The 3 Easiest Ways to Improve Your Child’s Health (Without the Overwhelm)
As a paediatric dietitian and mum, I get it — feeding kids can feel like a full-time job. Between fussy eaters, busy schedules, and confusing food labels, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But here’s the good news: improving your child’s health doesn’t have to mean turning your life upside down.
In fact, with just a few simple shifts, you can make a huge impact on their nutrition, gut health, immunity, and even mood and behaviour.
Let’s dive into the 3 easiest — and most powerful — ways to improve your child’s health today:
1. Increase Plant Foods for Better Gut Health and Nutrient Intake
It’s no secret that plant foods are packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But here’s the lesser-known truth: plant foods are also the foundation of gut health — and your child’s gut health is the foundation of their overall wellbeing.
Why It Matters
The gut is home to trillions of microbes that help digest food, absorb nutrients, support the immune system, and even communicate with the brain. A diverse, fibre-rich diet feeds the good bacteria, helping them thrive — while ultra-processed, low-fibre foods starve them.
The more variety of plant-based foods your child eats, the more diverse and resilient their gut microbiome becomes. This translates into fewer tummy aches, better immunity, more stable moods, and improved nutrient absorption.
Studies show that greater dietary fibre intake is linked to a more diverse gut microbiome and better metabolic and immune outcomes in children. [[study link here]]
Simple Tips to Add More Plants (Without a Fight)
You don’t need to go full vegan to get the benefits — just aim to add more colour and variety across the week. Here are my go-to tricks:
Smoothie power: Add spinach, zucchini, avocado, or frozen cauliflower to smoothies. Throw in chia seeds or oats for extra fibre.
Plant-packed pasta sauce: Blitz cooked veggies (carrot, capsicum, zucchini, mushrooms) into your pasta or Bolognese sauce.
Snack smarter: Offer cut-up fruit, veggie sticks with hummus, or roasted chickpeas instead of crackers.
Swap white for whole: Choose wholegrain bread, brown rice, and wholemeal wraps instead of white, processed versions.
Add beans anywhere: Toss lentils into meatballs, chickpeas into curries, or black beans into quesadillas.
Start a “try a new plant” challenge: Each week, introduce a new fruit, veg, legume, nut, or seed.
💡 Aim for 30 different plant foods a week (including herbs, spices, grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables) — the magic number shown to support optimal gut diversity.
🌱 Learn more about microbiome diversity from The American Gut Project
2. Reduce Sugar Intake (Without Feeling Like the Fun Police)
Sugar is everywhere — and kids are consuming far more than recommended. Excess sugar can lead to energy crashes, mood swings, weight gain, tooth decay, and even increased inflammation that affects gut health and immunity.
But the goal isn’t to be sugar-free — it’s to be sugar smart.
How Much is Too Much?
According to the World Health Organization, children aged 2–18 should have no more than 6 teaspoons (24g) of added sugar per day. But many kids are having triple that — often without realising it. [[more info here]]
Where Is It Hiding?
It’s not just in lollies and soft drinks. Added sugar sneaks into:
Flavoured yoghurts
Muesli bars
Breakfast cereals
Fruit juice and cordials
Crackers and snack foods
Tomato sauce and marinades
Smart Swaps That Still Taste Great
You don’t need to ban treats — just make more nutrient-rich, lower-sugar swaps:
Swap Flavoured yoghurt to Plain Greek yoghurt + berries or banana
Swap Sugary cereal to Weet-Bix + fruit or oats with cinnamon
Swap Muesli bars Homemade bliss balls or low-sugar bars (aim < 5g per serve)
Swap Ice cream to Frozen banana + cocoa blended into “nice cream”
Swap Juice to Water infused with fruit or soda water with lime
Swap Lollies to Dried fruit or frozen grapes
Swap Biscuits to Homemade oat cookies or wholegrain crackers with nut butter
🍬 For more helpful label-reading tips and over 85 healthy kids supermarket snacks (additive free and low sugar) check out my supermarket guide [[click here]]
Tips to Make It Stick
Check labels: Look for <15g sugar per 100g for foods like cereals and muesli bars.
Make it gradual: Don’t go cold turkey — reduce sugar bit by bit to let their tastebuds adapt.
Focus on whole foods: The more unprocessed foods on the plate, the easier it is to cut sugar naturally.
Talk about it positively: Avoid labelling foods as “bad” — instead, teach your kids how some foods help their brain and body work best.
3. Avoid Harmful Food Additives (Yes, They Matter)
Additives like artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, and emulsifiers are common in kids’ foods — but that doesn’t mean they’re harmless.
Why It Matters
Some food additives have been linked to:
Behavioural issues like hyperactivity
Gut lining irritation and microbiome disruption
Allergic responses or intolerance reactions
Hormonal disruption and increased inflammation
Children are more vulnerable because their systems are still developing, and they tend to eat a higher percentage of ultra-processed foods relative to their size.
Reference: Artificial food colors and attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms
Key Additives to Avoid
Here are some of the worst offenders:
Artificial colours – Linked to hyperactivity in children.
Preservatives – Can cause gut and respiratory irritation.
MSG (621) – May cause headaches, nausea or behavioural issues in sensitive children.
Artificial sweeteners (e.g. 950, 951, 955) – Disrupt gut microbiome and can increase sugar cravings.
** You will find the FULL breakdown of all the artificial food additives and preservatives, inside Supermarket GURU. This is a comprehensive program created by Paediatric Dietitian, Karina herself and includes video tutorials, masterclasses and PDF’s) on how to choose the best healthy kids food in the supermarket. For more on Supermarket GURU [[click here]]
Final Thoughts from a Mum and Paediatric Dietitian
Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean perfection — it’s about small, consistent steps that add up over time.
By focusing on:
Adding more plant foods
Reducing added sugars
Avoiding harmful food additives
…you’re giving your child the best foundation for lifelong health. You’re also teaching them to understand food, fuel their bodies, and build a positive relationship with eating — and that matters just as much as the food itself.
Need More Help?
If you’re struggling with fussy eating, label reading, or knowing what to pack in the lunchbox — you're not alone. Inside my Nourishing Kids membership, you’ll get access to:
Healthy recipes for kids that are actually quick and easy
Snack guides and supermarket cheat sheets
A full Food Additives Masterclass
Support from me — a paediatric dietitian and mum of two who gets it!
🎉 For your chance to join, apply here [[click here]]