Fiona Boyle's Column

Advice for parents on food, nutrition and children's eating from our expert Dietitian and Nutritionist, Fiona Boyle.

 
Hello and Welcome to the Nutrition section in the Kiwi Families website.

Eating is something we all do, and we all know something about nutrition. The problem is that often there is a lot of conflicting information available and working out which information offers good advice and what should be treated with care can be a challenge.

If you are a parent or caregiver one of your important roles is to feed and nurture your child. Sometimes this proves difficult and it is seldom as easy as it sounds.

Children go through all sorts of stages with food - from eating anything and everything, to being extremely fussy. We are faced with so many food choices today that it can be hard to identify the best choice. Food packaging often have all sorts of enticing things on them - from cartoon characters to wonderful words such as “nutritious” or “made from real fruit” or “a great source of energy”. It is no wonder that children are well versed with pester power techniques to get certain treats from worn-down parents.

I have worked as a dietitian for more than 20 years. For the first 12 years I was at Tauranga hospital working as a clinical dietitian. In 1998 I established a private practice Food Solutions, working from home in Mount Maunganui. Through my private practice I see people of all ages with a wide range of nutrition concerns.

Since 2005 I have written a newspaper column for the Bay of Plenty Times with the aim of promoting sensible and practical nutrition information. I have been a guest speaker at several events and love having the opportunity to help people solve the nutrition puzzle.

I have two young children, both girls. My eldest daughter has always been a fantastic eater and is very adventurous in what she will eat. My younger girl is more discerning and needs many opportunities to taste a new food before she may decide that it is acceptable; and while the ability to eat slowly may be admired in adults, at times she can really push the boat out!

As parents and caregivers we have a responsibility to give our children the best start in life - and healthy food choices are a vital part of ensuring our children not only have a healthy start but have a healthy future.

Positive and effective food messages need to start at an early age and, as parents, we have a vital role in shaping our children’s attitudes to food and body image.

I look forward to addressing a new nutrition theme each month, and I hope the information will help to demystify the nutrition minefield of modern family life.