Are parents failing at making healthy food choices for kids?

Almost one in three children aged 6-9 years in 33 European countries are overweight or obese according to the World Health Organization, but a newly released book, My Kids Love Veggies, by Australian author Hoda McClymont PhD, aims to help parents navigate junk food traps and help instil healthy eating habits.

Ms McClymont said, "childhood obesity statistics worldwide are deeply concerning, but hardly surprising given people live in modern societies where they are surrounded by unhealthy food environments that normalise and promote unhealthy eating habits."

"Whether shopping for groceries, eating out, or getting together with family and friends, the ready availability of unhealthy snacks and meals is truly astounding. Even if well-meaning parents want to foster healthy eating habits in their children, they are often bamboozled by the large array of often contradictory information and haphazard strategies available online," she added.

It was through experiencing this parental frustration first-hand that prompted Ms McClymont, to write My Kids Love Veggies. "I want to help parents who are losing the battle at the dinner table trying to get their children to eat their veggies. I struggled for years with instilling healthy eating habits in my kids. In desperation, I did what many parents do: I looked for information, hoping to find the best way to encourage my children to eat healthier food. However, I found that what worked for one parent didn't necessarily work for others like me so, I decided to research a scientific solution," said Ms McClymont.

"While many nutrition books focus on recipes or give one or a few tips relating to a single strategy, My Kids Love Veggies, presents a fresh approach to empowering parents. It provides a scientific map, (or what health promotion professionals call a behaviour change model) to move children towards healthier diets. Accompanying this map are strategies, tools, and resources to help parents kickstart the change process," she added.

My Kids Love Veggies, is available at Amazon.com and other good bookstores.

"Cleverly written, a much-needed book, sometimes we need a wake-up call, and reading this book has put me back on track. It's time to clean out the pantry and I love the idea of eating a rainbow." - Kim Broad, Chef and health-conscious, mother of two.

"My Kids Love Veggies! Is a very practical, helpful, well-researched book with interesting facts for those fighting an uphill battle trying to get their primary-school-aged children to eat more vegetables and be healthy in general." - Tahirih Lemon, Australian author, and mother of two.

9 Alford Street
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Mob: +617 413778018
Email: mykidsloveveggies2022@gmail.com
Press contact: Hoda McClymont

Hoda McClymont is a mother, researcher, and project officer. In addition to authoring numerous academic journal articles available on ResearchGate, Hoda has years of experience working for government, academic, and non-government organisations. While completing her graduate studies in public health, she became aware of the pressing need to educate and empower individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices. She lives in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, with her husband and two sons, who were the inspiration for her book.

This release was published on openPR.