Natalia Calvet

Natalia Calvet has been interested in health and nutrition since she was a child. Such interest led her to study Science and Food Technology and train to become a fitness and aerobics instructor during her time at the university. At 20 years old, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes which only reconfirmed her belief that nutrition is extremely important to health and overall well-being. Currently, she’s works mostly with women who need to lose weight but have little time for self-care.

To help mothers and fathers feed their children, Natalia Calvet has put together 10 pieces of the best advice:

1. Set an example. If you want your children to eat healthy, the first step is for you to eat healthy. They’ll follow your lead.
2. Don’t force your children to eat. Always offer them a variety of healthy options and let them decide. Try to try new things, but don’t force it.
3. Don’t use food as a privilege or punishment. It creates an unhealthy relationship with food.
4. Base their diet on real food (without tags). Highly processed foods are a sugar bomb, refined flours, low quality fats, high in salt: pastries, including those labels as whole wheat or 0%, soft drinks, yogurts (except natural and without added sugars), chocolate (except with 80% cacao or more), snacks, pre-prepared plates, juices, bread (except high quality whole wheat bread)… those foods shouldn’t be a part of our daily diet.
5. The foundation of a proper diet for children, adolescents, and adults should be greens and vegetables.
6. Consume enough protein and healthy fats at every meal: eggs, fish, meat, legumes, nuts, avocado, olives, seeds…
7. Grains and cereals should always be used as a side dish and not the main dish. They should make up a maximum of 25% of our diets. In general, we eat too many grains and cereals.
8. Involve your children in the kitchen and explain to them the importance of a healthy diet.