For fussy eaters, having a plate in front of you with food that your body just rejects can be challenging. Whether it’s down to taste preferences, or the overall texture or appearance of a variety of different foods, sometimes brand new food is just a no-go for those who have incredibly particular eating habits.
But unfortunately, often having a smaller palette for a mixture of different foods comes with a lack of vitamins and minerals, and incorporating those all-important nutrients into your diet can be an ongoing battle.
We understand the challenges that fussy eating can bring, so we have put together a guide packed with tips and tricks to help you enhance your lifestyle, without taking the foods you love out of it.
The Benefits of Healthy Eating
Not incorporating the correct nutrients into your diet can wreak havoc on your body, and will ultimately leave you feeling groggy and rundown. However, we understand just how hard healthy eating can be and how challenging it can be to try new foods. But rather than restricting the foods you love, it’s time to incorporate health benefits into them, so you can enjoy your favourites – guilt free!
Some of the benefits of eating more healthily include:
- Boosted immunity
- Clearer skin, healthier hair and stronger nails
- Improved mental wellbeing
- Maintaining a healthy weight
Ways to incorporate nutrients into your favourite meals
When considering healthy eating, it’s a common misconception that you need to cut certain meals out of your diet completely. Whilst there’s no denying that some foods are healthier than others, a lot of people tend to give up on ‘healthy eating’ after lusting after a meal they’ve restricted. Therefore, it’s more sustainable long-term to opt for ways to make the meals you already love, more nutritious in order to truly succeed with a healthy diet.
Understanding your Likes and Dislikes
The first step to enhancing your nutrition as a fussy eater is to establish the healthy food you like, and the things you are not willing to compromise on – particularly focusing on fruits and vegetables. Identifying the healthy foods you enjoy, will allow you to enhance the nutritional value of existing meals by incorporating more key nutrients into them and it will make trying new food fun.
For instance, if you’re a fan of bananas, try adding some into your pancakes for a boost of antioxidants and nutrients. Banana pancakes are a go-to weekend breakfast of mine, and as the most important meal of the day, these are a great option if you’re looking to top up on those vitamins, minerals and nutrients before the day ahead.
Perhaps you’re more of a blackberry lover? This recipe pairs the classic rice pudding, with a blackberry compote, which is a great way of packing that all-important vitamin C into your dessert. Who knew that a pudding could reap so many benefits?
Opting for healthier versions of the foods you love
Another great way of incorporating health benefits into your meals is to opt for healthier versions of the foods you love. These small changes can have a huge impact on your wellbeing, with minimal change in taste, smell or texture.
- Who doesn’t enjoy a good sandwich? Making the switch from white bread to brown or multigrain bread will add several benefits to your health thanks to: more fibre, lower calories and ample vitamins and minerals. As a result, taking the leap will help you to keep your blood sugar levels in check, regulate bowel movements and reduce cholesterol.
- A hot drink in the morning is something lots of us couldn’t go without, but some are better for you than others. Green tea is a great option as it is packed with antioxidants that help to boost brain and heart health, whilst still giving you that all-important morning energy boost.
- Wholegrain pasta boasts low calories and contributes more vitamins and minerals than it’s white, refined equivalent, so if you’re looking to make a healthy choice, switching your pasta could see lasting benefits.
Soups and Smoothies
Many picky eaters find texture and smell play a big part in their food aversions, making soups and smoothies a simple way of disguising these common problem areas.
Warm and comforting, soups are a sure-fire way to please even the pickiest of eaters, with extensive options to choose from to suit your preferences. Drinking your vegetables may be the way to go!
For someone on the go, smoothies are another fantastic option. Smooth and creamy, these delicious juices can be made in a matter of minutes, and are packed with your favourite fruits and veggies.
Top tip – for an extra health boost, you can add Simone Thomas Wellness Super Greens Powder into your smoothies and enjoy additional vitamins.
Seasonings and Sauces
Seasonings can transform a boring dish into one of many flavours. If you’re finding your food is tasting bland, now’s the time to open the spice jar and explore different flavourings!
Sauces and condiments can also make a dish more exciting and can be used to disguise flavours you aren’t so keen on. Opt for sauces low in sodium with no added sugar. Healthier options include salsa, pesto, hummus and mustard.
Recipes
Looking to cook some fussy-eater friendly, healthy meals but unsure where to start? Or looking for some alternative healthy snacks in place of your guilty pleasures? Here are 4 recipes to add to your menu!
Healthy Pizzas
Nothing beats a hearty slice of pizza, but it’s not always the healthiest option. However, switching to a wholemeal pitta base could quickly turn this cheat-day-favourite into a more nutritious meal. Discover this 10 minute recipe for quick pitta pizzas, and enjoy a delicious but nutritious addition to your diet.
Chilli Con Carne
A staple dinner, chilli con carne is a deliciously smokey dish, which is bound to be a family-favourite. Packed with lean protein, beans and veggies, this chilli con carne recipe uses heaps of herbs and spices, which should help picky eaters to enjoy those rich and spicey flavours, while packing in the nutrients.
Dark Chocolate Bark
One for the sweet-toothed foodies! When it comes to dessert and trying to be healthy, you don’t need to skip out on a sweet treat. This recipe for chocolate bark uses 70% dark chocolate (containing iron and magnesium) and your choice of superfoods – such as dried cherries, nuts and seeds. Enjoy an energy boost and satisfy those cravings in a guilt-free way.
Low-Calorie Popcorn
Nothing quite says movie night like a bucket of popcorn, and with a few simple steps, you can induldge in this treat whenever you fancy! Shops and cinemas love to pack their popcorn with butter, but this recipe teaches you how to make healthy stovetop popcorn without the unhealthy additions. Did you know popcorn is not only high in fibre, but also contains vital antioxidants that can aid digestive health and improve blood circulation.
Supplementing Vitamins and Minerals
With expertly-formulated supplements on the market, getting the vitamins you need has never been so easy. Supplements can help to provide you with the support your body needs to stay healthy, and is essential for picky eaters who may not be getting the vitamins the body craves.
Multivitamins
Whilst a multivitamin cannot replace a healthy and well-balanced diet, they can fill in nutritional gaps and provide a boost of vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin C Supplements
Vitamin C is commonly found within foods such as citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes and potatoes, and a lack of this humble nutrient could provoke dry, damaged skin, painful joints, poor immunity and fatigue. Taking a Vitamin C supplement will help you to enhance your wellbeing in a matter of seconds.
Simone Thomas Wellness Skin Quencher Supplements are packed with vitamin C and sustainably sourced Naticol marine collagen to improve your skin’s health and vitality, boost your immune system and rejuvinate and repair.
Discover NutriHome
Kickstart your journey to better health and dive into our cookbook. Simone Thomas Wellness NutriHome brings you monthly recipes for nutritious, tasty meals that are a feast for your eyes and a treat for your body! From lunch box ideas to indulgent sweet treats, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.