WHY NOURISHING FAMILIES?
There’s nothing better than sitting around the table as a family, enjoying a meal together where the atmosphere is relaxed and sociable - the whole family feels nourished nutritionally and emotionally.
But children today are growing up in a world where the number one factor for poor health is diet, causing more illness than even smoking. Fussy and picky eating is on the increase, leading to narrow food choices and a limited diet. In the UK 1 in 10 children aged 2-10 is reported to be obese.
And fewer and fewer families are eating together.
Yet, a child who experiences regular family meals is more likely to feel secure, have better social skills and self-esteem, eat more fruit and vegetables, do better at school and be less likely to experience mental health issues.
Nourishing Families recognise that beyond eating together there are many things that parents and caregivers can do to support healthy food habits in children.
Nourishing Families' vision is that we all grow up and live with ease around food to nurture wellbeing
WHAT WE OFFER
Encouraging a lifelong, healthy relationship with food early on
Nourishing Families' course Eat Talk Thrive offers the opportunity to stop, think, choose and make changes in a structured, supportive and non-judgmental environment, using a range of exercises and techniques. It aims to transform, step by step, how families experience food and mealtimes - which can have a positive ripple effect on other areas of family life.
For parents struggling with very selective eating, we have developed a course, From Picky to Curious. Based on Eat Talk Thrive, we explore the possible reasons behind eating behaviour and work to formulate a plan to widen and increase your child's food choices and improve eating behaviours.
First Bite offers new parents the chance to learn about weaning and beyond to set up healthy habits for a lifetime.
Inner Compass is a course for young people delivered in schools via PSHE classes. It initiates conversations around healthy eating, internal body awareness, thought processes, body image and social media to support them navigate their food world.
Cook and Explore and Taste and Explore provide spaces for children to learn about different ingredients and gain new skills.
'Thank you so much for the thought provoking sessions. I came to the course thinking I would leave armed with loads of information on what a nutritious family meal looks like and recipes to go with it.
What I actually came away with was far more useful and all encompassing. It gave me the ability to step back and stop worrying only about what my children are eating but think also how they are eating it. Implementing some of the ideas Anna talked about has created far less stressful mealtimes that the whole family genuinely look forward to.'