One of the most common questions I get asked is whether my children eat packaged food. The answer is yes. I'd like to say no. I guess I could if we lived in a remote location where there were no outside influences. No grandparents. No school kids. No TV. But that's not reality.

In a perfect world they would eat fresh food all the time but fact be known, my two, especially Sebastien, really look forward to snacking on store bought treats. Probably because he doesn't get them all too often. When he started preschool, he saw other kids having all sorts of fun food - fruit juice, chips, cookies. You name it, he saw it. This naturally led him to ask me why he doesn't get all those goodies in his lunch box. I'd sometimes feel like saying "Because the mothers of those children don't mind that their kids eat processed, GMO, sugar loaded, chemical filled, nutrition void snacks". But I know that's not fair. I also know that that's their choice and not my place to comment.

Instead I would state the honest truth: "Because it's not good for you". Seb's standard response: "but Ryan's Mum lets him". And we would to and fro until I arrived at my final point. I'll get to that in a minute.

We used to have these conversations a lot when he realised that he ate differently to most of the other kids at school. But after a few months he gave up asking. He probably realised that mum doesn't usually change her mind on these issues. Clever kid. I think he also realised that mum had a point. What point you ask? Point is, my role as a mother is to nurture my children. You bring children into the world with the hope of them developing into strong, well-adjusted, healthy and happy people. Good nutrition is the foundation for health and development so I see it as my responsibility to support my children to grow up healthy. Seb gets that now.

Having said that, I don't want an unhappy deprived child begging me for things that he can't have and then have him pigging out on every last piece of junk food that he sees at children's parties and school events. There has to be a balance.

So I do succumb and buy packaged snacks. I just choose them carefully. Pictured are some of my go-to snacks when my kids just can't tolerate another veg plate. I get it. They gotta live a little.

When I choose supermarket foods, I read the labels with intent. There are a few things I don't want to see:

1. Genetically Modified Ingredients

2. Preservatives

3. Chemicals

4. Sugar

5. Excess Salt

6. MSG

I buy organic, clean snacks that have nutritional benefits. I avoid excess wheat flour and dairy.

Most of the items I buy are from health food stores so they take a little extra time, planning, and money but I think it's worth it. And the kids just love them.

Now go forth and nourish your kids. They deserve it.

T xx