2016 has been a huge year for food trends, especially those encouraging not only a healthier lifestyle, but more conscious eating. According to Discovery, 23% of girls and 10% of boys, aged between 10 and 14, are overweight.

But with global health trends taking a front seat in SA, there is hope for the future. Here are five huge trends that will influence children’s eating habits for the better.

SPIRALISING

Baby marrows, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash and many other veggies can be spiralised and hidden in traditional pasta dishes. When taking on a similar texture to al dente pasta and smothered with a cheesy or tomato sauce, bland-tasting veg (ever had baby marrow on its own?) will be impossible to notice.

Short on time in the evenings? Foodies predict that these kinds of veggie noodles are going to make a huge appearance in frozen and ready-to-eat meals and cups-of-noodles. But in the meantime, get your own spiraliser online here.

BALLS

We are sure you have seen them everywhere. Little superfood balls packed with nutrients and energy. Parents love them because they can be popped into lunch boxes and it’s easier to control portions. And kids love them because they taste great – often sweetened with healthy ingredients like dates or nut butter.

COMMUNITY GARDENING

This is a trend that has taken off particularly well in SA, with organisations such as Heart Capital and Green Monday going around to rural areas, teaching communities how to care for veggie gardens, as well as how to cook healthy dishes that suit their budget.

The MK team took inspiration from this new trend when we hosted a bake sale to raise funds for Erica, our office cleaning extraordinaire. She now boasts a flourishing vegetable patch.

#BRINNER

Kids will absolutely love the novelty of breakfast for dinner. And it’s easy to accomplish too. Blend up or grate veggies (especially those greens that kids hate… we’re looking at you, kale) and sneak them into cheese omelettes for supper. Pop in some protein by making savoury waffles with chicken or healthy pancakes topped with lean bacon. Here is our brekkie for dinner menu to get you inspired. And don’t forget to hashtag #brinner!

MASON JARS

So if your kids are eating breakfast for dinner, what are they eating for breakfast? Encourage your kids to be in charge of their own health: hand over some mason jars and get them to DIY their own brekkie. Put out yoghurt, peanut butter, cooked oats and fresh, seasonal fruit. They love the visual appeal of mason-jar meals and this, plus the excitement of building their own meal, will get them away from those sugar-loaded cereals.