no longer on the menu! Read this article for some nourishing, hunger-busting snacks ideas!
Whether it’s mac’n’cheese, chicken nuggets, fish’n’chips or even pizza, make homemade versions to bulk up the nutrients and save you dollars. For example, make home-style fish’n’chips by crumbing fish to bake or panfry and serve with a side of oven-baked sweet potato wedges. Homemade versions are free of the additives and preservatives that are in commercial products. Plus you have full control over what goes in (and what doesn’t!). Work towards adding more veggies into these favourites, too. You could grate carrot and zucchini into nachos or get the kids to use colourful veggies as toppings for a rainbow pizza.
Even if you have the healthiest, junk-free kitchen in the country you can’t always control what your kids are offered outside your home. Kids might also feel like the odd-one-out if they are told not to eat the foods offered at the birthday party (and they may pig out behind your back). Let them know they are allowed to eat these “sometimes” foods. Suggest for them to choose 2-3 of their favourites and eat a small helping only. To prevent overeating or gorging, give them a healthy snack before attending the party. If appropriate, you could also offer to contribute a healthy platter to the party.
At the end of the day, it’s important to ensure whatever changes you make to wean your kids off junk food are sustainable for you and your family. Children are surprisingly observant of what adults are eating and doing (especially parents). So, the best results are seen when the whole family gets on board and adopts healthier habits together. Walk your talk and show them that healthy eating is doable, applies to everyone and isn’t about deprivation or “boring” foods – so make healthy the norm AND fun for kids.
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