The Madness of Modern Mealtimes: Why We Need to Reclaim Food for Our Families

Lately, I feel like I’m living in a world gone mad, especially when it comes to the way we feed our children. We’ve arrived at a moment where babies are being weaned on pouches and jars filled with food that tastes absolutely nothing like a home-cooked meal.

It really isn’t hard to steam a carrot, blend it, and freeze it in ice cube trays for quick, easy meals. Yet we’ve handed that over to the convenience of processed options. We’re told it’s easier, quicker, more convenient, but at what cost?

It is so important that we introduce root vegetables first. Let children develop a palette for savoury flavours and real textures before piling on the sweetness of fruit. Otherwise, of course broccoli will be rejected over an apple. We are literally training their taste buds to crave sugar and blandness. And I get it – fear has taken over. Parents are terrified of choking. Social media has bombarded us with horror stories, and as a result, we’ve turned to air snacks – puffs of nothing – for safety. But that isn’t nourishment. That’s fear disguised as food.

Generations before us didn’t raise their children this way. They didn’t have YouTube mums or Instagram panic spirals. They had family recipes, shared meals, and a more instinctive connection to food. And what are we seeing now? More children who are fussy eaters. More childhood obesity. More children with digestive and behavioural issues that link back to what’s going into their bodies.

As a nanny, I’ve always sat with the children in my care and eaten what they eat. Why? Because children learn by example. They don’t need someone flitting around the kitchen or urging them to finish while unloading the dishwasher. They need calm. They need connection. And they need role models who show that food is meant to be enjoyed, not rushed through.

I do the same with my own two children. We eat together at the table. No screens, no chaos. Just us, sharing food, talking, reconnecting. I honestly believe that starting this tradition young is vital. In this fast-paced, overstimulated age we live in, the dinner table is one of the last sacred spaces where families can actually see each other – really see each other.

Food is not just fuel. It is everything. What we eat directly affects how we feel, how we sleep, how we behave. As a sleep consultant, I cannot stress this enough: gut health and quality of sleep are tightly linked. When children are fed highly processed, sugary foods, it impacts their sleep cycles, their ability to settle, and their mood upon waking. Healing the gut helps regulate melatonin production and supports restful, restorative sleep. It all starts with the food on their plate.

So if generations before us wouldn’t dream of eating it, why should we? Why are we trusting corporations over common sense? Real food, raw ingredients, cooking from scratch – it’s not just wholesome, it’s healing. Yes, it takes more time, but research shows that people who cook regularly, share meals, and infuse their food with care live longer, happier lives.

So maybe it’s time to stop. Reassess. Go back to basics. Put the phone down. Turn the oven on. Because the change starts with you. And what you put on the table today will shape your family’s health, connection and sleep tomorrow.