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This week we have Krissy Ropiha, a Gold Coast mum of three and owner of Her Nourished Kids; an online space dedicated to supporting families with young children through mealtimes. Krissy is a Certified Nutrition Coach with a background in psychology, an author of two kid-friendly wholefood recipe books and creator of online programs to support parents of children aged 0-6 years through mealtimes. She has a special interest in fussy eating, fostering healthy relationships with food and is known for her easy, achievable mealtime strategies with non-judgemental support.
Breakfast
I’m a huge fan of breakfast. One of my favourite breakfast meals is a bowl of zucchini oats (hear me out!). My younger children love zucchini oats too, meaning I’m not stuck in the kitchen making multiple meals. I always soak my oats for as long as I can (overnight if I remember, otherwise for at least half an hour as I get ready for the day). Just before cooking, I add finely grated zucchini. The kids have their zucchini oats with a splash of oat or coconut milk, cinnamon and probiotics. My favourite version is my signature chocolate zucchini oats (recipe below!). I love that this meal is filling and offers a serve of vegetables (without my kids even realising) before we start the day!
Morning Snack
I love coffee but aim for no more than one coffee per day, ideally before 10 am. My coffee order is a half-strength almond milk latte, otherwise, I will make one at home with oat milk.
Alongside my coffee, I usually make myself a snack plate with hummus, veggie sticks and a homemade bliss ball. I often make my kids a snack box in the morning filled with fresh fruit and veggies.
Lunch
Even though I know how important my meals are, I’m still a mum who seems to be the last to eat! One of my quick go-to meals during the week is nori seaweed filled with my favourite salad ingredients and a serve of protein, like sushi without the rice. One of my favourite combinations is to fill nori seaweed with baby spinach, sliced pickle, tomato, cucumber, avocado and grilled tofu, falafel or hummus. I’ll usually have 2-3 of these and I love that I can hold them in one hand and have the other hand free to help the kids.
Afternoon Snack
I love having a smoothie bowl in the afternoons. I’ll blend up frozen banana, oat milk, baby spinach, greens powder, probiotics and chia seeds with a little almond butter and topped with some homemade muesli.
Most days, usually before dinner, I head outside for a #sanitywalk. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but a walk around the block in the fresh air can really shift our mindset and mood as we head into the evening routine. If I go alone, I love listening to a podcast. If I go with the kids, we explore and usually stop a handful of times to check out bugs.
Dinner
Dinner is the time our family connects. I’m also a huge advocate for family meals at any chance as they are so beneficial for our children (especially children who present with more fussy mealtime behaviours!). In fact, the well-researched benefits can be seen in as little as three family meals per week, which I feel is really achievable for almost all families.
With young children, we do eat dinner early, at around 5 pm. One of my children’s favourite meals is simply baked salmon with lemon, sweet potato with a sprinkle of cumin and steamed broccoli. It’s such a simple dinner and takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish, yet is always eaten and enjoyed by everyone. Don’t underestimate the power of a simple, uncomplicated meal!
Evening Snack
Because we eat early with the kids I’m often peckish at around 7pm once the kids are in bed. It’s probably not surprising that I have another small bowl of oats with mixed berries. This is a great snack as a breast-feeding mum as it helps with my overall energy intake and breastmilk production. I also love a warm cup of rooibos tea with oat or almond milk.
Recipe: Signature Chocolate Zucchini Oats
Serves 1-2
Time: 8 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup oats (quick oats produces a creamier porridge)
- ½ medium zucchini, finely grated
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 tbsp coconut/almond milk (or preferred milk alternative)
- 1 tbsp cacao powder (ethically sourced)
- 1 tsp stevia (or alternative natural sweetener)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp coconut yoghurt (optional)
Instructions
1. Add the oats and grated zucchini to a pot with water and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the oats have cooked, stirring regularly.
3. Add the coconut milk, cacao powder, stevia and cinnamon and stir through.
4. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with coconut yoghurt. Fold the coconut yoghurt through the oats and top with fruit or your favourite breakfast toppings.