Is the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle safe for children?

Yes it is. Even though there is the word "diet" in the name, it isn't a "diet" as you might usually expect a "diet" to be. It is in fact a balanced, complete, active and healthy way of living. There are no calories, points or sins to count. The only restrictions are to reduce the amount of sweet treats, to avoid processed food and keep red meat consumption to a minimum. For example; save the cake for a true celebrations like birthdays and Christmas. There is great freedom in the Mediterranean diet to enjoy meals rich in vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, rustic breads, olive oil, seafood and fish. Then on top of this white meat, delicious cheeses, eggs and dairy.

Studies have found that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial to children. For example in 2014 Valazquez-Lopez found that the Mediterranean diet significantly improved the lipid (fat) profile, BMI (height to weight ratio) and glucose profile (blood sugar levels) in obese children and adolescents (https://bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2431-14-175).

Due to wonderful findings like these, I was approached by the Children's Heart Federation in January 2023. This is a national charity based in Braintree. Their vision is for all children with heart conditions to have their medical and social needs met, so they can live their fullest life possible (https://chfed.org.uk/). They have asked if I would work with them to create a Mediterranean Cook Book for children. I have agreed, and they are currently arranging funding, so that work can commence on this. This is a project that my children are also excited to help me with. Secondly I was asked to do a Question and Answer session for them. This I did last Wednesday evening, and 24 people signed up, which is fantastic. I completed a presentation that explained what the Mediterranean diet is, how it is beneficial, how to practically apply the information, how to introduce it to the family and build the excitement, plus there were some ideas of child friendly meals.

If you missed this session and are interested in some more information. Please do not hesitate to contact Amanda at hello@healthymedeasy.co.uk.

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