I’m writing this surrounded by wrapping and tissue as I prepare Belle’s 16th birthday gifts for the morning. This is probably the biggest milestone for kids in Bermuda, isn’t it? It’s the bike birthday, when the majority of parents cross their fingers and hold their breath and hope that Bermuda’s roads are kind to their child.

I know some parents don’t allow it, but Belle has been fiercely independent since she broke out of the womb. Just like her sister, she worked like mad (bag packing and retail) saving every cent until she was able to pay for her bike in full. She did Project Ride, lined up TCD and has road training with Darren from Systemized Training & Security Services (who launches many of Bermuda’s teens) tomorrow. I’ll be spending the next few months glued to Life360, as I watch her little bike icon zoom around the island. My heart, on wheels.

Belle was a pretty easy baby from a weaning point of view. She loved food, had no problem with protein, enjoyed things like steak and shrimp. Was extremely anti-avocado but loved broccoli and berries. Once she discovered sugar though things changed and I had to lie to her and tell her she was allergic to Coca-Cola. So mean, I know! One Saturday morning, we came downstairs after a sleep-in, only to find a trail of icing sugar all the way from the kitchen to the sofa, where she was eating it by the handful. She then decided nutritious food was not her wheelhouse, came home with a project from school titled “Why burgers are important” and wrote an ode to Mac ‘n’ Cheese in her English class. I thought all was lost!

And yet, look at her now. Belle has evolved into this gym-loving, basketball-mad teen who loves nothing better than an antioxidant-packed yoghurt bowl for breakfast and something healthy for dinner. I get side-eye if there aren’t enough greens and god help us all if the protein quota is not up to scratch. She’s found this wonderful balance between enjoying less healthy options but sticking to healthy eating most of the time. She has a great routine, good habits and believes in the connection between fuel and results. I can rest easy. I would love to say “my job here is done”, but I think she largely did this herself. She had a supportive environment to do it in (key), but the drive came from within.

When it comes to the supportive environment, there are a few things that we did that were helpful for sure. And I’ve seen these strategies play out well with clients and their children too. Every child is different and most go a little sideways once the birthday parties begin and they discover a world full of sugary junk. But if you establish some fun, healthy habits at home, kids usually come back around. Here are some ideas to get going with:

1, Take the pressure off

If you would like your kids to try new food, especially food that you anticipate they may not like the first time, take the pressure off. It often takes 10 to 20 times of trying before a child likes a new food, but if they feel stressed about it, it might not happen at all. The goal should be for them to try … that’s the success point. Simply being willing to put something in their mouth and decide if they like it or not.

2, Avoid overwhelm

When trying something new, try to include things that you know they like too. For example, if you are trying quinoa for the first time, offer it with two “sure things” that you know they like (e.g. chicken tenders and broccoli.) That way, you can just give them a little of the new food to try, but they won’t go hungry if they don’t like it. Again, the idea is just to try. This avoids parents getting stressed over food waste too.

3, Talk about it

This is difficult but try to be very interested but still neutral about their response. Ideally, you don’t want them to see that them liking or not liking something, makes you happy or sad. As kids get bigger, they absolutely love to be asked their opinion about something. A strategy that worked well when I ran Natural Kids camp (and we had lots of tasting sessions) was to ask kids “Is this thumbs up, thumbs down, or thumbs on the side for you?” It helped them cast their vote but also see how different children liked different things (which helps them stay open to trying, as they never know what they may like even if someone else doesn’t like it.) You can follow up with, “what did you like/not like about it?”, “did you find it crunchy or soft?”, “was it sweet or salty?” Knowing their opinion is valued is a great way to get children excited about trying, sharing and enjoying food.

4, Get them involved

Even little kids can help prepare food from a young age. Show them how to use a blunt knife to chop banana or avocado. They can pop seeds out of a pomegranate and use a child safe peeler to peel carrots. Cracking eggs, whisking and stirring are all great basic tasks. It will be so messy. So messy!! But it’s totally worth it, I promise.

5, Start with smoothies

If baking sounds like a stressful place to start, them making a smoothie is a very simple way to get kids involved and is instant in terms of gratification. Chloe and Belle loved making green smoothies when they were little … chopping banana, adding frozen peaches, a teaspoon of almond butter, a big handful of spinach leaves and pouring in almond milk. It was quick and easy. There’s a little picture here of them enjoying one when they were little (from shot glasses, don’t judge me!)

6, Family dinner

It’s not always possible, but whatever your family looks like (even if it’s just the two of you) there’s huge value to sitting down and having dinner together. Family dinner has been shown to be a huge trigger for vocabulary expansion because of all the words they hear around them. It’s also helpful for giving kids identity and a sense of belonging, Plus, it’s a great time to try new foods and talk about them (as above). If you have toddlers with short attention spans, then a little toy at the table won’t go awry. But as kids get bigger, try to avoid toys or screens at the table. Conversation games can be great however. We used to play a close your eyes and guess game … one person would close their eyes and another person would ask a question like “What is the picture of on the wall behind you?”, “what colour T-shirt am I wearing?” Simple, but fun.

7, Clean out your cupboards (and fridge)

I learnt very early on that it’s much easier to say “we don’t have any” than “you can’t have any.” If you don’t want your children to ask for it, then don’t keep it in the house. Just like adults, if children see junk food around them, they will crave it. They are much less likely to obsess over it if they can’t see it. So keep your house nice and healthy and have treats when you are out.

• The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION, BNTA is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in Britain. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda or instagram @naturalbda.